Locked Shields Partners Run 2025, organised by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), brought together the private sector, academia, and the defence community to test their cyber defence capabilities. The exercise gave participants a rare opportunity to compete and train in a realistic, high-intensity environment that mirrors what national teams will face in a month.
What makes Partners Run unique is the chance it gives companies, universities, and defence organisations to work side by side in a realistic cyber defence environment. It is a setting where they can test new technologies, train their personnel, and gain firsthand insight into how nations prepare for and respond to cyber conflict. Participants experience the operational tempo, strategic decision-making, and technical challenges typically reserved for national teams during Locked Shields.
This year, 14 Blue Teams took part, representing a wide mix of military, academic, and industry players including Telia, Siemens, BitDefender, Ericsson, Dragos, KAPSI, Armasuisse, the University of Adelaide, Polish Naval Academy, TalTech, University of Tartu and Estonian Defence League, University of Valladolid & University of Zaragoza, NLDA, National University of Public Service (NKE) and St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences. More than 350 organisers supported the event, creating a complex and realistic cyber conflict scenario across a simulated national infrastructure.
“Partners Run is where readiness meets reality,” said Dan Ungureanu, Exercise Director of Locked Shields 2025. “It’s a unique moment where our partners can step into a demanding environment and work across disciplines to solve real problems. We are grateful for all our partners who are supporting Locked Shields Partners’ Run – the feedback and insights gathered here directly shape the Locked Shields main execution for national teams and elevate the standard of collaboration and preparedness across the board.”
This year’s edition introduced several new elements, including cloud-based infrastructure, surprise technical scenarios requiring rapid adaptation, and an upgraded scoring system with more targeted feedback. Teams were deliberately pushed outside their comfort zone and domain expertise to strengthen cross-sector competence.
In addition to strengthening their own capabilities, participants contributed directly to shaping the upcoming Locked Shields exercise. Feedback gathered from Blue Teams during Partners Run is now being used to refine legal tracks, strategic communication side, and technical components for the main execution.
Locked Shields, led by NATO CCDCOE, remains the most comprehensive and demanding cyber defence exercise in the world — and the Partners Run is an essential component of its success.