EU tests cyber crisis response for rail and maritime networks

The European Commission has carried out Cyber Europe 2026, a large-scale cybersecurity exercise testing how Europe would respond to attacks on rail and maritime transport networks.

Organised by the EU Agency for Cybersecurity, the exercise took place on 10 and 11 June and involved around 5,000 experts from across the EU, industry and partner countries. Participants included cybersecurity specialists from the public and private sectors, policymakers, the EU institutions and representatives from the UK, Norway, Switzerland and Ukraine.

The scenario simulated cyberattacks on Europe’s rail and maritime networks, causing severe operational disruption and escalating into a wider cybersecurity crisis. The exercise was designed to test coordination between authorities, industry and institutions during a major cross-border incident affecting critical transport infrastructure.

Cyber Europe 2026 was also the first EU-wide test of the 2025 EU Cyber Blueprint, which clarifies roles and responsibilities during a cyber crisis. The exercise also tested the Cybersecurity Reserve, created under the Cyber Solidarity Act to provide support during significant cybersecurity incidents.

The Commission said lessons from the exercise will help consolidate the Cyber Blueprint and embed cyber crisis management more firmly into the EU’s wider emergency preparedness and response frameworks.

Why does it matter?

Transport networks are critical infrastructure, and cyber incidents affecting ports, railways or logistics systems can disrupt trade, supply chains, military mobility and emergency response across borders. Cyber Europe 2026 is important because it tests not only technical response, but also EU-level coordination, crisis decision-making and support mechanisms under newer cyber resilience tools such as the Cyber Blueprint and Cybersecurity Reserve.

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