This year, Sweden teamed up with Iceland as it was the first time that Iceland entered the competition. The aim of Locked Shields 2023, from a Swedish perspective, was to exercise participants from the finance sector, and the sector for electronic communication, to individually and together manage a major, realistic cyber security incident. The Icelandic participants represented the same sectors as well. The features of the exercise were designed in a very realistic way.

The Swedish Armed Forces was in charge of all practicalities to do with the exercise that was conducted at the Joint Signal Regiment in Enköping. Also, the Swedish Armed Forces participated in the exercise command on site in Tallinn, Estonia.

Major General Johan Pekkari, chief of cyber defence, visitid the exercise on 20 April.

“It was interesting to visit this major cyber security exercise and see it live. The participants were focused and committed. It is impressive to see how a temporarily composed team can perform on this level”, he says.

To the Swedish Armed Forces it is important that the total defence actors are exercised in realistic cyber security exercises. That is why different sectors are invited every year to Locked Shields.

“This type of cyber security exercise is a valuable tool to enhance and broaden our capability”, says Major General Johan Pekkari.

The Swedish Armed Forces wishes to thank everyone that participated in the Swedish-Icelandic team, and to congratulate them to an incredible performance.
“This is really exciting! I’d like to congratulate all of the participants”, says Johan Pekkari.

Locked Shields is the world’s largest cyber security exercise, and this year saw more than 3 000 participants from all over the world. The exercise is organised annually by the Nato Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) in Tallinn. The international exercise is technical and strategic. The exercise is made up by complex and realistic operational features.