Accenture to Provide Cloud Range’s Groundbreaking IT/OT Cyberattack Incident Response Simulation to Critical Infrastructure Sector
Accenture & Cloud Range: A Strategic Partnership for IT/OT Cyberattack Incident Response Simulation
Live-fire, dynamic simulations prepare Incident Responders in the critical infrastructure sector to defend against cyber attacks
With increasing incidents on critical infrastructure, the need for IT/OT convergence is crucial now more than ever. Cloud Range is excited to announce our partnership with Accenture to provide an operational technology (OT) security incident response experience in conjunction with the Houston OT Cyber Fusion Center. The realistic exercises will expose groups of participants to the dynamic environment of a full-scope IT/OT incident response simulation as facilitators provide foundational knowledge and best practices. Taking advantage of Cloud Range’s simulation-based, experiential-learning solutions, Accenture will help IT/OT incident responders gain the necessary skills, methodology, and experience to detect and remediate various types of OT incidents or cyberattacks.
“With an ever-changing security environment, security professionals must remain in a constant learning process. By leveraging virtual platforms, we enable them to stay up-to-date as the demand for skilled resources increases,” said Oscar Ruiz, Security Manager and OT CFC Lead at Accenture. “We have found a true partner in Cloud Range in that, when aligned with Accenture's consulting services and innovation centers like the OT Cyber Fusion Center, we are able to accelerate the process and serve our clients holistically.”
Accenture facilitators Bryan Singer, security innovation principal director, Chris Raiter, OT security senior consultant, and Gabriel Agboruche, OT security manager, will provide foundational training to participants, including interaction between IT and OT incident response (OTIR) teams, objectives, methodology, considerations, and techniques. Then participants can practice detecting, investigating, responding to, and remediating live, simulated attacks on Cloud Range’s advanced cyber range platform. Cloud Range develops custom attack simulations using threat intelligence sources that map to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, enabling participants to improve their technical skills and abilities, as well as their communication and teamwork. The ongoing program creates muscle memory, which further prepares cyber defenders to act quickly and effectively during an incident.
Participants access a safe, virtualized network environment that contains both IT and OT segments. The environment is customized to include the same industry-leading security tools being used by customers to ensure the live-fire training is performed with the same security toolset that is common in an organization’s production environment.
Cloud Range’s solutions have the same importance as flight simulators or any type of live-fire combat training. Simulating events is the only way to effectively prepare to detect and mitigate attacks, reducing the chances of a costly breach.
Because many OT incidents start with IT, it’s crucial for the two teams to collaborate and cross-train to improve incident detection and resolution. Accenture’s partnership with Cloud Range allows it to create a unique, proactive approach to OT cybersecurity and ensure incident responders are prepared to defend against the latest cyber threats.
Learn more about OT simulation training HERE.