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NATO last year recognized cyberspace as a domain of warfare and said it justified activating the alliance’s collective defense clause. The European Union has broadened its information-sharing between governments and is expected to present a new cyber defense plan.

The EU exercise made ministers consider how to work more closely with NATO, whose Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was there as an observer, diplomats present said.

“Over the last year, we saw a 60 percent increase in the number of cyber attacks against NATO networks,” Stoltenberg told reporters. “A timely exchange of information (with the EU) is key to responding to any cyber attacks.”

EU cyber exercises are not new, but officials said the idea of Thursday’s exercise was to put the onus on defense ministers to act by simulating a temporary loss of military operational command, even if they would have more support in a real-life situation.

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