What Is A Modern Cyber Range?

To defend against today’s sophisticated cyber attacks, cybersecurity professionals need more than just theoretical knowledge—they require hands-on, practical experience in a controlled environment. This is where cyber ranges come into play.

A cyber range is a virtual environment designed to simulate real-world cyber threats. It enables organizations and individuals to train, test, and drill their cybersecurity skills, processes, and tools in a safe and controlled setting that models their organization’s environment. Think of it as a virtual battlefield where cybersecurity professionals can train like they fight.

Common Features and Benefits of a Cyber Range

Cyber ranges offer a variety of features and benefits, making them indispensable for modern cybersecurity training and testing. 

• Simulated Environment: A controlled space where individuals and teams can collaborate to test and refine their defensive strategies.
• Threat Simulation: Realistic scenarios that mimic the pressures and complexities of real cyberattacks.
• Defense Testing and Refinement: A platform for evaluating and enhancing your organization’s security posture.

These features make cyber ranges essential for developing hands-on cyber experience, testing tools and processes, and ensuring that your organization is prepared to respond to real-world cyber threats.

Components of a Cyber Range

To better understand how a cyber range operates, let’s break down its main components:

• Orchestration Layer: This is the backbone of a cyber range, integrating various technology and service components. It ensures that the underlying infrastructure, whether physical or virtual, works seamlessly with the simulated environment.
• Underlying Infrastructure: Comprising networks, servers, and storage, this component can either be built on physical hardware or as a software-defined virtual infrastructure, depending on your organization’s needs.
• Virtualization Layer: Most cyber ranges use virtualization to minimize physical space and costs. Virtualization technologies enable the creation of virtual instances of networks and systems, making the cyber range more scalable and accessible.
• Target Infrastructure: This is the simulated environment within the cyber range, often mirroring your organization’s real-world IT and security infrastructure. It includes replicas of servers, endpoints, applications, and firewalls that your team would encounter in daily operations.

Access and Scalability Considerations

Access and scalability are crucial when designing or choosing a cyber range:

• Location: Determine whether your cyber range will be on-premises or cloud-based. This decision impacts how and when users can access the environment and the types of hardware and software required.
• Sophistication: Assess your team’s technical expertise to ensure they can effectively install, use, and maintain the cyber range. This assessment will also help determine whether it’s necessary to leverage a provider’s professional services to address any resource or logistical challenges within your team.
• Scalability: As your organization grows, your cyber range must be able to accommodate an increasing number of users. 

Types of Cyber Ranges

There are several types of cyber ranges, each serving different needs:

• Simulation Ranges: These ranges create a synthetic network environment that mimics real-world components. They are entirely virtual and do not require physical network equipment.
• Overlay Ranges: These operate on top of existing systems, offering a high level of realism at a higher cost.
• Emulation Ranges: This type involves mapping the actual network, server, and storage infrastructure onto the cyber range, providing the highest fidelity by transforming physical infrastructure into the simulated environment.

More details about the different types of ranges can be found in NIST’s Cyber Range Guide. 

Conclusion

A cyber range is a critical tool for any organization looking to give their organization the experience of a severe cyber attack before it happens in production.  It provides a realistic, hands-on training environment and ensures that your team is well-prepared to defend against today’s complex and evolving cyber threats. Whether you’re simulating attacks, testing defenses, or training your team, a cyber range offers the security, flexibility, and scalability you need to stay ahead of the curve.

The SimSpace Platform, a leader in cyber defense training, provides an advanced, scalable, and highly customizable cyber range environment that is trusted by top organizations, including government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. The Platform provides advanced training, testing, and cyber drilling to optimize the performance of an organization’s defenders and defenses. SimSpace equips organizations with the necessary skills and knowledge to defend against sophisticated cyber threats, ensuring their readiness in the face of evolving challenges.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to us and see the SimSpace Platform in action!