Cybersecurity exercise Black Hydra brings together local, federal partners | News
Cybersecurity exercise Black Hydra brings together local, federal partners | News
Publish Date: 2026-02-11 20:30:00
Source Domain: www.guampdn.com
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
Exercise Black Hydra, a discussion-based cybersecurity tabletop exercise, brought together local and federal partners on Tuesday.The exercise seeks to strengthen Guam’s readiness to prevent, respond to, and recover from complex cybersecurity incidents that could impact government operations and critical infrastructure, according to the Guam Homeland Security and Office of Civil Defense.Exercise Black Hydra brought together key territorial, federal, and military partners to examine coordinated response strategies in a simulated cyber-attack scenario targeting government systems.GHS-OCD, in a joint effort with Joint Task Force-Micronesia, conducted the exercise at the GHS-OCD Initial Operating Facility in Agana Heights.Homeland Security Advisor Esther Aguigui said the exercise reinforced the importance of preparedness and coordination in addressing evolving cyber threats.”Cyber incidents have the potential to disrupt essential services,” she said. “Exercises like Black Hydra allow us to identify gaps, improve communication, and enhance our collective ability to respond effectively.”The exercise focused on the full spectrum of cybersecurity incident management, including prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.Exercise participants evaluated core capabilities such as threat intelligence and analysis, risk management, incident response, business continuity, interoperability, and public information and crisis communication.Participating organizations included representatives from the Guam Police Department, Guam Fire Department, Department of Public Health and Social Services, Guam Memorial Hospital Authority, Guam International Airport Authority, Port Authority of Guam, and the Guam Office of Technology, along with the Mariana Regional Fusion Center, Guam National Guard, Joint Region Marianas, Joint Task Force–Micronesia cybersecurity teams and federal partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.During the tabletop exercise, participants worked through a simulated cyber incident involving unauthorized access to critical systems. The scenario required interagency coordination, strategic decision-making, and the development of effective public communication strategies.The exercise concluded with a structured debrief allowing participants to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement to inform future planning and training efforts.
