The EU MilCERT Interoperability Conference Technical Track took place on February 16-18 and it was the first such exercise in which the cyber incident response teams for military structures (MilCERT) of the European Union countries practiced together under the auspices of the European Defence Agency. The cyber defence exercise was commissioned by the European Defence Agency and it was organized by Cybexer Technologies.
The exercise involved teams from 18 different countries and more than 200 participants, who had to detect cyber-attacks with different patterns, respond to them and protect their networks. Teams solved tasks and defended their networks in CybExer proprietary cyber range that consisted of 1,500 virtual machines.
The event was opened by Estonian Minister of Defence, Mr Kalle Laanet. According to Laanet, due to the increasing use of internet-connected devices, societies have also become more dependent on devices and networks, and this potentially increases the vulnerability of systems. “The same applies to military structures,” said Laanet. “We need to work together more effectively to increase the defence capabilities of military structures against cyber incidents, and such exercises will help to advance the necessary information exchange and cooperation. I am extremely pleased that we are organizing and conducting this event on the platform created by an Estonian company,” Laanet added.
For the first time, the exercise used space technology developed by Estonia (SatOpSim – a simulator of satellite operations, it can be used to test satellite mission systems and processes), drone flight and recording technology and drone detection and counter-UAS system technology. Estonian companies Marduk Technologies, Threod Systems, SpaceIT and CGI Estonia also contributed to the exercise. Marduk Technologies develops and manufactures anti-drone platforms, Threod Systems manufactures drones and electronic observation equipment and related systems that enable the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles. Spaceit, together with CybExer Technologies and CGI Estonia, is developing a cyber defence satellite simulator within the European Space Agency GSTP program.
The second part of the EU MilCERT Interoperability Conference, where the information obtained during the technical exercise is analysed and their impact on strategic management is assessed, will take place on 9-10. June in Lille, France.
The European Defense Agency (EDA) is an intergovernmental organization under the auspices of the Council of the European Union. EDA supports the activities of the European Union in the field of defence cooperation.
