The FBI inaugurated a replica town to train against real cyberattacks

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed the existence of a unique facility on its campus in Huntsville, Alabama: a replica of a small American town spanning 22,000 square feet, specifically designed to train agents and partners in responding to real cyberattacks.

This “town” features furnished houses, a hotel, a gas station, a supermarket, a courthouse, a hospital, and an energy company, all connected by streets and traffic lights that mimic everyday life.

The goal is to allow investigators to practice in a controlled environment, away from the classroom, using modern technologies that are often targets for hackers.

The facility, called Kinetic Cyber Range, opened its doors in February 2025 and has already trained over 1,400 students, including personnel from the FBI and other federal and local agencies.

Alarming context of cyber threats

The figures from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center 2025 report are striking: over one million complaints recorded record losses of $20.9 billion in the United States, a 26% increase from the previous year. Ransomware is positioned as the primary threat to critical infrastructure.

In this simulated town, each building is equipped with devices and systems that operate as they do in real life. Additionally, it includes a data center with over 200 physical servers, some running Windows and others running Linux, to reflect typical corporate environments.

“They are cold, cramped, noisy, dark, and miserable,” described Dave Beachboard, program manager, referring to the conditions of the data center where agents must work during training.

Simulations that prepare for reality

The facility allows for the recreation of ransomware attacks and their real-world consequences, such as the pressure to make decisions when hospital systems become inoperable. Participants learn to manage incidents that could directly affect people.