Why Public and Private Sectors Need Hands-On Cyber Range Training
Why Public and Private Sectors Need Hands-On Cyber Range Training
In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, traditional cybersecurity training alone isn’t enough. Public and private sector organizations face increasingly complex challenges: limited budgets, bureaucratic red tape, and a shortage of real-world practice opportunities. As cyber attacks grow more sophisticated, organizations need hands-on, immersive training to build practical skills, improve teamwork, and ensure readiness for complex threats.
This is where cyber ranges shine, providing a realistic, scalable environment to simulate live, dynamic incidents. Live-fire, team-based simulations on a fully built-out cyber range develop technical expertise as well as the communication and collaboration skills essential for effective incident response. It goes beyond traditional training methods like certifications or individual labs and builds on them as the critical "last mile" of training.
Why Cyber Range Training Makes a Difference
Unlike certifications or labs, immersive simulations provide real-world experience by placing teams in high-pressure scenarios where every decision counts. Cyber range exercises force participants to:
Detect and respond to simulated attacks in real time
Strengthen team communication under pressure
Collaborate across sectors to address complex threats
Practice strategies that reduce time to detect, respond, and remediate
These capabilities are especially critical for critical infrastructure sectors—where even a brief delay can have widespread consequences.
Case Study: The Nebraska National Guard’s Cyber Tatanka
A powerful example of the impact of cyber range training is Cyber Tatanka, a two-week cybersecurity event hosted by the Nebraska National Guard. In 2024, Cloud Range provided the Virtual Threat Environment (VTE) and live-fire simulations for this annual event in its third year, bringing together 194 participants from military, government, and civilian organizations.
The event involved nine live-fire simulations that increased in complexity throughout the event, challenging participants with real-world scenarios mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Threats included everything from script kiddies to insider attacks, requiring teams to think critically and adapt quickly, just as they need to during a real incident.
Participants didn’t just learn technical skills—they worked together across disciplines, building relationships and communication strategies essential for handling real cyber incidents. Cloud Range’s platform ensured that every scenario ran smoothly, with real-time adjustments to difficulty levels that made the training valuable for all participants, regardless of experience.
The impact was immediate. Teams left the event with actionable insights they could implement right away, improving their security posture and ability to respond to future threats.
How Immersive Training Prepares Teams for the Future
Cyber Tatanka shows that cyber defense is a team sport. Public and private sectors alike need hands-on training that strengthens both technical skills and teamwork. Cloud Range’s platform goes beyond theory, giving participants real experience in detecting, responding to, and mitigating complex attacks.
This collaborative approach to cyber training fosters long-term partnerships across industries, building communication networks that are essential for handling future incidents. By reducing response times and improving preparedness, immersive training ensures that organizations are ready for evolving threats.
Conclusion: Build Readiness with Cloud Range
Cyber Tatanka demonstrates that real-world readiness comes from real-world practice. With Cloud Range’s platform, public and private sector teams gain the skills and confidence they need to face cyber threats head-on.
If your organization is looking to enhance cyber preparedness with immersive, hands-on training, download the Cyber Tatanka case study to learn how Cloud Range can make it happen.
