Bittium Contributes Cyber Security Expertise to NATO CCDCOE’s Locked Shields 2026

Bittium participated in Locked Shields 2026, the world’s largest and most complex live‑fire cyber defence exercise, organised by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). The exercise brought together over 4,000 participants from 41 nations to strengthen the defence of critical infrastructure and military systems against real‑time cyber threats.

Locked Shields 2026 challenged multinational teams to defend complex and realistic IT environments supporting essential societal and military functions, including critical infrastructure, air defence systems and electronic voting platforms. The exercise placed strong emphasis on crisis management, legal considerations and strategic decision‑making alongside technical cyber defence.

Bittium contributed to the exercise with its cyber security expertise and has been an industry partner for the event since 2018.

“International exercises like Locked Shields are essential for strengthening cyber resilience. Our participation reflects Bittium’s long-term engagement in international cyber defence initiatives and our commitment to cooperation with Allied partners in securing critical digital infrastructure,” said Tommi Kangas, Senior Vice President of Bittium’s Defence & Security business segment.

“At Locked Shields, the teams must put their skills to the test, protecting the IT systems that keep our everyday life running—including critical infrastructure, air defence and e-voting. The teams demonstrated strong capabilities in detecting and responding to malicious cyber activities. The key now is to take the lessons identified from the exercise and translate them into real-world readiness, particularly as AI capabilities continue to transform both the defence and attack sides of the cyber domain,” said Tõnis Saar, Director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.

The 2026 edition of Locked Shields was executed by 16 multinational teams, reinforcing cross‑border cooperation and interoperability between Allied and partner nations.

“Our ultimate goal at Locked Shields is to enhance collaboration between nations and build trust and a shared understanding of how to strengthen resilience in cyberspace,” said Dan Ungureanu, Exercise Director of Locked Shields 2026. “I thank all participants, organisers, and partners – nearly 5,000 people worldwide – for contributing to this shared goal.”

Locked Shields has been organised annually by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) since 2010 in partnership with numerous industry and academic partners.

More information about Locked Shields: https://ccdcoe.org/exercises/locked-shields/

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