The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) is preparing a new edition of its pan-European Cyber Europe cybersecurity exercise, scheduled for June 2026.

This 8th edition of the exercise series will focus on critical transport infrastructure, particularly the maritime and rail sectors, both considered highly critical under the NIS2 Directive.

Official exercise page:
https://www.enisa.europa.eu/topics/skills-and-competences-for-companies/cyber-europe

A pan-European cyber crisis exercise

Organised every two years since 2010, the Cyber Europe series simulates complex cyber crises involving multiple EU Member States and organisations.

These exercises aim to:

• test large-scale cyber crisis management,
• analyse advanced technical cybersecurity incidents,
• improve information sharing between organisations,
• strengthen coordination between national and European authorities.

They bring together cybersecurity experts from:

• EU and EFTA Member States,
• European institutions and agencies,
• public and private organisations operating critical infrastructure.

The objective is to reproduce realistic scenarios inspired by real-world cyber incidents and threats, allowing participants to test their ability to respond to major cyber crises.

A scenario targeting Europe’s transport systems

The Cyber Europe 2026 scenario will simulate a large-scale disruption affecting Europe’s interconnected transport systems.

Multiple cyber incidents impacting maritime and rail operations will unfold simultaneously across EU Member States, creating a complex crisis environment requiring coordinated response.

The exercise will specifically test:

• the continuity of essential transport services,
• coordination between national and EU authorities,
• the management of simultaneous incidents across multiple countries.

Maritime identified as a sector at risk

The focus on maritime transport is not accidental.

The ENISA NIS360 2024 report, which evaluates cybersecurity maturity across sectors covered by the NIS2 Directive, places the maritime sector within the “risk zone” — sectors whose cybersecurity maturity remains lower than their level of criticality. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

According to the report, several factors contribute to this situation:

• strong reliance on Operational Technology (OT) systems used for navigation and maritime operations,
• the presence of legacy systems that are difficult to secure,
• uneven cybersecurity maturity across organisations within the sector. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Despite these challenges, maritime transport remains a cornerstone of the European economy, accounting for around 67.8% of freight transport in the EU. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Cyber exercises recommended for the maritime sector

The NIS360 report explicitly recommends organising EU-level cybersecurity exercises involving the maritime sector in order to improve coordination and preparedness for complex cyber incidents. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Such exercises should simulate:

• cross-border cyber incidents,
• cascading effects across sectors,
• crisis scenarios requiring coordination between national and EU authorities.

Cyber Europe 2026 directly reflects these recommendations.

Transport increasingly targeted by cyberattacks

Recent analyses by ENISA show that the transport sector is increasingly targeted by cyber threats.

According to ENISA threat data:

• 11% of cyber incidents recorded in 2024 targeted the transport sector,
• and 15% of those incidents affected the European Union.

The digital transformation of transport infrastructure — including the integration of IT and OT systems, automation, and connected platforms — is expanding the attack surface and increasing cybersecurity challenges.

A resilience test for Europe’s critical infrastructure

With Cyber Europe 2026, ENISA aims to further strengthen the cybersecurity preparedness of Europe’s critical infrastructure.

The exercise will test the ability of organisations to:

• maintain essential services,
• protect transport networks,
• coordinate responses to large-scale cyber crises.

In a context of increasing cyber threats and hybrid attacks targeting critical infrastructure, the resilience of the maritime sector is becoming a strategic priority for Europe’s security and economy.

Sources

Cyber Europe – ENISA
https://www.enisa.europa.eu/topics/skills-and-competences-for-companies/cyber-europe

ENISA – NIS360 2024
https://www.enisa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-03/ENISA%20-%20NIS360%20-%202024_0.pdf