The Israeli military this week held its first joint cyber drill with Thai forces, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said Wednesday.
The drill was held by the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence Directorate (C4I) and focused on dealing with a wide variety of digital threats, such as cyberattacks, enemy hacking attempts, and cyberterrorism.
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"Cyber threats are a global trend, and most countries worldwide invest in developing defenses for their digital assets. The more technologically advanced a country is – the greater the challenge," C4I Col. A. explained.
IDF training to foreign forces "is designed to meet and further hone their capabilities so as to foster learning and success, not to present impossible challenges," he added.
The IDF's cyber training program has been in place since 2018, with the aim of training military personnel for dealing with a variety of scenarios.
"The biggest challenge is relevance – to make sure the scenarios we present are similar to real operational issues in the digital sphere – that they [military personnel] have the relevant tools to counter feasible scenarios," he said.
The Israel Defense Forces is considered one of the most cyber-advanced militaries in the world – a prestigious position that sees many foreign forces seek its advice and training.
During 2019, the IDF hosted delegations from eight countries for cyber training, and at least eight delegations are expected to do the same in 2020.
Training is tailored to each delegation, Col. A explained.
"We mustn't underestimate anyone who invests refocused in these processes and our goal is to foster learning. We have no interest in having people sit in front of a computer and not know what to do. We aim for a successful result and a positive experience."
Thai officers, he noted, "We definitely up to speed and up to standard, and met all the challenge we presented. They were impressed with our cyber defenders' operations and that is an honor for the IDF and its soldiers."
Future cyber cooperation with other armies is imperative, he noted.
"In cyber defense, we never know where the next threat will come from. In 99% of cases, the threat will not come directly from the target country, but through a third party, so such collaborations foster valuable ties for a rainy day."
