INTRODUCTION: ITU GLOBAL CYBERDRILL 2026
The ITU Global CyberDrill 2026 (3rd Edition) will be held from 5 to 7 May 2026, at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This event will take place during GISEC Global 2026 conference and exhibition. The first day will feature a high-level conference for senior government officials and relevant authorities to discuss cybersecurity and digital resilience, and to strengthen national coordination and international cooperation.
Days two and three will be dedicated to CyberDrill exercises, structured around a variety of scenarios that involve emerging types of cyberattacks.
ABOUT THE ITU GLOBAL CYBERDRILL
The ITU Global CyberDrill 2026 is organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Arab Emirates Cyber Security Council within the framework of the ITU-D priority area on “Inclusive, safe, and secure telecommunications/ICTs for sustainable development”, as adopted by the 2025 World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25). It aims to enhance communication and incident response capabilities of the participating teams as well as ensure a continued collective and collaborative effort in mitigating cyber threats among Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs). |
Through the organization of CyberDrills at regional and international levels, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) enhances the cybersecurity readiness, protection, and incident response capabilities of its Member States. These annual exercises simulate real-world cyber incidents, allowing organizations to rigorously test and improve their ability to detect, respond to, and recover from threats. By providing a structured environment to validate policies and procedures across the entire incident management lifecycle, the drills highlight the critical function of CERTs and CIRTs in fortifying national cyber resilience.
The primary goal of the Global CyberDrill is to fortify the cybersecurity readiness and resilience of Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) across the globe. Specifically, it seeks to build capacity and capability via regional cooperation, aid Member States in establishing robust operational procedures for incident response, and pinpoint enhancements for future national-level CIRT planning. By doing so, the drill reinforces international cooperation and encourages the knowledge sharing essential for a worldwide culture of cybersecurity preparedness.
The Global CyberDrill 2026 revolves around four main thematic concepts:
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Reflect: Bring together the global cybersecurity community to review major regional cybersecurity trends and consider improvements based on the five pillars of ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) and The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI).
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Share: Promote knowledge sharing of beneficial communication networks, and exchange funding stream resources.
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Learn: Build capacity for the CSIRT communities within incident response and critical information infrastructure protection (CIIP).
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Practice: Test operational resiliency key concepts across CSIRT/CIRT/CERT community.
EVENT INFORMATION
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TARGET AUDIENCE & PARTICIPATION
Participation of technical teams from ITU’s Member States, such as national Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) or National Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), or other equivalent national lead entities are encouraged. Their participation in the technical exercises on the second and third days will enable them to derive maximum benefit from the cyber threat simulations and CyberDrills, which are integral components of the programme. High-level representatives and senior officials from Member States are warmly invited to participate in the first-day conference and strategic sessions, which offer an important opportunity to strengthen dialogue, coordination, and international cooperation on cybersecurity at the policy and governance level. Member States interested in benefiting from travel support are encouraged to nominate two (2) candidates with relevant technical expertise in national incident response and submit their expression of interest to the ITU regional focal points by 30 March 2026 at the latest.
Registration for the event will remain open until 20 April 2026.
The First day is dedicated to a High-Level Segment, that focused on cybersecurity challenges faced by developing countries and their impact on the digital economy and sustainable economic development. It was open to ministries, leaders from national cybersecurity agencies and authorities, national CIRTs/CERTs, and ITU-D Private Sector Members and other stakeholders from ITU Member States, Sector Members, and Associates.
Day Two and Three are only open to team members with technical expertise involved in incident response from National CSIRT/CERT/CIRTs, or other equivalent entities.
Please do not hesitate to contact us: cyberdrill@itu.int