FBI Unveils 'Kinetic Cyber Range' Replica Town for Cyberattack Training
The FBI has opened a 22,000 sq ft replica town at its Huntsville, Alabama campus to train law enforcement in simulating and investigating cyberattacks. Dubbed the Kinetic Cyber Range, it features realistic facilities and over 200 servers, having trained 1,400 students since February 2025 amidst rising cybercrime losses.
Key points
- The FBI constructed a 22,000 square-foot replica town, the Kinetic Cyber Range, at its Huntsville, Alabama campus.
- This facility is designed to simulate real-world cyberattacks for law enforcement training, featuring realistic buildings and over 200 servers.
- Opened in February 2025, the range has already trained more than 1,400 students from FBI and partner agencies.
- The initiative addresses a significant rise in cybercrime, with the FBI's 2025 report detailing $20.9 billion in losses and ransomware as a top threat.
- The range mimics a full community, including houses, a hospital, a power company, and a data center, all wired with functional systems to prevent simulated attacks from escaping.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has revealed its 'Kinetic Cyber Range,' a 22,000 square-foot replica town constructed at its campus in Huntsville, Alabama. This purpose-built facility aims to provide law enforcement with a secure, hands-on environment to train for simulating and investigating real-world cyberattacks.
The town meticulously recreates essential community infrastructure, featuring fully furnished houses, a hotel, a gas station, a grocery mart, a courthouse, a hospital, and a power company, complete with roads and traffic lights. Each structure is equipped with functional devices and systems designed to mirror a typical U.S. community or business. A dedicated data center housing over 200 physical servers, running various operating systems, supports the realistic training scenarios.
Since its opening in February 2025, the Kinetic Cyber Range has trained more than 1,400 students, including FBI personnel and partners from other federal and local agencies. This initiative comes in response to escalating cyber threats, with the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report noting a record $20.9 billion in U.S. cybercrime losses and identifying ransomware as a primary danger to critical infrastructure. The range's design ensures that simulated attacks remain contained within the facility, allowing for practical training without external risk.
Sources
The WireByte editorial team synthesises technology news from multiple primary sources, verifies the facts, and links every source. Articles are produced with AI assistance and reviewed under our editorial policy.