LUDOVIKA UNIVERSITY OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Integrated Defence 2018

 

Over one thousand students and a high number of professors participated in the joint public service exercise organized by the National University of Public Service for the sixth time. The two-days event, called “Integrated Defence 2018” gave the opportunity for the different service branches to practice their respective tasks with the simulation of a cyberattack. 

Power supply ceases to exist or is interrupted in some part of the capital city Budapest, and regions of Csongrád and Bács-Kiskun counties due to cyberattacks targeting at the power grid. The situation must be managed by the public service organizations of the affected areas. The aim of this year’s Exercise was to simulate the interference in IT systems (in other words, preparating to manage the aftermath of the cyberattack), the law making process, the joint deployment of law enforcement, defence and disaster management forces, the preparation for the process of declaring the emergency, and the process for introducing the emergency. In the course of the Exercise the preparation for the lack of electricity, and for the imminent cyberattack were simulated. After the power supply ceases to function, actions connected to managing the situation  – with cooperation of all the Services  – were modelled. Participants had to manage the protection of the population as well as the key institutions. They fulfilled diplomatic tasks, they negotiated and handled violent acts and fake news.

The Joint Public Service Exercise welcomed international guests as well from different law enforcement, military and public administration partner institutions. “The main goal of this year’s Exercise is to allow students from all service branch to practice their roles and responsibilities together” - said Dr. habil Gábor Kovács, Pol. Brigadier General, leader of the Exercise. The Vice-Rector for Education of NUPS also added that during the event, the students received approximately 190 reports which need to be handled according to the authority of their respective service branch. The first day is about the preparation, while on the second day the simulation of a cyerattack takes place on the Ludovika Campus and on the Zrínyi Campus of the National University of Public Service. A separate workshop is organized for the representatives of the international partner institutions. The international students and professors participate to the event as observers, where they analyze the different stages of the Exercise and present the best practices of their country regarding similar exercises.

More information about the Joint Public Service Exercise 2018 will be published in the May issue of Bonum Publicum, the university’s magazine.