The three-day exercise is designed to strengthen the Moldovan military with the knowledge and skills required to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats.

“Through this initiative, our cybersecurity experts gained valuable hands-on experience, enabling them to better understand possible threat vectors, to counter cyber-attacks as a team, and to safeguard the nation’s digital landscape effectively. This kind of training is very important, especially in the current security environment, which is very much affected by hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks,” said Anatolie Nosatîi, Minister of Defence of Moldova.

Cybersecurity is one of the priority areas of the EU-Moldova cooperation.

"In the dynamic landscape of modern security, cyber defense stands as a pivotal element within the broader spectrum of military capabilities, safeguarding nations from the ever-evolving threats in cyberspace. The EU's steadfast support to the Moldovan Armed Forces not only reinforces their cyber resilience but serves as a proactive measure, ensuring a secure and resilient society. By supporting cyber defense, we fortify the foundation of a stable and interconnected future, where the integrity of our digital infrastructure mirrors the strength of our collective commitment to security and stability," said Ambassador Jānis Mažeiks, Head of EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova.

The exercise is conducted under the leadership of the Estonian e-Governance Academy in a simulation environment provided by CybExer Technologies, a NATO-awarded Estonian cybersecurity company.

“Cybersecurity is about people knowing how to use the technology and being able to act together, at the strategic, operational and tactical levels, in securing the online environment in today's interconnected world. In the case of a cyber-attack, you need to have well trained people who know how to use the latest and greatest tech-driven solutions. Cybersecurity is ultimately a very human issue,” said Merle Maigre, the Project Team Lead at the e-Governance Academy.

The live fire exercise is preceded by task-driven threat hunting, which practice detecting and collecting data about potential attackers, and training sessions that develop various cyber capabilities at the technical level.

During the exercise, the Blue Teams, consisting of Moldovan military cybersecurity experts, are engaged in cyber training conducted using a “live fire” method. The Red Team, of organisers, is launching an intensive real-time attack against the virtual infrastructure of the Blue Teams. Every Blue Team has to assess the crisis and ensure the protection and efficiency of the services and networks under cyber attack. The exercise provides participants with valuable insights into how attackers operate, which machines they target, the changes they make, and how these actions affect operations. The Blue Teams receive scores based on their performance in handling challenges, providing clear reports, and working together.

The cyber exercise is part of the European Peace Facility (EPF) assistance measure to strengthen the cybersecurity capabilities and resilience of the Ministry of Defence and Moldovan Armed Forces. The total cost of the measure is 4 million euros and it lasts from December 2022 to September 2025.

Background information

The EU’s European Peace Facility (EPF) assistance measure enables capacity building of military actors, and provides cybersecurity training, equipment, and infrastructure for security purposes.

The e-Governance Academy (eGA) is a centre of excellence that aims to increase the prosperity and openness of societies through digital transformation. Over the last 20 years, eGA has collaborated with more than 280 organisations and 141 countries on digital innovations worldwide.

In Moldova, eGA currently implements three EU cyber assistance projects, with a total amount of 6,7 million euros. Two of these projects are European Peace Facility (EPF) measures and aim to increase the cyber defence capacity of the Moldovan Armed Force.

The third project is the EU support project “Moldova Cybersecurity Rapid Assistance” increasing cyber resilience of public sector organisations and critical infrastructure providers. The total cost for this measure is 2,7 million euros and it lasts from May 2022 to November 2023.