Information Environment Simulation in One of the World’s Largest Cyber Defense Exercises
Simulating the Information Environment in one of the world’s largest cyber defense exercises
Locked Shields is widely recognized as one of the world’s largest and most complex international cyber defense exercises. Each year, thousands of experts from armed forces, government agencies, and international organizations take part in the exercise to train their ability to respond to cyber attacks under realistic conditions.
But modern crisis and conflict scenarios are no longer defined by technical attacks alone. Alongside cyber operations, the information environment now plays a critical role, shaping public perception, influencing decision-making, and affecting how organizations communicate under pressure.
That is why Locked Shields 2024 also included a simulation of the information environment. For this purpose, the training platform InfoRange® was used.
InfoRange® in use during the NATO exercise Locked Shields:
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More InformationLocked Shields is regarded as the world’s largest and most complex live-fire cyber defense exercise. In addition to technical training, it also incorporates decision-making, communications, and media response into the exercise setting.
The Information Environment as Part of Modern Exercises
During the exercise, international teams defend the complex digital infrastructure of a fictional state. This includes systems from sectors such as:
- energy
- telecommunications
- government networks
- military systems
At the same time, however, technical attacks are only one part of the broader scenario. Information dynamics can also shape decision-making and influence public perception throughout the exercise.
These dynamics may include:
- media reporting on cyber incidents
- narratives and counter-narratives on social media
- public debate and political reactions
- strategic communications by public institutions and organizations
Simulating these developments makes it possible to represent the information environment as a realistic component of complex crisis scenarios.
Using InfoRange® in Locked Shields 2024
As part of Locked Shields 2024, InfoRange® was used to simulate the digital information environment alongside the evolving technical scenario.
The platform made it possible to:
- represent social media activity and online discourse
- integrate news reporting and media reactions into the exercise
- make narratives and information dynamics visible
- reflect how decisions can affect the information environment
This created a dynamic information environment that could respond to events and decisions throughout the exercise.
Supporting Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Training
The information environment simulation particularly supported training areas such as:
- Strategic Communications (StratCom)
- Public Affairs
- information environment analysis
Participants were able to observe how information spreads, how narratives emerge, and how communication measures can influence public perception.
In this way, the exercise incorporated an important dimension of modern crisis scenarios that extends beyond purely technical cyber defense.
Cooperation with the NATO StratCom COE
The development of InfoRange® was carried out in close cooperation with the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence (StratCom COE) in Riga.
The goal of this cooperation is to create realistic training capabilities for the information environment and to integrate this dimension more effectively into education, training, and exercises.
Its use in Locked Shields 2024 demonstrates how digital training platforms can help represent the information environment as an operationally relevant part of complex exercises.
Training in the Information Environment
Modern operations increasingly take place not only in the cyber domain, but also in the information environment. Perception, narratives, and public communication can shape decisions and influence operational developments.
Training platforms such as InfoRange® make it possible for organizations to simulate these dynamics in a realistic way and integrate them as a fixed component of training and exercises.
