Europe's cybersecurity community gathered in June for Cyber Europe 2026, a major exercise organized by ENISA to test the continent's ability to respond to large-scale cyber incidents. The event focused on rail and maritime infrastructure, two sectors that play a critical role in European trade, transportation, and economic stability. More than 5,000 participants from public and private organizations took part in the coordinated simulation.
The exercise simulated a series of cyberattacks that spread across interconnected transport systems. Participants were required to investigate incidents, exchange threat intelligence, coordinate technical responses, and maintain essential services under pressure. The scenarios reflected the growing reality that cyber threats can quickly move beyond a single organization and affect multiple countries simultaneously.
A key challenge highlighted during the exercise was the integration of operational technology with modern digital platforms. Many transport operators continue to rely on legacy systems that were not designed with cybersecurity in mind. As digital transformation accelerates, security practitioners must find ways to modernize these environments without compromising safety or service continuity.
For security teams, the event served as an important reminder that resilience depends on preparation and collaboration. Incident response plans, cross-border communication processes, and sector-wide coordination mechanisms are becoming just as important as traditional technical controls. Organizations supporting critical infrastructure should review how their own response procedures align with national and European crisis management frameworks.