The private-sector focus of the Pentagon’s annual cyber exercise

An annual cyber defense exercise held last month by the departments of Defense and Homeland Security and the FBI simulated a “whole-of-nation response” to attacks on critical infrastructure, with an emphasis on the private sector, where most of the potential targets reside.

The exercise held at a Joint Staff J-7 facility in Suffolk, Va., from June 8 to June 26 had more than 1,000 participants from over 100 organizations, including information-sharing hubs for the electric and financial sectors. All five military services, including National Guard and Reserve units, took part, as did the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a U.S. Cyber Command statement.