Locked Shields 2023: Over 3,000 experts from 38 countries push boundaries of cyber defence
Locked Shields 2023 has proven to be an unparalleled event in its multifaceted and detailed approach, incorporating the latest technologies and relevant attack methods. By simulating the complexities of a large-scale cyber incident, Locked Shields revealed the best teams and strategies for protecting against modern-day threats. Girish Linganna reports
FollowLocked Shields 2023, the world's largest cyber defence exercise, is set to conclude on Friday. Being held in Tallinn, Estonia, and hosted by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), the event brought together 3,000 participants from around the world to enhance their skills in defending national IT systems and critical infrastructure in real-time attacks.Â
The exercise simulated the complexities of a large-scale cyber incident and tested the teams' ability to execute strategic decisions and solve forensic, legal, and media challenges. With the latest technologies and relevant attack methods incorporated, Locked Shields 2023 pushed the boundaries of cyber defence and reveal the best teams and strategies for protecting against modern-day threats.
Red Team vs. Blue Team: The Ultimate Cybersecurity Showdown
The Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), a NATO-accredited knowledge hub, is at the forefront of cyber defence. Its interdisciplinary approach brought together international experts from the military, government, academia, and industry, representing 39 sponsoring and contributing nations. Among its many initiatives is Locked Shields, an exercise designed to enhance the skills of cyber security experts in defending national IT systems and critical infrastructure in real-time attacks.Â
The exercise is unparalleled in its multifaceted and detailed approach, with 24 teams from around the world tasked with keeping critical infrastructure and IT systems operational under considerable time pressure. With over 5,500 virtual systems created for the exercise, Locked Shields offers a unique opportunity for teams to demonstrate their abilities in real-life situations.Â
According to the director of the CCDCOE, Mart Noorma, "No other cyber defence exercise offers such a multifaceted and detailed experience as Locked Shields."
Locked Shields is an annual cyber defence exercise that offers a sophisticated and realistic simulation of a large-scale cyber incident. During this event, Rapid Reaction Teams from different countries were mobilised to aid a fictitious nation in managing a massive cyber attack. The Blue Teams, made up of member nations of CCDCOE, were tasked with protecting the mock state’s information systems and critical infrastructure from thousands of attacks. They also had to execute strategic decisions and solve forensic, legal, and media challenges.Â
Locked Shields is designed to be as realistic as possible, incorporating the latest technologies and relevant attack methods.Â
With more than 2000 cyber experts from 32 nations participating, Locked Shields 2022 proved to be the largest and most complex yet. The teams were tested on their ability to defend national IT systems and critical infrastructure in real-time attacks while facing a barrage of strategic, forensic, legal, and media challenges. In the end, the Finland team was declared the winner, highlighting their remarkable abilities in handling incident reporting, strategic planning, and finding solutions.Â
Locked Shields is a trailblazer in the field of cyber defence, providing insights into the most effective teams and techniques to safeguard against contemporary threats.
Locked Shields 2023: A Global Event with Implications for All
Locked Shields 2023 drill was a significant live-fire cyber defence exercise, involving more than 3,000 individuals from 38 countries, making it one of the biggest of its kind globally. The Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), which participated in Locked Shields in the last two events, was seen in action in 2023 as well.Â
As the coordinator of the exercise's financial sector scenarios, FS-ISAC leveraged its membership's experience to design the financial systems used and the cyber-attacks conducted upon those systems. Additionally, FS-ISAC designs a strategic track for senior decision-makers, challenging them to grapple with societal unrest, interdependencies, and misinformation campaigns. Dicker, a spokesperson for FS-ISAC, highlighted the tight interconnections between the financial domain, the military sector, and other critical security and economic priorities.
According to the FS-ISAC, global cyber defence requires cross-border, cross-sector, public-private defence capabilities. Military conflicts between two countries can have a global impact on the cyber-threat landscape, making exercises like Locked Shields a key tool in cyber defence.Â
Locked Shields aims to build such capabilities, as cyber threats are complex and messy, with all sorts of interdependencies. According to Dicker, a cybersecurity specialist, having a diverse range of perspectives and experiences within a team is crucial for achieving cyber resilience. Teams consisting of members with similar backgrounds and experiences may overlook certain issues that would be identified by someone with a contrasting viewpoint.
Locked Shields has proven to be an unparalleled event in its multifaceted and detailed approach, incorporating the latest technologies and relevant attack methods. By simulating the complexities of a large-scale cyber incident, Locked Shields pushes the boundaries of cyber defence, revealing the best teams and strategies for protecting against modern-day threats. With its focus on cross-border, cross-sector, public-private defence capabilities, this event is a key tool in the global fight against cyber threats.
