Portugal strengthens cybersecurity via municipal exercises and new national mandates

Portugal is implementing new cybersecurity measures through both local exercises and national regulatory requirements. In Valongo, the municipality is launching ‘CIBER 26: Resiliência em Ação’, the first autonomous municipal cybersecurity exercise in the country. The initiative includes a tabletop decision-making component and a field simulation involving emergency forces, such as firefighters and police, to test responses to cyberattacks impacting critical services like water, energy, and communications.

Nationally, entities within 17 sectors—including energy, transport, banking, and health—must register on the MyCiber platform created by the National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS). This registration process is part of a new legal regime requiring organizations to self-identify to help the CNCS manage risks and monitor incidents. Failure to comply with these registration requirements can result in significant fines, reaching up to five million euros or 1% of annual global turnover.