Sweden wins the World Cup of cyber defence

Patrik Fältström, team leader for Team Sweden-Iceland, Major in the Swedish Armed Forces, and Head of Security at Netnod.

Stockholm, Sweden, 24 April 2023 - Last week was a historic week for Sweden and Iceland as they emerged victorious in the prestigious cyber defence exercise Locked Shields. Sweden formed a team with Iceland and stood as the overall winner in the exercise organised by NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) which attracts participants from around the world.

Locked Shields is one of the world's largest and most realistic cyber security exercises, aimed at testing the defence capabilities of participants' teams in a simulated cyber attack. The exercise is an important opportunity for international experts and defence forces to collaborate and practise handling cyber threats.

Sweden's victory in Locked Shields demonstrates the country's high level of competence in cyber security and also shows the ability of Swedish defence forces to act effectively in the event of a cyber attack. Sweden's team consisted of experts from the Swedish Armed Forces, as well as individuals from private companies and organisations with special expertise.

“We are very proud to have won Locked Shields. It is proof of the high level of technical expertise and collaboration that exists within the total defence when it comes to dealing with cyber threats," says Patrik  Fältström, team leader for Team Sweden-Iceland, Major in the Swedish Armed Forces, and Head of Security at Netnod.

Netnod was one of several organisations that provided personnel with unique expertise to Locked Shields. In 2023, the Swedish Armed Forces chose to primarily practise coordinating the response of the financial and electronic communication sectors against cyber attacks. A total of 33 nations, divided into 24 different teams, participated in Locked Shields 2023.