US Builds Secret Cyber Training City to Combat Advanced Cyberattacks

The United States military has confirmed that the blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect pending the completion of an agreement scheduled for Friday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has unveiled a vast training complex designed as a miniature city, constructed specifically to simulate and respond to realistic cyberattacks within a controlled environment.

This facility is located on an FBI campus in Alabama, covering nearly 22,000 square feet. Known as the Kinetic Cyber Range, it is more than a technical lab; it is a fully integrated environment replicating an American city in detail, including houses, streets, and public amenities such as a hospital, hotel, gas station, and retail stores.

The virtual city aims to train agents and investigators to handle cyberattacks that mirror real-world scenarios, including ransomware assaults and breaches targeting critical systems like hospitals and power grids.

The site houses a massive data center with hundreds of real servers operating various operating systems, enabling trainees to work with networks and systems similar to those used by actual institutions. According to FBI officials, every section of the city is equipped with authentic operating systems, networks, and devices, making the experience closely resemble real field investigations.

Training scenarios involve complex incidents such as hospital system intrusions, tracing cyberattacks on vital infrastructure, and analyzing data from hacked vehicles to extract digital evidence.

The exercises also simulate high-pressure environments reflecting the chaos caused by cyberattacks, where medical or service systems may suddenly fail, compelling trainees to make rapid and decisive decisions.

This initiative comes amid a global increase in cyberattacks, which result in estimated annual losses amounting to tens of billions of dollars. The FBI states that the primary goal of the project is to bridge the gap between theoretical training and practical fieldwork by providing an experience that accurately replicates modern cyber threats.

Since its opening, over 1,400 trainees from the FBI and other government agencies have participated, marking a clear shift in the approach to training cyber investigation units.

The FBI views this type of training as essential for the future, given the growing complexity of cybercrimes and their integration into everyday life. Investigations now extend beyond computers to include smart vehicles, hospitals, and even power networks.

Consequently, the simulated city represents an advanced step in preparing investigators to confront the new generation of digital attacks in an increasingly interconnected world.