{"id":50844,"date":"2020-06-25T20:35:21","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T20:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/06\/25\/this-training-tool-could-be-the-answer-to-stop-mass-cyberattacks\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:32:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:32:46","slug":"this-training-tool-could-be-the-answer-to-stop-mass-cyberattacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/training-sim\/2020\/06\/25\/this-training-tool-could-be-the-answer-to-stop-mass-cyberattacks\/","title":{"rendered":"This training tool could be the answer to stop mass cyberattacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At air bases across Europe, networks are under attack. Malicious hackers have gained access to sensitive systems, information, controls and critical infrastructure. But cyber operators from U.S. Cyber Command, in concert with Five Eyes partners<\/a>, have been called in to thwart these attempts in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the main scenario for this year\u2019s capstone cyber training exercise put on by Cyber Command, Cyber Flag<\/a> 20-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercise, which took place June 15-26 and was exclusively defensive in nature, saw more than 500 participants and 17 teams participating from five countries across nine time zones, and it included America\u2019s National Guard, the U.S. Energy Department and the Five Eyes alliance \u2014 Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the U.S. Australia, however, did not participate during this iteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials told reporters this week that the purpose of Cyber Flag 20-2 was to continue building the community of defensive cyber operations and to improve the overall capability of the Five Eyes countries to defend against cyber aggressors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drill involved teams defending IT and operational security networks against a live, opposing force trying to disrupt, deny and degrade the air bases\u2019 operations. The networks under attack were industrial control systems simulated to generate network traffic for an aviation fuel farm, power grid, air traffic control radars and electronic access control systems. The attacks came in the form of malware that targeted devices responsible for fuel and power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the unique aspect of this year\u2019s exercise, as C4ISRNET previously reported<\/a>, was the use of a new remote cyber training tool called the Persistent Cyber Training Environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PCTE is an online client that allows Cyber Command\u2019s cyber warriors, as well as partner nations, to log on from anywhere in the world to conduct individual or collective cyber training as well as mission rehearsal, which to date had not existed for the cyber force as it does for physical troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program is run by the Army on behalf of the joint cyber force. The platform not only allowed the exercise to continue as planned amid the coronavirus pandemic, but it enabled collaboration and simultaneous training across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new way to train<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials say PCTE is providing Cyber Command with an entirely new way to train cyber forces, which previously was difficult given a lack of infrastructure and the time needed to set up ranges and scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also allows Cyber Command and military units to conduct more frequent training. Cyber Flag typically was Cyber Command\u2019s largest and only holistic tactical training event, held annually during June. For units, aside from Cyber Flag, there were no other ways to stay sharp on their skills unless they built their own environments<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t