A group of Israel Defense Force cyber cadets during a training exercise in March. Photo: IDF.

The Israeli army’s Cyber Defense Division (JCDD) and the US Cyber Command held a joint drill this week to train for a “variety of cyber defense challenges” and improve the readiness of both countries to growing cyber threats.

“This event demonstrates the strategic partnership between the two militaries, which allows both to achieve cyber network superiority,” the IDF stated.

The joint exercise dubbed “Cyberdome,” which took place at the US Cyber ​​Command facility in the United States, is the sixth exercise in which the IDF’s cyber defense system is practicing together with its US counterpart.

‘The cyber space is changing and evolving into an everyday global war zone that threatens to harm government, private and civilian bodies,” said Major General Lior Carmeli, Head of the IDF’s Cyber Defense Directorate, who joined the drill.

Carmeli remarked that the IDF’s strategic partnership in these areas is important and described the joint practice with the US Cyber ​​Command as “significant.”

Part of the training during the included simulation of combat scenarios in the cyber sphere in order to improve the readiness of the IDF and the US Cyber ​​Command for growing cyber attacks.

The US Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed the $770 billion National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2022. One provision authorizes $30 million for bilateral cyber cooperation found in the US-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act, included as an amendment to the NDAA.

The US Homeland Security Department warned in November that a hacking group “sponsored” by Iran’s government is directing disruptive cyberattacks against a range of US companies, including healthcare providers and transportation firms. Israel earlier this year thwarted a number of cyberattack attempts targeting Israeli hospitals and health centers.

In November, the Israel National Cyber Directorate led an international drill in Dubai to simulate of a multinational cyber attack on the aviation industry. The event was held in the Israeli Pavilion at World Expo Dubai 2020, in partnership with the Cybersecurity Council of the United Arab Emirates.