The FBI built its own replica small town to simulate real-world cyberattacks

2026-06-13 · Source: TechCrunch · Field: Government & Public Sector — Public Safety & Security, Cybersecurity & Data Privacy · Depth: Intermediate, short

Summary

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has unveiled its 22,000 square-foot Kinetic Cyber Range, a replica town on its Huntsville, Alabama campus, designed to provide hands-on training for law enforcement in real-world cyberattack simulation and investigation. Opened in February 2025, this unique facility features fully furnished houses, a hotel, a gas station, a grocery mart, a courthouse, a hospital, and a power company, all wired with functioning consumer and enterprise technologies. The range also includes a data center with over 200 physical servers running Windows and Linux, mimicking corporate environments. It enables the FBI to simulate ransomware attacks, including those impacting critical infrastructure like hospital systems, and train investigators in digital forensics, addressing the \$20.9 billion in U.S. cybercrime losses reported in the 2025 Internet Crime Report. Over 1,400 students, including FBI personnel and partners from NASA, the U.S. Army, and local agencies, have trained here.

Key takeaway

For Security Engineers or IT Professionals developing incident response training, you should consider integrating highly realistic, hands-on simulation environments that mirror real-world infrastructure. The FBI's Kinetic Cyber Range demonstrates that immersive, physical ranges are crucial for practicing complex ransomware responses and digital forensics on diverse systems. This approach moves beyond theoretical training, preparing your teams for high-pressure decisions and the practical challenges of securing critical infrastructure against evolving cyber threats.

Key insights

The FBI's Kinetic Cyber Range offers unparalleled hands-on training for cyberattack response and digital forensics in a realistic, controlled environment.

Principles

• Realistic simulation enhances training.
• Hands-on experience is vital.
• Secure environments enable live training.

Method

The range simulates a real town with wired systems and a data center, enabling investigators to practice incident response and digital forensics against live, contained cyberattacks.

In practice

• Simulate ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure.
• Practice digital forensics on encrypted devices.
• Respond to breaches in diverse IT environments.

Topics

• Cyberattack Simulation
• Digital Forensics
• Ransomware Response
• Critical Infrastructure Security
• Law Enforcement Training
• Cyber Range

Best for: CTO, Executive, Security Engineer, Legal Professional, IT Professional

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by TechCrunch.