The United Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus have taken another step towards deepening security cooperation with the introduction of a new cyber training program, the British High Commission announced on Friday.
UK Department of Defense officials hosted a cybersecurity event on Thursday that delivered cyber training to Cypriot officials from a variety of organizations including the Department of State, Department of Defense, Deputy Department of Shipping, Cypriot Police and Digital Security Agency.
The exercise is designed to increase awareness of the risks of major cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and to help plan an intergovernmental response to such an attack. During the exercise, the participants explored the consequences of cyber attacks on the IT infrastructure of a port with the aim of developing a better understanding of how to counteract such threats.
The cyber exercise in question was donated by the United Kingdom of the Republic of Cyprus so that training could be carried out at all government agencies charged with countering the cyber threat. The exercise will also be part of the republic’s broader training package through the US-supported training center of the Cypriot Center for Land, Sea and Harbor Security (CYCLOPS).
When CYCLOPS goes live in early 2022, it will provide a regional training platform that will enable the republic to bring together and train partners from across the region on key security issues, including cybersecurity.
Paul Maddinson, Director of National Resilience and Strategy at the UK National Cyber Security Center, who opened the event with video annotations, said: “Our adversaries in cyberspace know no geographic boundaries, so our international partnerships are vital in addressing them common problems online threats. The new cyber training exercise, donated to Cyprus by the UK Defense Academy, will help officials stay alert to the risk of cyber attacks and ensure they are well prepared to respond in the event of an incident. We seek to work with our allies to increase the cyber resilience of our networks to ensure we are the hardest possible targets for those who want to harm us. “
UK High Commissioner Stephen Lillie, who also attended the event, said: “It is fantastic to have the Carrier Strike Group here in Cyprus as a visible demonstration of the UK’s continued commitment to the security of the island and the region as a whole. The cyber attack threat is just one of the challenges we face in maintaining our national security and we are committed to working with the Republic to share expertise and develop a common approach to these threats. A free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace will be a crucial part of the future development of our economies, especially as we seek better rebuilding after Covid. In line with the UK vision of being a leading, responsible cyber power, we are committed to working with our partners in the Commonwealth and around the world to ensure that our online infrastructures and economies are resistant to attack. “
The exercise took place on HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s new flagship visiting Cyprus as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group’s operational mission. The 65,000-ton launcher, which went into service in 2017, played a key role in military exercises to simulate and counter threats of all kinds on land, at sea, in the air and in cyberspace.
source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/uk-cyber-security-exercise-for-cypriot-officials/
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