Several federal states and the Bundeswehr are set to participate in a large-scale cyber attack exercise on the government and administration at the end of September. The exercise, called Lükex 23, aims to train for emergencies and is organized by the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK). The exact scenario for the exercise has not been disclosed, but it will involve more than 50 authorities and over a thousand people. Despite the scale of the exercise, the population is not expected to notice any disruptions, and a test warning is not planned.
Lükex exercises, which are cross-state and cross-departmental crisis management exercises, have been conducted every few years, with the upcoming edition being the ninth. Originally scheduled for 2020, the exercise has been delayed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Previous rehearsals have focused on scenarios such as gas shortage, pandemics, and biological emergencies. Lükex 23 is now scheduled to take place on September 27 and last for two days.
Multiple federal and state departments, along with their subordinate authorities, are currently preparing for the exercise, according to the BBK. The participating federal states include Brandenburg, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Saxony, and Thuringia. At the federal level, agencies such as the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Foreign Office, the Bundesbank, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), and the National Cyber Defense Center are involved. The Bundeswehr’s Territorial Command and Cyber and Information Space Command will also participate.
The primary focus of Lükex 23 is to simulate a massive cyber attack and assess the government’s response to the disruption, as stated by a BBK spokesperson. The exercise aims to enhance preparedness and coordination among various authorities in dealing with cyber emergencies.
