Cyber Rapid Response Teams: Structure, Organization, and Use Cases

Cyber rapid response teams are becoming an increasingly prevalent form of incident response and mitigation at the national and supranational level. Nation-states and international organizations have begun building out teams to efficiently manage incidents and leverage expertise across borders. Over the past two decades, NATO and the EU have each developed their own rapid response teams to manage and mitigate the rise in cyberattacks, including incidents that cut across borders and affect international partners. Yet, many questions remain regarding a team’s composition, organizational and legal structures, as well as their overall efficacy. This cyber defense report outlines the general structure of a cyber rapid response team and the limits and benefits of different styles of construction. Next, it delves into two in-depth case studies: the EU CRRT and NATO’s RRT. Then it examines several incidents where teams were considered for international deployment. And it closes by evaluating whether Switzerland ought to build up cyber rapid response teams itself.