United States Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Creates Fully Operational Cyber Range

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) deployed BreakingPoint cyber range products to create a fully operational evolved cyber range to measure the resiliency—performance, security, and stability—of its network and data center infrastructures, conduct advanced research and development, and train its cyber warriors.

Challenge

DISA needed the full functionality of a cyber range to carry out its missions. Just as traditional soldiers need a firing range to hone their skills using the latest weaponry, cyber warriors need a similar environment in the virtual world to train for cyber attacks. Yet the agency could not wait several more years for the launch of the DoD’S National Cyber Range, nor could it spend the millions of dollars required for traditional custom-built cyber ranges.

A new, evolved model of cyber range was required, one that could be set up in hours with minimal infrastructure, then customized for warfare scenarios within minutes.

Solution

Leaders at DISA turned to BreakingPoint for an innovative and pragmatic solution, one that enables the agency to simulate Internet-scale cyber war in a controlled environment using a single compact device. DISA uses a BreakingPoint CTM to:

• Generate large amounts of realistic user application traffic.
• Play canned scenarios with minimal configuration and update effort.
• Script simulation data flows.
• Support and emulate advanced networking protocols like MPLS and IPv6.

The agency relies on the device to support the requirements of each exercise, whether for threat injection, operating system types, patch levels, enclave machines, or network services.

Results

The latest in cyber range innovation empowers DISA to hold vendors accountable for delivering resilient devices that will not weaken the agency’s infrastructure, and ensures that DISA’s cyber warriors are fully equipped and trained to deal with new cyber threats. Using a BreakingPoint CTM, DISA has the ability to:

• Create personalized and current cyber warfare scenarios in a matter of minutes, replicating the very latest attack scenarios.
• Eliminate the need for dozens of different hardware and software systems to generate the appropriate levels of traffic and attacks—which saves time, eliminates complexity, and reduces costs by tens of millions of dollars.
• Access the very latest threat scenarios and global application protocols by using the central and ever-current BreakingPoint CTM device.

Schedule an Evaluation Today

Find out why key government and military agencies rely on BreakingPoint to measure and harden the resiliency of every component of their network and data center infrastructures, from the chip all the way up to the network and the applications that run across it. Schedule a personalized demo today.