Realistically and quickly replicating globally interconnected networks to securely test new cyber tools and capabilities is no longer an issue for cyber researchers thanks to the DARPA-developed National Cyber Range (NCR). The NCR, which transitioned in October to the Test Resource Management Center under the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Developmental Test and Evaluation, provides a secure, self-contained facility where complex defense and commercial networks can be rapidly emulated for cost-effective and timely validation of cyber technologies.
Seven large-scale cyber experiments for multiple DoD organizations were executed on the range during a one-year beta operation phase that ended this month.
Key benefits of the NCR are the speed with which the range can be re-configured, the diversity of the networks that can be emulated, and the flexibility to handle multiple activities simultaneously at different classification levels. Given the dynamic nature of real-world cyber threats, providing fast-turnaround time for experimentation and analysis is vital.
The NCR provides a broad range of uses, such as advanced cyber research and development of new capabilities, analysis of malware, cyber training and exercises and secure cloud computing and storage architecture, among others.
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