IBM has officially opened the IBM X-Force Cyber Range in Washington, D.C., introducing tailored training exercises aimed at enhancing cybersecurity responses for U.S. federal agencies, suppliers, and critical infrastructure organizations. Focused on addressing persistent and disruptive cyberattacks, as well as threats posed by AI, the state-of-the-art facility caters to various roles, from legal and mission-critical leaders to C-suite executives and technical security experts. The move comes as a response to the increasing global cost of data breaches, with the U.S. experiencing the highest breach costs. IBM’s new training facility aims to improve incident response times and reduce costs by guiding participants through realistic cyber scenarios, covering areas like AI code poisoning, destructive attacks, deepfake threats, and zero-day attacks.
The training facility builds on IBM’s extensive experience in operating similar cyber response training facilities worldwide. It offers immersive experiences, guiding participants through full-scale breach scenarios and enabling them to work through challenges they might face in real-world incidents. The training covers a range of scenarios, such as the Mission: Crisis Response challenge tailored for federal government agencies and the Cyber Wargame designed to test organizations’ incident response processes and communication effectiveness. IBM’s focus extends beyond government agencies to include businesses from all sectors, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and preparedness in the face of evolving cybersecurity threats.
