Abstract:

In the modern battlespace, adversaries actively pursue internet protocol (IP)-based cyber attacks to affect operational missions in all warfighting domains. Cyber Mission Force (CMF) teams direct, synchronize, and coordinate cyberspace operations in defense of U.S. national interests. To maximize their effectiveness for multi-domain operations (MDO), these cyber teams require collective cyber-kinetic training to ensure they work effectively with commanders across the Services and Joint Force to accomplish their assigned missions and achieve information advantage in the battlespace.

We previously developed a novel system architecture that automates the communication of cyber effects between a cyber range, used for CMF training, and live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) systems, used for command staff training. That architecture, termed Cyber Simulation TRaining for Impacts to Kinetic Environment (CyberSTRIKE), utilizes a cyber range adapter to determine cyber battle damage assessment (BDA) due to operator actions within the range that cause changes to network and system states. The cyber BDA is communicated to the LVC training environment using this architecture so that generated cyberspace effects have an operational impact on connected Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence (C4I) interfaces. This work extends our architecture by incorporating automated cyberspace adversaries that simulate cyber attack killchains within networks and systems within cyber ranges and LVC environments. By running autonomously, the use of intelligent cyber adversaries such as the Intelligent Cyber Adversary Tool Suite (ICATS) reduces the manpower required to stimulate BLUFOR training audiences with cyber attack inputs. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated though a prototype that demonstrates how several ICATS-based cyberspace effects can automatically execute a cyber killchain affecting systems within the cyber range and LVC environment. This approach represents a significant improvement for cyber-kinetic training since it reduces the cost and manpower required for live cyber role players to meet MDO training objectives.

Keywords: CYBER;ELECTRONIC WARFARE;SIMULATIONS;TRAINING

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Jeremy RiCharde