Advanced cyber-security simulation platform for preparedness training in Aviation, Naval and Power-grid environments

Project Information

FORESIGHT

Grant agreement ID: 833673

DOI

10.3030/833673

Project closed

EC signature date 29 April 2019

Start date 1 October 2019

End date 31 March 2023

Funded under

• Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens

Total cost

€ 7 292 435,00

EU contribution

€ 5 997 018,50

Coordinated by

KENTRO MELETON ASFALEIAS
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FORESIGHT (Advanced cyber-security simulation platform for preparedness training in Aviation, Naval and Power-grid environments)

Reporting period: 2021-04-01 to 2023-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The FORESIGHT consortium developed a federated cyber-range solution to enhance the preparedness of cybersecurity professionals working in the Aviation, Power Grid and Naval domains. The FORESIGHT partners initially developed a generic training curriculum to support trainees to prevent, detect, react, and mitigate cyber-attacks. After the development of the generic training modules, a more focused training developed taking into consideration the cyber security threats encountered in these domains. The developed training platform was a federated ecosystem that provided access to three interconnected cyber-ranges and six training environments.
The FORESIGHT solution extended the capabilities of commercially available cyber-ranges and offered access to an interconnected training environment which enabled the creation of complex cross-domain (Aviation, Power Grid and Naval) hybrid scenarios. The developed solution enabled complex cross-domain (i.e. hybrid) scenarios exercises. These scenarios were based on identified and forecasted trends and needs in terms of cyber-attacks and vulnerabilities (along with their cascading effects), based on cyber-threat intelligence that is gathered from various online sources to enable cyber-security professionals to rapidly adapt to an evolving threat landscape. Cyber security professionals were trained to respond to complex cyber-attacks targeting several interdependent critical infrastructure domains.
The developed training exercises considered the results of risk analysis that was enhanced with econometric parameters, to allow trainees to estimate the impact of cyber-attacks and assist them to select the most appropriate security measures to respond and recover from a variety of cyber-attacks. These activities were utilised to create domain focused certification programs. All developed training was supported in the federated environment allowing trainees to assess their knowledge, respond to simple and complex challenges, while experienced trainers provided coaching to trainees.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During its 42 months of project implementation of the FORESIGHT project developed:
1. Econometic modules that provide
1a. Threat Forecasting
1b. Economic Impact estimates
2. Cybersecurity risk assessments targeted to the three domains (Aviation, Power Grid and Naval)
3. Description of CR environments and training use cases
4. Gamification and Cyber Security Visualisation modules that allows users to be engaged in the training process
5a. Components that efficiently evaluate the trainees,
5b. Training Evaluation module, and a
5c. Dynamic Scenario Creation module
6a. Information Gathering and
6b. Information Sharing modules that aggregate and share data from several sources of interest, both internal to the organisation and external (online)
7. Cyber-team collaborative tools that offer users the ability to interact with each other through a communication and a collaboration hub
8. Integration infrastructure that hosted all developed components and the
8a. developed e-lerarning training modules (34 for Generic parh)
8b. Focus Naval training modules (e-lerning material, CR exercises, virtual exercises) made of 7 Modules
8c. Focus Aviation training modules (e-lerning material, CR exercises, virtual exercises) made of 7 Modules
8d. Focus Power Grid training modules (e-lerning material, CR exercises, virtual exercises) made of 12 Modules
9. Federated User Interface, providing the interface to the FORESIGHT end users to interact with the platform
10. The Federated Platform Controllers  interconnecting the CRs in a federated manner
11. Participation on numerous dissemination activities
12. Development of 6 Technical Environments (TE) (low TRL training labs)

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

At the end of the project (M42), FORESIGHT delivered a platform fully equipped with networked realistic training and simulation environments for three domains, Aviation Power Grid and Naval. The FORESIGHT platform extended the capabilities of the 3 Cyber Ranges (CR) allowing the creation of cross-domain scenarios. Additionally, FORESIGHT developed, and tested:

1. Innovative Curricula Framework for training and evaluation
1a. Generic Path
1b. Aviation focus training
1c. Power grid focus training
1d. Naval focus Training
2. E-learning Platform
3. Threat Forecasting framework
4. Economic Impact modules
5. Advanced visualisation tool to explore information during simulation and training
6. Advanced, evidence-based scoring methods
7. Secure information sharing of cyber-security intelligence and incidents
8. Multi-domain training scenarios based on new knowledge on vulnerabilities
9. Efficient collaboration between cyber team members during training exercises
10. Federated Platform Controllers
11. Federated User Interface
12. Pilots for the three domains and pilot for the hybrid scenarios
13. Large-scale Cyber training federated environment (comprised of3 CRs and 6 Training Environments (TE)

FORESIGHT Concept