The Crossed Swords (XS) exercise, conducted by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), is designed to train cyber specialists to successfully execute a full kill chain offensive cyber operations in a simulated crisis environment and also train military command elements in command and control of offensive cyberspace capabilities. The exercise also supports the development of other domain operational and tactical level skills related to cyberspace, such as information operations.
2024 marks the 10th iteration of the CCDCOE exercise which brings together approximately 200 participants from more than 40 countries, including NATO and non-NATO member states, to practice and experiment in a field that is highly relevant in today’s world. The exercise training audience includes a Cyber Headquarters with a full planning staff, military cyber operators, digital forensic experts, and specialists from other units who are a part of, or work with their national cyber forces.
The exercise scenario takes place in several different fictional nations in which a friendly nation state is in an armed conflict with a hostile state.
The exercise benefits considerably from having academia and industry partners supporting the development of the exercise in order to make the endeavour authentic and similar to real world challenges.
