The Problem
Historically, Computer Network Defense (CND) training has been conducted through school-house learning followed by some practical application with little to no hands-on follow-up training.
The Department of Defense (DoD) Information Assurance (IA) Range was developed to provide a safe, virtualized environment within which realistic CND training could occur. The advent of the DoD IA Range and similar cyber ranges allowed for more realistic practical application during the formal training process. However, their utility can and should be expanded.
The Solution
To broaden the scope of the environment, Yyotta proposes an innovative and complementary Non-Classified Cyber Range (NCCR) ecosystem for training the United States’ Cyber Workforce. This NCCR ecosystem includes formal military and academic training enabled by industry-, academia- and military-based education.
Yyotta will provide the NCCR with equal access to and for military, academia, and industry whereby the knowledge base (e.g., attack vectors, effective methods, etc.) can be widened and shared in a cooperative and collaborative environment. Academia and industry are critical components of the ecosystem and enable cyber workforce education, training, and readiness. Academia is on the forefront of standards-based curriculum development and industry supports both technology development and leading edge cyber operations training.
The Yyotta solution is to build, develop and nurture an ecosystem and community of practice that fosters collaboration among government, academia, and industry. This collaboration will deliver constructive base lining of education and training for the cyber security workforce as well as an environment within which operational readiness for tactical cyber operations can be evaluated and assessed. The Yyotta NCCR will collaborate and cooperate with the DoD IA Range thus providing a common cyber learning environment within which to learn, research, test, and share from by military, academic, and industry experts. Further, benefits gleaned from the NCCR can be provided to the DoD IA Range, creating the ability to push cyber tools and training (including attack and defense) to the lowest levels of the operating forces thereby enhancing the efficacy of the cyber workforce and further protecting our tactical networks and ultimately our national networks.