27.10.2016.
Exercise CYBER TESLA 2016
In the Vojvoda Radomir Putnik barracks of the Communications and IT Training Centre in Gornji Milanovac, from 25 to 28 October, a multinational command post exercise of the Ohio National Guard and the Serbian Armed Forces Cyber Tesla 2016 is being held.The theme of the exercise is the defence of the telecommunications and information systems from threats in cyberspace, and the aim is to improve the operational capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces to respond to threats in the field of information security, building infrastructure in the Serbian Armed Forces to perform cyber defence exercises, as well as the identification of specific cyber threats in a closed ICT environment.
The Distinguished Visitors Day, which was marked by presentation of practical exercises and presentation of capabilities of the Training Centre for Communication and IT and the equipment, was attended by Brigadier General Marinko Pavlovic, Chief of the Training and Doctrine Command of the Serbian Armed Forces, representatives of local government and institutions participating in the exercise activities.
The exercise, which was prepared during the last eight months – the time that has elapsed since the adoption of the Law on Information Security and as the roles of the Computer Emergency Readiness Teams (CERT) were defined – was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior, BIA, Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (RATEL), Administration for Joint Services of the Republic Bodies and the Office of the National Security Council and Classified Information Protection.
Participants in the exercise are positioned on two geographical locations, in Serbia and Ohio, connected via Internet and they perform their tasks on a dedicated closed computer infrastructure. Two representatives of the Ohio National Guard are in Gornji Milanovac, and two members of the Serbian Armed Forces are in the United States.Addressing the guests, Colonel Vlatko Kuraj, from the Department for Telecommunications and IT of the General Staff, said that the exercise is performed without bullets and guns, organized for the first in our region, and that it is supposed to show how to protect information.
- Department for Telecommunications and IT is the office of primary responsibility for the task of telecommunication – IT security, and one of the partnership goals is Cyber Defence. This exercise is meant for that purpose – Colonel Kuraj said and confirmed that only through joint efforts, the state institutions can ensure public information protection.Director of the Office of the National Security Council and Classified Information Protection, Goran Matic, PhD, thanked the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces for organizing the exercise CYBER TESLA 2016 and pointed out that it is a significant step forward when it comes to protection from threats in cyberspace and expressed hope that such activities will continue as such attacks pose a real danger.
Management of the exercise points out that this exercise is important for both sides in terms of training and exchange of experiences. The lessons learned will greatly contribute to the efficiency of the teams in the preparation of internal documents in the field of information security, as well as the selection, testing and implementation of technical, physical and organizational protection measures, equipment and programmes.
