The Portuguese Armed Forces have strengthened their cyberdefense capabilities with the contribution of two national companies, BlackRoute and Ethiack, through the "Digital Sentinel" and "AI Ethical Hacking" projects. This initiative was promoted by the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMGFA), through the Cyberdefense Operations Command, with an investment exceeding 920 thousand euros fully funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
The projects started in September 2025 and were completed in June 2026, when they began to be used by the Operations Command of the Cyberdefense Center of the EMGFA. On August 31, the solutions were validated by the Agency for State Technological Reform (ARTE) and the European Commission.
"Digital Sentinel" uses artificial intelligence to continuously monitor systems, applications, and services exposed in cyberspace, identifying assets and analyzing risks. "AI Ethical Hacking" automates and increases the frequency of security testing to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Both solutions free cybersecurity teams from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on the most relevant risks, while human supervision of the results is always maintained.
The new capabilities are being developed to benefit all three branches of the Armed Forces — Navy, Army, and Air Force — including distinct network environments and segregated networks. The EMGFA highlights that artificial intelligence will function as a support tool, preserving human operational decision-making.
