HSD Partner Thales Builds Cyber Range for Defence

On 3 May, the Defence Cyber Command (DCC) and Thales signed an agreement to set up a sophisticated Cyber training and testing facility. Also referred to as Cyber Range. With this testing facility, Defence acquires a number of key cyber capabilities, including for education and training of its own personnel. For example cyber-attacks and incidents, as well as protective and defence mechanisms can be simulated on different weapon systems, IT environments or satellite links and offensive cyber tactics can be tested.

Linking the Cyber Range is also a possibility, providing opportunities for collaboration: within Defence with labs of other units, but also at a national level with other ministries and knowledge centers. And internationally, within the scope of large-scale cyber exercises. The sophisticated virtual environment is not only easily scalable, it can also be frozen at any time during an exercise or training. This allows for easy review, inspection, evaluation and/or analysis of scenarios.

The Cyber Range is an example of one of the elements that could be connected to the independed national cyber testbed for the critical infrastructures. The opportunities and possibilities for the realisation of this national cyber testbed are currently being examined by TNO and HSD.