全球最大網攻演習落幕，41國演練戰時守護電網與軍事系統
Locked Shields 2026, the world's largest live-fire cyber defense exercise organized by NATO CCDCOE, concluded on April 24th with 41 nations, 16 teams, and over 4,000 participants. The exercise simulated wartime cyberattacks on critical infrastructure including power grids, air defense, and military systems of a fictional country called Berylia. Latvia+Singapore, Germany+Austria+Luxembourg+Switzerland, and France+Sweden were the top three performing teams.
Summary
Locked Shields 2026 concluded on April 24th as the world's largest live-fire cyber defense exercise, organized annually since 2010 by NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). The exercise has grown dramatically from its origins with just 4 countries and approximately 60 participants to its current scale of 41 nations, 16 teams, and over 4,000 participants.
The 2026 edition centered on a fictional nation called Berylia, which was portrayed as being attacked by a sophisticated hostile force seeking to undermine its sovereignty. To maximize realism, CCDCOE partnered with industry to incorporate actual hardware and industrial control systems, including a fully functional power generation system, 5G networks, satellite infrastructure, electronic voting systems, and combat command systems.
Over two days, 16 teams acting as rapid response units defended Berylia against approximately 8,000 real-time cyberattacks targeting these critical systems. CCDCOE Director Tõnis Saar highlighted that teams performed well in detecting and responding to malicious cyber activity, and emphasized that the growing role of AI is reshaping both offensive and defensive dynamics in cyberspace.
The top three teams recognized were: Latvia+Singapore in first place, Germany+Austria+Luxembourg+Switzerland in second, and France+Sweden in third. Exercise lead Dan Ungureanu stated that the ultimate goal of Locked Shields is to foster inter-nation collaboration, build mutual trust, and develop a shared understanding of how to strengthen resilience in cyberspace.
Key Insights
- CCDCOE Director Tõnis Saar argued that AI is actively transforming the attack and defense paradigms in cyberspace, making it a central concern beyond just the technical exercise itself.
- The exercise incorporated genuinely real hardware and industrial control systems — including a working power generation system, 5G networks, and electronic voting infrastructure — to ensure the simulation reflected actual operational conditions rather than abstract scenarios.
- Locked Shields has grown from 4 countries and ~60 participants in 2010 to 41 nations and over 4,000 participants in 2026, illustrating a dramatic escalation in international investment in collective cyber defense.
- Exercise lead Dan Ungureanu framed Locked Shields' ultimate purpose not merely as a technical drill, but as a mechanism for building inter-national trust and a shared understanding of cyber resilience.
- The fictional Berylia scenario involved approximately 8,000 real-time cyberattacks delivered over just two days, suggesting the exercise is designed to stress-test rapid decision-making under sustained, high-volume attack conditions.
Topics
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