Royal Signals in cyber wargaming exercise
The first cyber warfare competition has been carried out at the Joint Force Command Battle Labs, part of the Defence College at Shrivenham.
Called Exercise Mercury Cypher, the competition set mixed teams of novice and cyber experts difficult cyber warfare challenges to complete under time pressure in a gaming environment.
Around 100 soldiers from across the UK’s Royal Signals took part in the competition, which was carried out as part of the Royal Signals 100 centenary celebrations.
The exercise used a computer programme called Project ARES, which uses AI to create different cyber challenges. The first few days were spent learning the system, then the teams were set different tasks such a defending an imaginary corporation from cyber attack.
Players were scored on speed, accuracy and efficiency, and marked down if they needed hints from the programme to complete their mission.
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