SANS Institute to Triple Academy Scholarships by 2026 as Threats Escalate Across U.S. Infrastructure

Thousands of global defenders engage in realistic OT, IT, and cloud attack simulations as SANS delivers high-fidelity ICS and critical infrastructure training environments.

5/8/2022 - Bethesda, MD: SANS Institute, the global leader in cybersecurity training and certification, is proud to announce its role as an official industry partner in Locked Shields 2025, the world’s largest and most advanced live-fire cyber defence exercise. Organised annually by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), this year marks the 15th anniversary of the landmark exercise, hosted in Tallinn, Estonia, with over 4,000 experts from 41 nations participating remotely from around the globe.

As part of its commitment to advancing global cyber resilience, SANS provided support to this year's exercise by supplying customised components from Industrial Control Systems (ICS) training kits, power generation simulation environment across multiple operations environments available to each blue team, and integration across the existing Locked Shields exercise environment, specifically designed for Blue Teams operating in highly complex threat environments.

“SANS was honoured to collaborate with CCDCOE and its partners to equip national defenders with the tools, knowledge, and hands-on training required to counter sophisticated cyber threats to critical infrastructure and national security,” said Tim Conway, Fellow and ICS Curriculum Lead at SANS Institute. “Locked Shields exemplifies the power of international cooperation and readiness, and we are proud to contribute to an initiative that pushes the boundaries of cyber defence.”

The 2025 Locked Shields exercise introduced expanded technical challenges that tested participants’ ability to defend simulated national IT and OT infrastructure, including power grids, 5G systems and military command platforms, all under intense and realistic cyberattack scenarios. This year’s event also featured the integration of cloud-based infrastructure and dynamic threat simulations requiring real-time response and collaboration.

SANS’ involvement reflects the broader collaboration between industry, academia and government that makes Locked Shields unique. By contributing field-tested tools and simulation environments, SANS ensured that Blue Teams interacting with the SANS provided environments could engage in realistic, high-fidelity scenarios, honing skills essential for defending against ever-evolving cyber threats.

Locked Shields 2025 continues to emphasize the importance of multinational coordination, legal and strategic communication readiness, and decision-making under pressure, all vital components of a resilient cyber defence posture.