Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre hosts world’s largest live cyber defence exercise – NATO Locked Shields 2025

Australia’s cybersecurity resilience will take centre stage as Adelaide hosts NATO’s Locked Shields 2025, the world’s largest and most complex international live-fire cyber exercise, from 5-9 May 2025 at Lot Fourteen.

Organised by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) based in Tallinn, Estonia, Locked Shields gathers over 4,000 leading cybersecurity experts from government, military, academia, and industry. Participants will face a sophisticated, simulated cyberattack targeting national IT systems and critical infrastructure, pushing their skills in cybersecurity defence, legal response, forensic investigation, media management, and strategic communication to the limits.

Locked Shields is the world’s largest and most complex international live-fire cyber defence exercise. In 2025, the Locked Shields exercise celebrates its 15th anniversary, demonstrating its ongoing development as a preeminent global cyber defence exercise.

Since Australia’s debut participation in 2023, facilitated by the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (Aus3C), the country’s capability and reputation in international cyber defence have significantly strengthened. The 2024 Locked Shields exercise saw Aus3C successfully lead an Australian contingent in collaboration with global partners such as Greece and INDOPACOM (USA), supported by prestigious local institutions including the University of Adelaide, McGrathNicol, CyberOps, Cygence, DTEX, SecureState, SAAB, SA Power Networks, and the Australian Defence Force’s Joint Capabilities Group.

“Hosting Locked Shields 2025 underlines Australia’s growing role and recognition in global cybersecurity,” said Matt Salier, CEO at Aus3C. “This event showcases our ability to defend critical national infrastructure and highlights the collaborative effort needed to protect against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.”

Locked Shields 2025 offers an unparalleled opportunity for Australia’s cybersecurity community to collaborate, test response strategies, and benchmark their capabilities against the best global practitioners.

More information here.