Communications of the ACM
In Virtual Town of Alphaville, Students Prep For Cyber Sieges
Alphaville, a mock town used to train cybersecurity students, exists as virtual machines set up to emulate the various networks of a real small town.
Credit: Government Computer News
The Michigan Cyber Range uses the virtual town of Alphaville to help train cybersecurity students to secure critical infrastructure.
Joe Adams, director of the Michigan Cyber Range, came from the military and says Alphaville is inspired by the mock towns used to train soldiers in squad tactics and weapons. The town exists as virtual machines set up to emulate the various networks of a small town, including utilities, local government networks, schools, and businesses featuring everything from public websites to industrial control systems.
The Michigan Cyber Range currently offers two classes built around different exercises--a red team/blue team exercise with one group of students attacking and the other defending, and a "capture the flag"-style exercise in which teams compete to secure a "beacon" and move it through Alphaville's networks.
There are plans to add a cyber forensics class with exercises tasking students with responding to the aftermath of a data breach, and adding new elements to Alphaville, such as a simulated hospital to teach students to handle HIPAA-protected records.
The facility operates on a National Guard base, but Adams says the operation is completely unclassified and open to both the public and private sectors.
From Government Computer News
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