For the execution, NCSC participants teamed up with subject matter experts from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and five Allied Nations: Belgium, Latvia, Norway, Romania, and the United States. NSPA provided the cyber range which hosted the exercise for all participants.
The scenario required participants to form a Cyber Incident Response and Coordination team to monitor a network under imminent attack by a fictional threat actor. Their mission was to detect anomalies, respond to cyber incidents and report finding to enable accurate decision-making.
A key element of Resilient Watch was its continuous, around-the-clock execution. Over five days, the teams provided uninterrupted coverage, ensuring seamless operational transitions during dedicated handover-takeover time slots.
"Planning the first iteration of Resilient Watch has been both an exciting and demanding journey, and it was worth it," explained Jean-Sebastien Dorne, NCSC Exercise Planner. "NCSC must be ready to respond to any cyber threat and this exercise was exactly designed to achieve that goal."
As NATO's cyber defenders, it is imperative that NCIA staff remain ready to protect NATO networks and defend NATO's digital backbone under all scenarios and circumstances. The NCSC intends to run Resilient Watch exercise on an annual basis, with the support of NATO Nations, ensuring that NCIA's cyber defence capability remains resilient and robust.