Amman: National Cyber Security Center (NCSCJO) opened its National Cyber Exercise 2026 on Monday, bringing together roughly 40 national entities, universities, and regulatory bodies to test the country's readiness against advanced cyberattacks.
According to Jordan News Agency, the three-day exercise, running through Aug. 19, simulates sophisticated attack scenarios to gauge institutions' ability to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents, the center said in a statement. It drew 165 specialists in a technical track and 75 participants in an administrative track, spanning critical infrastructure sectors and relevant government bodies.
The exercise is an important step in strengthening national readiness and building institutions' capacity to handle cyberattacks at every level, said Mohammad Samadi, the center's head. Countering cyber threats is no longer the responsibility of a single entity, Samadi pointed out, stressing that it demands continuous integration and coordination across sectors alongside stronger technical and administrative capabilities.
The exercise creates a practical environment to test incident-response systems and identify strengths and gaps, said Samadi, describing the goal as a more prepared and resilient national posture against evolving cyber threats. The drill also aims to build a comparative benchmark of readiness and response levels across institutions and sectors.
The technical track places teams inside a dedicated simulation environment to detect, analyze, and contain complex cyberattacks while executing recovery procedures. It also builds analytical thinking, role coordination, and communication between technical staff and senior management, alongside hardening and containment work.
The administrative track tests decision-making speed under time pressure and limited information, escalation and reporting procedures, business continuity and recovery, and stakeholder communications.
The NCSCJO said the exercise supports its broader push to strengthen national cyber protection, raise the efficiency of critical institutions, and deepen coordination among national entities to safeguard Jordan's digital infrastructure.