IBM has opened a new global security headquarters in Cambridge, MA that features an industry-first commercial Cyber Range. Participants are invited to the Cyber Range to run simulations of cyber attacks using live malware to testtheir cyber security for preparation and response to cyber threats.
The X-Force Command Center Cambridge Cyber Range offers a range of full-scale cyber attack simulations using real-world scenarios to train corporate security teams on planning, response and counter-tactics that can be used in a live cyber threat situation.
Simulations draw from the dark web for live malware and ransomware to simulate actual cyber threats to the network of a fictitious Fortune 500 corporation, represented by a full network containing one petabyte of data, 3,000 users, and a simulated internet. Up to 36 operators can sit in on a simulated attack at one time, allowing entire security teams to test cyber emergency preparedness scenarios.
Scenarios played out at the Cyber Range are intended to help clients experience a real-world cyber attack in a safe environment, to help organizations measure and improve their response time, regulatory and media plans of action, and incident management and response.
The new Cambridge global security headquarters are just one facet of IBM’s updated and improved incident response service, which has been expanded following a $200 million investment earlier this year. Other incident response investments include improvements in services and software, and upgraded security response stations called X-Force Command Centers in Atlanta, Bangalore and Poland.
The Atlanta X-Force Command Center currently serves 4,500 clients in 133 different countries, monitoring over 200,000 threat intelligence notifications every day.
IBM also announced a new incident response consulting team, IBM X-Force Incident Response and Intelligence Service (IRIS). Team IRIS consists of 100 cyber security consultants worldwide who stress the importance of preparedness and planning in countering potential cyber threats. IBM X-Force IRIS can help clients navigate a cyber emergency preparedness plan, using attack scenarios to help evaluate and shore up any weaknesses in existing plans,
The newly improved cyber training programs launched by IBM are run on the Resilient platform. IBM completed the acquisition of Resilient Systems in April of this year to help improve the company’s cyber security service offerings.
