How Elastic Security is used in Locked Shields; one of the world’s largest cyber defense exercises

Nation-states, defined as sovereign entities inhabited by people with a shared national identity, often engage in cyber warfare to assert dominance or achieve strategic objectives, utilizing sophisticated techniques and state-sponsored actors to target critical infrastructure and gather intelligence. The Locked Shields exercise, organized by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, is one of the world's largest cybersecurity drills, designed to enhance the cyber defense capabilities of NATO member nations and partners by simulating realistic cyber threat scenarios. This exercise involves defending the fictional state of Berylia from attacks by Crimsonia, testing participants' abilities to protect critical systems while maintaining operational continuity. Preparation for such exercises involves stakeholder engagement, asset management, and the establishment of effective communication and cooperation strategies, all aimed at improving readiness and response to nation-state cyber threats. Part 2 of the blog series will further explore Locked Shields and the role of Elastic Security in enhancing threat detection and response.