The test is known in cybersecurity circles as Red Team vs. Blue Team, and this year nearly 4,000 people are taking part. The team here in Spain is “played” by around 200 experts made up of 40% military personnel from the MCCE, Land, Sea and Air, who are supported by soldiers from Portugal, Brazil and Chile; and 60% civilians, from the MCCE itself and from private companies that put their talent at the disposal of these events.

At the end of the two days, the CCDCOE makes a classification of the more than 40 countries that have participated, among which include non-NATO countries, such as Japan. This year, Spain has settled in the middle of the pack, while Latvia and tandems from Finland-Poland and Estonia-France have stood out. Regardless of standing, both the CCDCOE and the MCCE emphasize the “collaborative” and “learning” nature of the exercise over competition.

What’s more, as Pérez de Tena explains, “it also helps us to put faces to the situation. To know that someone is a great expert in a certain tool or system. In this way, if I have a problem, I know I can count on them.”