US Matrix-style cyberwar firing range goes to Phase II

US plans to develop a virtual network world - to be populated by mirror computers and inhabited by myriad software sim-people "replicants", and used as a firing range in which to develop the art of cyber warfare - have moved ahead. The so-called "National Cyber Range" project will now move forward to Phase II, and a brace of …

[Paul 4]

I can see much more uses

for stress testing large networks and texting user reactions to a crisis situation on a large scale.

[Stone Fox]

I for one

would like to be the first to welcome our new artificially intelligent internet dominating skynet overlords.

[Bilgepipe]

Yes but....

Does it have pr0n?

[amanfromMars 1]

Who's Leading Who in DOD GI Matters? Fort Meade style Groom Lakers or Palace Barracks Loughsiders?

"Blighty, for its part, is to get a cyber range of its own near Portsmouth courtesy of BT and US defence firm Northrop Grumman."

More info please ...... and why with the US defence firm Northrop Grumman, for that allows Blighty Boffins to Pick and Counter American Intelligence Services or, yes it is true, also Lead them into SMARTer Battles they can Win Win, which would be Real Clever and a Pleasant Change in Virtual Field Fare.

[Anonymous Coward]

They should buy ESX botnet in a box :)

Why dont they just buy ESX botnet in a box. Though a system tht allows internal/external and mixed exposure to test out systems then thats great.

But to have lots and lots of virtual users - what are you testing security wise? Monkey testing theory or just the ability of a user to run keylogger.exe?

If you can root a windows box with basic services then if you add more services you can still root it just as effectily. Root expliot in TCP/IP driver stacks and perhaps offload procesors. Heck even keyboards have a basic processor in there. Mice can have firmware. If you want to root a box these days you have to ask why, for the data usualy and thats obtainable without seeing the box.

Now will this virtual network of there's also emulate users who:

Install WOW/MMO or some game and open up new exposures?

Install any 4rd party software?

plugging in a USB stick

Syncing ther smartphone

booting of a linux live cd

going to a externaly trusted site thats been comprimised?

allow google to index the parts of the website nobody should reach?

So many permutations that software has problems emulating.

As for intelegent software, when a calucalator is asked to divide 1 into 3 and answear me 1/3rd of the pie you fat git instead of .3333333333333333333333333(add rounding/loss of details to taste) then we will have something that might work and have the basic level of intellegence at common level instead of decimal impossed interpritation of one that looses the details by design.

Also why build such a large network when you can just ask microsoft for a list of illegal users who aint installed WGA or the likeand as such there open targets on a legal basis for testing :).

Just have a website with a movie and add your testing into the the readme accept part and you have plenty of users to play with :0.

[Pascal Monett]

So OpCenter is going active ?

We're now living in a Tom Clancy novel, apparently. Do they also have a simulated hostage situation with cyber-SWAT teams moving in on the criminals/terrorists ?

And, of course, can it run Crysis ?

[Iamfanboy]

So what's

So what's the IT angle?

...Ok, fine, I'll get my coat...

[Destroy All Monsters]

Can we simulate the economy on this thing?

...to get better predictions than the self-serving feel-good stuff from Gordo and will the estate of Philip K. Dick unleash the lawyers on State for the use of the word "replicant" (...still no Nexus Six though)?

[Adrian Esdaile]

What could possibly go wrong?

Now you's'n'all be taking note of the color of this'n here Stick, USB, for purpose of what containin's the ant-eye TERRRST virus.

The stick'n with the RED STRIPES on a BLUE BACKGROUND with BLACK LETTERS goes in the slot marked TESTING and the stick'n with the BLUE STRIPES on a RED BACKGROUND with DARK GREY LETTERS goes in this'n here slot marked NOT-TESTING, cause it's connected ta them'n communistic Intarweb. The other one is'n them's tersting network. Yep'n, the other one.

Doncha be gittin therm there stick'ns mixered up'n naw, y'hear?

[MarkP]

So they are building an updated version of that classic game...

Uplink!