Red Hot Cyber
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Redazione RHC : 6 December 2025 19:24
NATO held its largest-ever cyber defense exercise, Cyber Coalition, in Estonia, involving approximately 1,300 specialists . The goal was to practice protecting critical infrastructure from large-scale cyber attacks, simulating scenarios involving power plants, refueling terminals, commercial satellites, and military communications networks.
Cyber Coalition was conceived from the outset not as a basic cybersecurity exercise, but as a platform for simulating complex, multi-layered incidents. The scenarios are based on the experience of real conflicts in various regions of the world , including attempts to destabilize social conditions, disrupt energy supplies and communications , limit the capabilities of the armed forces, and weaken public support . The scenarios are deliberately kept below the collective defense threshold required by Article 5, but remain as realistic as possible.
Twenty-nine NATO countries and seven partner countries participated in the exercise . They coordinated activities in seven main scenarios at the Estonian national cyber training ground, CR14 , established with the support of the Ministry of Defense. Approximately 200 participants worked directly in the field, while the others connected remotely from headquarters and centers around the world. The exercise is structured as a cooperative exercise : countries exchange experiences and data, and the most prepared teams assist those with fewer resources and experience.
The scenarios are developed taking into account that modern cyber incidents have virtually no clear boundaries . An incident that begins in one country quickly impacts others, through supply chains, transnational communications networks, satellite systems, and interconnected energy markets. Therefore, a key element of the exercises is practicing reliable information exchange, establishing functioning communication channels, and developing unified approaches for incident assessment and escalation.
The technical component remains central. For many national teams, a scenario begins with the detection of unusual malware , log anomalies, or non-standard network traffic. However, identifying the true cause and extent of the problem is only possible through collaborative analysis with other participants : data from adjacent network segments is considered, incidents from different operators are compared, and hypotheses regarding a random error, criminal activity, or a covert cyber campaign are investigated.
For the first time, the program includes a full-fledged space episode , inspired by the high-profile attack on satellite operator Viasat during the early days of the conflict in Ukraine. These scenarios explore the understanding that a cyber incident in space has a rapid impact on terrestrial infrastructure, affecting civilian communications, transportation, and military command and control systems, with consequences felt simultaneously by both military and civilian users.
The exercise highlights that the first signs of a hybrid attack often manifest themselves outside of purely military systems . Teams observe delays in satellite data transmission, strange entries in fuel distribution logs, unusual alarms at power grid facilities, or spikes in media activity. Participants must promptly decide at what stage to involve civilian agencies, which partners to inform, when to alert NATO structures, and under what conditions to share military intelligence with law enforcement.
Organizers emphasize that Cyber Coalition exercises aren’t repeated year after year. Technologies, regulations, the nature of threats, and the geopolitical context are changing. Regular exercises offer NATO and partners the opportunity to adapt joint procedures and approaches to cyber defense before similar scenarios are implemented in real situations rather than in training.
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