Virtual cyber training range in development with U.S., Australia
NewsDecember 07, 2020
UNITED STATES and AUSTRALIA. The U.S. and Australia have launched the first agreement to continuously develop a virtual cyber training range. Both nations signed the Cyber Training Capabilities Project Arrangement Nov. 3. The bilateral, international agreement is intended to enable U.S. Cyber Command to incorporate Australian Defense Force feedback into Cybercom's simulated training domain, the Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE).
The PCTE is a cyber training platform for real-world defensive missions across boundaries and networks. Its shared use and development is designed to constantly evolve and sharpen readiness in cyber tactics, techniques, and procedures.
Previously, U.S. and allied cyber forces developed cyber training ranges for specific scenarios that would be used once. The PCTE aims to offer a collaborative training environment, enabling global cyber forces to develop and reuse already existing content to train at individual and group levels anytime.
The Army has the lead in developing PCTE and worked with the program executive office for simulation, training, and instrumentation on this cooperative cyber project with Australia. The PEO STRI is responsible to deliver and improve PCTE on behalf of the Joint Services. Currently, PCTE's primary user is Cybercom and the services' cyber components.
