Fast Facts

• BlueOLEx 2025 is the first major EU-wide cyber crisis exercise under the new European cybersecurity action plan.
• Critical infrastructure, including undersea cables, is in the crosshairs of both physical and cyber threats.
• The EU has invested over €420 million in digital infrastructure security, with more funding on the way.
• The new Cybersecurity Act and digital network proposals are set for EU Commission review in January 2025.
• 90% of Europe–Asia data flows through the Red Sea chokepoint, a major vulnerability for the continent.

Drills on the Digital Frontline

Picture a war room buzzing with urgency: screens flicker with simulated attacks, officials from every EU nation coordinate responses as digital chaos unfolds. This was the scene at BlueOLEx 2025, the European Union’s annual cyber crisis exercise, held just months after the adoption of a new action plan clarifying who does what when cyber disaster strikes. The stakes were tangible - Europe’s digital arteries, from government networks to the undersea cables linking continents, are more exposed than ever to sabotage, espionage, and disruptive attacks.

Why BlueOLEx 2025 Matters

Cyber threats have evolved from lone hackers in basements to state-backed saboteurs targeting entire economies. Europe has not been spared: the 2017 NotPetya attack, for example, crippled businesses across the globe, causing billions in damage. Today, as geopolitical tensions simmer and digital dependencies deepen, the EU is racing to upgrade its playbook. BlueOLEx 2025 marks the first test of a new era - where rapid, coordinated response across borders is not just ideal, but essential.

The exercise, orchestrated by the EU’s cybersecurity agency ENISA, put top officials through their paces with crisis scenarios ranging from ransomware outbreaks to the physical sabotage of critical infrastructure. One focus: the vast network of undersea cables that transmit nearly all of Europe’s global internet and financial traffic. As recent reports highlight, these cables are both vital and vulnerable - especially at chokepoints like the Red Sea, where a single incident could sever connectivity for millions.

Europe’s Digital Defenses: Patchwork or Fortress?

Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s Executive Vice President, summed up the mood: “We must expect the unexpected. Only by working together can we withstand common threats.” Her words reflect a growing consensus: old silos and slow responses won’t cut it. The EU’s new plan aims to cover every phase of digital resilience - from prevention and detection to rapid response and recovery. Key lessons from BlueOLEx will feed into this evolving strategy, shaping how Europe prepares for the next crisis, whether it’s a cyber onslaught or a rogue trawler dragging up a vital cable.

But coordination is only part of the battle. With the Cybersecurity Act’s debut postponed to January, and €20 million in fresh funding for submarine cable protection, the EU’s efforts are still a work in progress. The challenge: securing not just data, but the very connections that keep Europe’s societies and economies running.

WIKICROOK

• ENISA: ENISA is the EU agency responsible for coordinating cybersecurity, incident response, and cyber defense efforts among European Union member states.
• Critical Infrastructure: Critical infrastructure includes key systems - like power, water, and healthcare - whose failure would seriously disrupt society or the economy.
• Undersea Cables: Undersea cables are fiber-optic lines on the ocean floor that carry most of the world’s internet and phone traffic between continents.
• Cybersecurity Act: The Cybersecurity Act is an EU law that sets security standards for digital products, clarifies responsibilities, and improves cyber crisis response.
• Ransomware: Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts or locks data, demanding payment from victims to restore access to their files or systems.