Cyber ranges are specially designed virtual environments that simulate real-world operational settings. They give cybersecurity professionals—whether they defend, operate, or test these systems—a safe place to practice their skills. In this controlled setup, they can train without risking real systems, allowing them to learn from mistakes and build confidence before facing real-world situations that could have serious consequences.
What is a Cyber Range Exercise?
A cyber range exercise is a simulated environment designed for training and testing cybersecurity skills, strategies, and technologies. These exercises replicate real-world cyber-attack scenarios, allowing participants to practice their responses and improve their cybersecurity capabilities in a controlled setting.
Who are Cyber Ranges made for?
Depending on the scenario, Cyber Ranges can be used for training a wide range of cybersecurity professionals including:
- Students in Cybersecurity
- Beginners learning basic system engineering and maintenance
- Advanced teams preparing for large-scale, international exercises or mission operations
What are the benefits of Cyber Range Exercises?
Benefits of Cyber Ranges for Industry:
Cyber ranges provide immersive, hands-on simulations that enable teams to practice responding to real-world cyber threats in a controlled environment. This training significantly reduces incident response times, allowing security teams to act quickly and efficiently during actual cyberattacks, minimizing potential damage. The simulations are designed to mimic real-time scenarios, which helps improve team preparedness and effectiveness, ensuring that participants can confidently handle a wide range of cyber incidents
In addition to improving operational readiness, cyber range training can lead to significant cost savings. By enhancing an organization’s ability to prevent and respond to security breaches, cyber ranges help avoid the costly consequences of data breaches. On average, companies that utilize this type of training report annual savings of up to $1.3 million, as they are better equipped to mitigate risks and maintain robust security measures
Benefits of Cyber Ranges for Government:
Agencies using cyber ranges experience an increase in operational readiness, as these platforms allow for large-scale, high-fidelity simulations of real-world cyber threats.
Benefits of Cyber Ranges for Academia:
Academic institutions utilizing cyber ranges report an increase in student competency, research, collaboration and output providing students with practical experience in handling cybersecurity scenarios
TAC’s Next-Level Cyber Ranges: Realistic Simulations for OT and PIT Security
TAC Team Members standing beside the OT Cyber Range Dream Valley—a simulated critical infrastructure city designed to help cyber professionals protect our most essential systems.
At TAC, we offer more advanced cyber ranges that go beyond basic IT systems. Our environments simulate and emulate Operational Technology (OT), vital to national critical infrastructure, as well as Platform Information Technology (PIT) used by the Department of Defense (DoD). These realistic, complex scenarios allow professionals to train in environments that closely mirror the real-world systems they will protect.