The 9th "ROMBO" cyber security regiment of the Italian Army concluded the "Defence Cyber Marvel 3 (DCM3)" exercise, organized by the British Army and held from 8 to 18 February 2024, taking 3rd place out of 46 teams participants and 2nd place among the European ones.
The Army's participation in DCM3 represents a significant step forward in international cooperation for the defense of critical infrastructures and information systems from cyber threats. The exercise made it possible to draw up common guidelines and maximize the synergy between the specialist components of the different nations.
With over 1000 participants, divided into 46 teams from 19 countries, also composed of police forces and government agencies from the various participating States, DCM3 represents the largest European Cyber exercise, focused on every area of cyber space.
The scenario, set in an imaginary geopolitical context, required the teams to express cutting-edge specialist skills developed with the contribution of the academic world: from quantum computing to artificial intelligence and focusing on the defense of critical infrastructures and industrial plants. Additionally, during the event the teams had the opportunity to train in Cyber and Electro-Magnetic Activities (CEMA) by operating on technologies that use the electromagnetic spectrum and exploiting their vulnerabilities.
All this was recreated in a simulated environment, also containing elements of InfoOps ed market, which put the participating teams to the test, immersing them in a high-level challenge organized by cyber defense center of excellence of NATO Tallinn (CCD-COE), in collaboration with the British Army and more than 15 partners from the world of industry.
The Italian team, together with some elements of the 5th British military intelligence battalion, demonstrated extraordinary capabilities in preventing, managing and responding to various incidents caused by more than 120 CCD-COE specialists, who simulated attacks by the most well-known hacker groups.
The experience involving the team of the 9th "ROMBO" cyber security regiment represented an opportunity to refine and strengthen collaboration with European partners, offering an environment for discussion and growth, underlining once again the value of these cooperations.
