Brussels, 8 November 2024
Senior cybersecurity officials from EU Member States and the Commission are today taking part in the annual Blueprint Operational Level Exercise (Blue OLEx) to test the EU’s preparedness in the event of a cyberspace crisis.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, said: “This exercise will help us strengthen our cybersecurity defences and ensure a safer digital environment for our citizens and businesses in all Member States.”
This year, the exercise is led by the Italian authorities, with the support of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). In 2024, Blue OLEx focuses on cooperation at executive level, including through the Computer Crisis Liaison Network (EU-CyCLONe), which was established upon the entry into force of the Directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union (NIS 2 Directive). The exercise will help cybersecurity leaders identify areas for improvement in the standardized way of responding to incidents and crises.
EU-CyCLONe aims to contribute to the management of major IT incidents and crises at the operational level. It complements existing cybersecurity structures at EU level by linking cooperation at technical level, such as the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT), and policy levels, such as the Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR). The results obtained during the year will contribute to the evaluation of the Coordinated Response Plan for Major Cyber Security Incidents and Crises, adopted in 2017.
Source – EU Commission