National Cyber Range. The National Cyber Range Complex (NCRC) is an integrated cyber range capability operated by the Department of Defense (DoD) Test Resource Management Center (TRMC). It is an enterprise solution that provides DoD and other government and industry users with representative environments; secure, distributed network infrastructure/connectivity; and other tools and services to support cybersecurity testing and evaluation, research and development, mission rehearsal, and workforce training events. 

NCRC creates environments that replicate DoD systems and Red/Blue/Gray (i.e., adversarial/friendly/neutral) networked environments, and range in size from simple environments with a handful of endpoints to large-scale, intricate environments with complex routing topologies and thousands of endpoints. Endpoints can be “bare metal” or virtualized, allowing for environments to represent real-world systems at varying degrees of fidelity depending on event requirements. The NCRC staff applies its cybersecurity and cyber engineering expertise to provide event environments with the necessary fidelity and realism to support cyber-related testing and the development of cyber-related tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) to meet user requirements.

NCRC provides a broad spectrum of support tailored to meet specific user and event needs. This support ranges from Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), to Platform as a Service (PaaS), to Testing and Training as a Service (TaaS) support. IaaS includes basic network, compute, and storage services, as well as the NCRC’s security architecture, which provides isolation between event environments. PaaS adds networking complexity, configured operating systems, end-point services and applications, and other elements as needed. TaaS is a turnkey offering that includes full-service event planning, design, execution, analysis, and reporting, and may include bespoke elements such as customized instrumentation or opposing forces (OPFOR) activities.  Users can participate in these events from multiple locations—NCRC locations or otherwise—via secure, distributed network infrastructure. 

NCRC test events support DoD acquisition programs, including major acquisition programs (ACAT 1 programs) and Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) oversight programs; offensive and defensive cyber test and evaluation programs; and programs that support rapid capability fielding, among others. They are generally conducted within a real-world mission scenario and incorporate dynamic feedback and user involvement. They provide decision makers and program managers with actionable information and frame potential vulnerabilities in terms of likelihood and impact on mission capability and effectiveness. NCRC training events support Combatant Command (COCOM) exercises, COCOM partner and multinational events, integrated intelligence environments, and Red Force on Blue Force training. NCRC also supports cyber table top (CTT) wargames, which focus on identifying a system’s vulnerabilities and determining whether offensive cyber activities could affect how the system functions.

NCRC also has a cyber workforce and capability development focus. NCRC partners with academia to provide potential solutions to “Innovation Challenges” to fill cyber T&E capability gaps and provide insight into emerging technologies. NCRC intends to extend and enhance its cyberspace T&E infrastructure through partnerships with key stakeholders across DoD, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), industry, and academia. NCRC also provides an unclassified instance and workspace for test environments that lowers the barrier for entry for non-traditional defense contractors.

The NCRC has cyber range facilities in multiple locations, including Orlando, FL; Charleston, SC; Fort Walton Beach, FL; Patuxent River, MD; Huntsville, AL; Augusta, GA; and Oahu, HI.

References

United States Department of Defense
Computer network security

Cyber ranges