This month, BT Group’s cyber security leaders joined forces with experts from Deutsche Bank, ING, Proximus and Santander to take part in Mastercard’s multi-sector Cyber Defense Exercise (CDX) – a high stakes simulation designed to test and strengthen Europe’s response to evolving cyber threats.
Taking place at Mastercard’s European Cyber Resilience Centre in Belgium, the exercise involved red and blue teams going head-to-head to test how organisations respond to complex, coordinated cyber threats, both technically and strategically.
Red teams launched coordinated cyber offensives - from supply-chain compromise and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks to credential theft and data exfiltration - while blue teams responded under pressure, triaging threats and deploying countermeasures to protect critical systems. In parallel, executive leaders, navigated crisis communications, legal frameworks, and strategic decision-making to assess whether the incident escalated into a public crisis. A cyber-themed escape room added an immersive twist, challenging teams to collaborate across functions and problem-solve under pressure.
Mastercard’s research reveals a growing urgency for pan-European collaboration: one in four small business owners have been targeted by scammers, and 72% of consumers now express greater concern about cybersecurity than they did two years ago.
As digital threats intensify across the continent, CDX demonstrated the critical importance of multi-sector action to defend Europe’s infrastructure and protect its citizens and businesses. By developing scalable, transferable frameworks for cyber response, the exercise showcased how industry-led partnerships can strengthen collective defences across sectors, borders, and technologies.
As BT continues its ambition to be the UK’s most trusted digital connector, its role in CDX reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding critical infrastructure and advancing collaborative approaches that strengthen Europe’s cyber readiness. By partnering with like-minded organizations and engaging across sectors, BT is helping to shape a unified front against cyber risk - one that’s proactive, scalable, and grounded in real-world scenarios. Whether through quantum-secure networks, AI-powered threat detection, or strategic partnerships, BT continues to lead the charge in building a safer, more secure digital future.
