The French armies are testing their capacity to intervene in the event of a cyber attack

As the Paris Olympics approach, French armies are testing their ability to intervene in the event of a cyber attack during the world sporting event until Friday.

The handling of these attacks falls to the French data security agency (Anssi) and the Ministry of the Interior, but “if reinforcements are needed, we are able to engage our cyber intervention groups to support the state”, explains General Aymeric Bonnemaison, Chief of Cyber ​​​​​​​Defense Command (Comcyber).

The Defnet exercise, which has been ongoing since March 11 at the Versailles-Satory military camp, tests the armies’ computer systems and military equipment deployed on a fictitious battlefield, such as a Griffon armored vehicle that a cyber attack manages to completely immobilize. .

The request from Anssi was also played “to test the robustness of our coordination and to make sure that we are able to engage an intervention group”, says General Bonnemaison.

French authorities expect the Paris Olympics, from July 26 to August 11, to be a prime target for all types of cyber attackers. “You have hackers, you have foreign intelligence services, you have states behind them. You can also have private companies,” comments the general.

The systems of the French armies are “well protected and an adversary who wants to attack us will have to take a lot of time”, assures the Comcyber chief.

This year, up to 30 simultaneous events were simulated within the framework of Defnet and 15,000 cyber combatants were mobilized, faced with compromises, attempted intrusions or exfiltration of personal or sensitive data.

Comcyber was established in 2017 and brings together all the cyber defense forces of the Ministry of Defence. Its mission is the defense of information systems including weapons systems, as well as the design, planning and execution of military operations in cyberspace.