Amid a shortage of workers, businesses and governments are collaborating to enhance cyberdefense.

Government entities across the US are seeking ways to enhance their cyberdefenses. The Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida, or Cyber Florida, is collaborating with SimSpace to train the state's 1 million employees in cyberdefense tactics, utilizing military-grade cyber ranges.

"Conducting mission rehearsals is a crucial aspect of the military's focus, as emphasized by SimSpace CEO and former Air Force Col. William "Hutch" Hutchinson. This practice can also be beneficial in real-life situations for the private and commercial sectors."

Red Flag exercises were developed after the Vietnam War to enhance combat readiness, and Hutchinson participated in these exercises as an F-15 fighter pilot.

"Hutchinson stated that one of the lessons learned was that if a fighter pilot survives their first 10 combat missions, their chances of success increase dramatically. As a result, they created an exercise to replicate those first 10 combat missions."

The U.S. Cyber Command received training from Hutchinson, which led to the implementation of similar exercises known as Cyber Flag.

Hutchinson stated that the objective was to give commanders information on our potential performance in a future cyberwar.

As CEO of SimSpace, Hutchinson assists in training civilians in the public and private sectors with military-style training.

"According to Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla, the public-private partnership is crucial for attracting skilled individuals to the military and organizations like Cyber Florida. He believes that the middle ground lies in the reserves, where individuals can learn civilian skills while also developing new technologies and recruiting top talent."

Numerous state legislatures, including Florida, have enacted legislation to bolster cybersecurity defenses in recent years. Michigan was the first to introduce the idea of a volunteer cybersecurity reserve force in 2013, which has since been replicated by Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, California, and Maryland. Additionally, states such as Oklahoma and Arizona have established cyber commands to safeguard their information systems and data.

"According to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, the threat is significant, and if you're considering the future and major combat between near pure adversaries, the next first strike in anything like that, it won't be a physical attack like Pearl Harbor. Instead, it will be a cyberattack. Our adversaries, including China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, have invested heavily in this area. As a result, we must improve our workforce's ability to defend our nation."

James Gerber, CFO of SimSpace, stated that Cyber Florida stands out among other states by providing individualized training in academically supported practice settings.

Gerber stated that they can concentrate on configuring for the latest severe events that the governor and mayors require, and they can provide those answers with confidence.

Interactive, simulated platforms known as cyber ranges replicate various scenarios for different government sectors, such as health care and energy, to prepare for potential threats they may face.

"Bruce Caulkins, Cyber Florida's Cyber Range Director, stated that while there were some viable options ten years ago, the current options are far superior. This helps users comprehend their systems and networks better and enables them to react appropriately."

Cyberdefense workforce shortages have been experienced by both state and federal governments, as well as the public and private sectors, when it comes to recruiting talent.

"The challenge is getting people into STEM programs, which are often thought of as having a lot of openings," Kelly said. "We worked on this bipartisan with the Chips and Science Act. We need to do more of that specifically for cyber and also in Arizona."

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2024 includes a plan to create a civilian cybersecurity reserve to aid agencies in responding to cyberattacks.

Waltz stated that a civilian cybersecurity core has been established in the last defense bill, which will serve as a bridge between the civilian tech world and the military national security and Homeland Security worlds, bringing them together.

Defending against adversaries like China requires increasing partnerships with the private sector, Waltz stated.

"Waltz stated that we cannot achieve a flawless defense, as our objective is to hit 1,000 and prevent any penetration. He believes that for China, a mutually-assured-destruction approach should be adopted, similar to the one used with nuclear weapons in the past, where we can destroy their economy and critical infrastructure if they attempt to harm ours."