🚨FBI Opens 22K Sq Ft Cyber Range to Train on Real-World Attacks
FBI Trains in a Fake Town to Tackle Ransomware
TL;DR
The FBI has opened the Kinetic Cyber Range, a 22,000 sq ft replica town to train law enforcement in simulating and investigating real-world cyberattacks. Since its February 2025 opening, it's trained over 1,400 students.
The FBI just opened the Kinetic Cyber Range, a 22,000 square-foot replica town on its Huntsville campus to train investigators in simulating and investigating real-world cyberattacks. This isn't just a classroom; it's a fully wired community with houses, a hotel, and even a data center with over 200 physical servers. Why does this matter? It allows for hands-on training that can prevent future breaches like the $20.9 billion in U.S. losses reported by the FBI’s Internet Crime Report in 2025. The range includes realistic scenarios to test digital forensics tools and simulate ransomware attacks, which are ranked as the top threat to critical infrastructure.
Key Points
Kinetic Cyber Range spans 22,000 sq ft and includes fully furnished houses, hotel, gas station, courthouse, hospital, power company
Data center within the range features over 200 physical servers running Windows and Linux to simulate real-world conditions
Since February 2025 opening, facility has trained more than 1,400 students from FBI and other federal/local agencies
FBI's Internet Crime Report logged $20.9 billion in U.S. cybercrime losses for 2025, a 26% increase over the prior year
Ransomware ranked as top ongoing threat to critical infrastructure according to FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report
Why It Matters
If you're responsible for digital forensics or cybersecurity at any organization, the Kinetic Cyber Range is a game changer. It allows investigators to simulate ransomware attacks and test defenses in realistic scenarios without risking real-world exposure. The facility's data center with over 200 physical servers provides an environment that closely mirrors actual enterprise setups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this matter?
If you're responsible for digital forensics or cybersecurity at any organization, the Kinetic Cyber Range is a game changer. It allows investigators to simulate ransomware attacks and test defenses in realistic scenarios without risking real-world exposure. The facility's data center with over 200 physical servers provides an environment that closely mirrors actual enterprise setups.
What happened?
The FBI has opened the Kinetic Cyber Range, a 22,000 sq ft replica town to train law enforcement in simulating and investigating real-world cyberattacks. Since its February 2025 opening, it's trained over 1,400 students.
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