“Cyber Eagle 2018”, a cyber defence exercise organised by the Italian Air Force Logistics Command with the aim of training Armed Forces units to respond appropriately to cyber threats, concluded today. Whilst remaining faithful to the predominantly procedural approach of previous editions, the exercise was enriched with technical and operational content, tackling complex scenarios that involved the very heart of the Armed Forces: the Wings. The direct involvement, through “live” exercise scenarios, of two units of the national air defence force – the 4th Wing in Grosseto and the 36th Wing in Gioia del Colle – was the main new feature of Cyber Eagle 2018, a unique exercise of its kind that enabled integrated training activities involving over 3,000 military personnel and 2,000 IT systems across the three branches of the Armed Forces. During the exercise, a team of military personnel – cyber experts from the Re.S.I.A. (Automated Information Systems Department) in Acquasanta, Rome – simulated dozens of critical incidents – ranging from malware designed to infiltrate military networks to cases of operational data leaks, phishing emails and data exfiltration from computers – which the CIRTs (Computer Incident Response Teams) of the two Air Commands involved had to counter with appropriate, complex defensive measures, coordinated with all components of their respective units, starting with the chain of command, without neglecting legal and communication aspects. “The ability of the Defence’s cyber structure to respond in an integrated and timely manner is fundamental to maintaining the required levels of operational readiness and response by units in the event of a cyber attack”, said Colonel Michele Devastato, Commander of ReSIA, “an increasingly fluid and widespread threat that requires even the Armed Forces to invest in human resources, in terms of education and training”.
The Italian Air Force, which has always made extensive use of technology with a constant eye on innovation and research, has for some years now established a Cyber Operations Centre, a structure dedicated to the cyber threat to protect its networks and data, but above all to safeguard its ability to operate 365 days a year, 24/7 to defend the country, protecting our skies. The Automated Information Systems Department is based in the prestigious area of the Appia Antica Regional Park, and operates under the 3rd Division of the Air Force Logistics Command, with the mission of designing, building and managing unclassified IT systems and networks while guaranteeing cyber defence by performing the functions of a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and providing basic training for personnel in the field of Information Communication Technology.
