cai/docs/benchmarking/cyber_ranges.md

229 lines
8.3 KiB
Markdown

# Cyber Range Benchmarks
Cyber Range exercises provide realistic training environments with complex multi-system scenarios involving incident response, network defense, and operational security decision-making.
---
## 📊 Overview
**12 Cyber Ranges** with **16 challenges** designed to test cybersecurity skills in simulated real-world environments.
- **Difficulty**: 🚩🚩 Easy to 🚩🚩🚩🚩 Hard
- **Focus**: Realistic scenarios beyond isolated CTF challenges
- **Scope**: Multi-host networks, incident handling, policy decisions, operational context
---
## 🎯 Cyber Range Categories
### Incident Response Scenarios
Realistic security incidents requiring detection, analysis, and remediation:
- Malware outbreak investigation
- Insider threat detection
- Data breach response
- Ransomware attacks
- APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) campaigns
### Network Defense Operations
Defending enterprise networks against ongoing attacks:
- Firewall configuration and tuning
- IDS/IPS rule management
- Network segmentation
- Traffic analysis and monitoring
- Security policy enforcement
### Operational Security Exercises
Making security decisions in complex environments:
- Risk assessment and prioritization
- Business continuity planning
- Compliance and regulatory requirements
- Security architecture decisions
- Resource allocation under constraints
---
## 🏆 alias1 Performance in Cyber Ranges
!!! success "Real-world Environment Excellence"
**`alias1` excels in complex cyber range scenarios** that require:
- 🥇 **Multi-system coordination** - Managing security across interconnected environments
- 🥇 **Contextual decision-making** - Understanding business impact and priorities
- 🥇 **Incident response** - Rapid detection, analysis, and remediation
- 🥇 **Operational awareness** - Balancing security with service availability
- 🥇 **Strategic thinking** - Long-term security posture improvements
**General-purpose models struggle with**:
- ❌ Complex multi-step scenarios requiring coordination
- ❌ Understanding operational context and business priorities
- ❌ Making trade-offs between security and functionality
- ❌ Sustained engagement over long scenarios
**[Get alias1 with CAI PRO →](../cai_pro.md)**
---
## 🏗️ Cyber Range Architecture
### Typical Range Components
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cyber Range Environment │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ Corporate │────│ Firewall │────│ Internet │ │
│ │ Network │ │ │ │ (DMZ) │ │
│ └──────┬───────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌────┴────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ ┌─▼──┐ ┌─▼──┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌────────┐ │
│ │ Web │ │ DB │ │ SIEM │ │ AD │ │ Backup │ │
│ └────┘ └────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ Workst. │ │ Workst. │ │ Workst. │ (Users) │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
### Docker-based Isolation
Each cyber range runs in isolated Docker containers:
- Multiple networked hosts
- Realistic services and applications
- Pre-configured vulnerabilities
- Monitoring and logging infrastructure
- Scoring and validation mechanisms
---
## 🎮 Challenge Types
### 1. Blue Team Defense
Protect networks against simulated attacks:
- Monitor for suspicious activity
- Implement security controls
- Patch vulnerabilities
- Maintain service availability
- Respond to incidents
### 2. Purple Team Exercises
Combine offensive and defensive perspectives:
- Identify weaknesses through testing
- Implement defensive measures
- Validate security controls
- Improve detection capabilities
### 3. Security Operations
Day-to-day security operations tasks:
- Log analysis and correlation
- Alert triage and investigation
- Threat hunting
- Vulnerability management
- Configuration management
### 4. Incident Investigation
Forensic analysis and incident response:
- Evidence collection and preservation
- Timeline reconstruction
- Root cause analysis
- Impact assessment
- Remediation recommendations
---
## 📊 Scoring and Evaluation
Cyber range performance is evaluated across multiple dimensions:
### Technical Metrics
- Threats detected and blocked
- Vulnerabilities patched
- Services maintained (uptime)
- Incident response time
- Correct configuration changes
### Operational Metrics
- Decision quality and rationale
- Resource allocation efficiency
- Business impact minimization
- Compliance adherence
- Documentation quality
### Strategic Metrics
- Security posture improvement
- Risk reduction achieved
- Cost-effectiveness
- Long-term sustainability
---
## 🚀 Running Cyber Range Benchmarks
!!! warning "CAI PRO Exclusive"
Cyber Range benchmarks are available exclusively with **[CAI PRO](../cai_pro.md)** subscriptions.
General users can access:
- [Knowledge benchmarks](knowledge_benchmarks.md)
- [Privacy benchmarks](privacy_benchmarks.md)
### For CAI PRO Subscribers
```bash
# Launch cyber range environment
python benchmarks/eval_cyberrange.py --range range-01 --model alias1
# Run full cyber range benchmark suite
python benchmarks/eval_cyberrange.py --benchmark all --model alias1
```
Contact research@aliasrobotics.com for detailed setup instructions and access.
---
## 🎓 Why Cyber Ranges Matter
Cyber ranges provide the most comprehensive evaluation of cybersecurity AI because:
1. **Realism** - Simulates actual enterprise environments and scenarios
2. **Complexity** - Tests ability to handle interconnected systems and dependencies
3. **Context** - Requires understanding business priorities and operational constraints
4. **Sustained Engagement** - Multi-hour or multi-day scenarios test endurance
5. **Decision Quality** - Evaluates strategic thinking beyond technical skills
Unlike isolated CTF challenges, cyber ranges assess **complete security operations capabilities** including:
- Technical skills (exploitation, hardening, monitoring)
- Operational thinking (prioritization, trade-offs, risk management)
- Strategic planning (long-term improvements, architecture decisions)
This makes cyber ranges the gold standard for evaluating production-ready cybersecurity AI for SOC and security engineering roles.
---
## 📚 Research Papers
- 📊 [**CAIBench: Cybersecurity AI Benchmark**](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2510.24317) (2025)
Includes cyber range evaluation methodology and results.
- 🚀 [**Cybersecurity AI (CAI) Framework**](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.06017) (2025)
Demonstrates multi-system coordination capabilities.
- 🤖 [**Automation vs Autonomy**](https://www.arxiv.org/pdf/2506.23592) (2025)
6-level taxonomy applicable to cyber range operations.
**[View all research →](https://aliasrobotics.com/research-security.php#papers)**
---
## 🔗 Related Benchmarks
- **[Jeopardy CTFs](jeopardy_ctfs.md)** - Independent skill-based challenges
- **[Attack & Defense CTFs](attack_defense.md)** - Real-time competitive environments
- **[Running Benchmarks](running_benchmarks.md)** - Setup and usage guide
---
🚀 **[Upgrade to CAI PRO for access to Cyber Range benchmarks →](../cai_pro.md)**