USMC Communication Battalion Joins Allies in Finland Cyber Defense Training Exercise

Representatives of the U.S. Marine Corps’ 8th Communication Battalion joined allied soldiers from the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway and Sweden in the  Nordic Response 2024 cyber defense training exercise in Rovaniemi, Finland. 

The 72 participants in the event, held from March 5 to 14, undertook simulations of repulsing cyberthreats against national defense information systems. The event’s host, the Finnish Defence Forces C5 Agency, worked with the USMC battalion to create a realistic training venue for the 10-day event, DVIDS reported Friday.

According to 1st Lt. Hunter Lane, the USMC battalion’s cyberspace operations officer, events like Nordic Response help sharpen and perfect operational capabilities to protect information systems collectively.

With each participating country sharing information about their cybersecurity procedures, the event enabled allies to train how to “actively protect information networks,” said Maj. Mikko Tuomi of the Finnish Defence Forces C5 Agency. He added that besides providing technical skills training, the event was also meant to allow the participants to get to know each other” in light of Finland’s and Sweden’s recent NATO accession.

Cyber defense cooperation between Finland and the United States has intensified in particular following the countries’ signing of a memorandum of understanding for the exchange of cybersecurity information to strengthen their resilience against current and emerging cyberthreats.