Research in the cyber field is increasingly pushed and touches all aspects of the fifth domain. Training is one of the most important. Being able to train staff quickly and effectively is a winning aspect of any organization.
In the cyber sector, one of the tools used in training is the "cyber range". A virtual polygon in which to train without worrying about seeing the real network or systems compromised. There are many different ones cyberrange, produced by the main companies in the cyber world.
Among these I noticed one that attracted me for its young approach, based on the principle of "gamification", or training by playing. In fact, it is known that when you are able to train while having fun, the results are achieved faster and without excessive effort.
Project Ares is a training platform of the American company Circadence, a company founded on the basis of a previous company (VR-1, founded in 1995) which was involved in the production of videogames.
In the following years the company changed its name and search field. Between 2005 and 2008, now known as Circadence, it developed its own application optimization technology called Circadence MVO. MVO has been assessed approved and used in support of mission-critical communications systems for the American DoD, the US JFC, the US DoHS, the Army, the Marines and the Naval Research Laboratory, also developing partnerships with companies such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
In 2016 it is unveiled Project Ares and a few years later, in 2018, a partnership was established with Microsoft Azure Cloud, which has enabled the establishment of an environment that can scale to replicate networks, complex companies and organizations, interconnected city infrastructures and even military operations.
To understand a little more, you can take a look at a video presentation of the product, really interesting.
And if, as happened to me, you are impressed by the platform, you can ask via email to be able to access an interesting webinar in which in about 45 minutes the engineer Brian Sheridan explains the operating principles of the platform.
You can choose the role you want to play (sorry, I meant "train"), for example the role of "Intel Analyst".
Through a training course based on material of various kinds and "games" of different types, it is possible to learn, both alone and in multi-user mode, by comparing with friends and colleagues.
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The student-player can practice and learn at the same time, while developing friendships, working relationships and skills that can be spent in the world of work.
Even the mode of use is made similar to the gaming platforms, 90 euros per month of subscription for the single or 900 euros per year, not a little, but affordable if considered as an investment.
The platform is customizable and can also be used in "trainer" mode which allows you to set the exercises for your students or for the organization.
Thanks to Circadence the cyber world, with the application of the principle of Gamification, got a little closer!
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