The document discusses the Arizona Cyber Warfare Range (AZCWR), a privately owned cybersecurity training facility. It describes AZCWR as offering a novel approach of allowing trainees to conduct offensive "live hacking" activities over public networks in a controlled environment. This hands-on experience has helped many trainees transition into cybersecurity careers. The AZCWR has grown rapidly since starting in 2014 and now includes a larger dedicated facility. It emphasizes an open, flexible model with mentoring to help address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals across many skill levels.

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Rich Larkins
AZCWR Network Architect
The Arizona Cyber Warfare Range
Learning by Destruction
SECURITY & COMPLIANCE
CONFERENCE 2016

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What is the AZCWR?
• New Paradigm for Government/Private Sector Cooperation on
Offensive Cyber Attack and Computer Network Defense Training &
Research
• Donation Funded, Privately Owned (Largest in the country)
• Volunteer Management and Operations Team
• “No-Holds-Barred” 24x7 Remotely Accessible

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The Vision -- Win at Cyber Warfare
We (the U.S.) are losing the war on Cyber. Worldwide.
The AZCWR mission is to grow the population of qualified Cyber
Professionals through self-paced training, organic mentoring, and
real-world experience using live hardware.
Learn how to do bad things in a controlled environment
…so you can protect the good things.

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Why Are We Doing This? (We are unbalanced and committed)
• Millions of Cyber positions – Not enough talent available.
• Founding members agreed that the best way to fix the problem was to
create a “live-fire” environment that people could learn to be as bad as
the baddest out there.
• Game Over? … FBI and DHS didn’t take well to the idea of “live
hacking” over public infrastructure.
• It took over 5 years of negotiations. (remember: unbalanced AND committed)
• More problems…
• No tax-deductable path for equipment donation.
• No funding partner for space, power and HVAC.

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The “Origin Story” – It All Comes Together
• Agreements signed early in 2014
with Federal and State Agencies.
• First rack on-net July 2014 in
“Ray’s Garage*”
• Partnerships Made the Difference:
• Phoenix ISSA Chapter (501.c.6)
• AZLabs (Alion Sciences)
• Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance
(Infragard)

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4 Months Later… (Dec 2014) blowing circuits* and over loading HVAC
The response was a bit overwhelming…
*Yes… there was a small fire in a PDU

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6 Months… More Donations
AZLabs was finally convinced that we were “for real”.

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AZCWR 2.0, March 2015 – Less than 1 year from kickoff.

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AZCWR 3.0… Q2 - 2017
3X Raised
Floor Space
Classroom-Presentation
Space for 60+
MORE Power!
MORE Cooling!

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AZCWR 3.0… Q2 - 2017

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AZCWR 3.0… Q2 - 2017

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The Secret Sauce
• Open Environment For any Skill Level
• We Fully Encourage Pwnage
• Open-Source, Virtual Platforms Recycle to Known Good
• No Simulators
• 100% Non-Profit, 501.c.3
• As an “educational” entity, we hold to the agreements in place that allow
for live hacking over public networking Infrastructure.
• Allows for Red/Blue team exercises with Cyber agencies.
• Allows us to be quicker than any Government funded project.
• Allows us to bring in commercial hardware (by donation) and tear it up.

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Flexibility
• Different skill levels of hacking targets (ranges) that are tailored to the
needs of the users.
• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Jedi
• Custom ranges can be deployed for special events.
• 24x7 Remote Access by SMS Sign-in
(subject to availability – remember we are volunteers)

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Organic Mentoring

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It Is Working
• Over 30 people that have volunteered over the course of 2014 and
2015 have either started new careers in Cyber Security or have
elevated their careers with new and lucrative positions.
• Former Massage Therapist… now Security Analyst SOC/NOC
• Unemployed Recent Tech School Grad… now Firewall SOC Admin
• 16-year Old High School Student… giving Tech Talks at Security
Conferences

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Why Are We Doing This? - We Are Making a Difference
• Former Costco® Cashier… now Lead Security Admin for Major
Education Provider
• “That doesn’t look right…”
• “Highly Paid Experts” Called it a False Positive
• Pseudo-Darkleech Malware
• One of the First Captures in the Wild
• Very Complex, Very Nasty, Extensive iFrame Obfuscation in Code
• Able to Deconstruct and Publish
• National Alert published through ACTRA/Infragard in Summer 2016.

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Community Involvement = Results
• ISSA Phoenix Chapter – International Chapter of the
Year 2015
• Directly related to AZCWR involvement.
• Arizona Statewide Cyber Workforce Consortium
• Received NIST grant of nearly $200K for Regional
Alliances and Multi-stakeholder Partnerships to
Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and
Workforce Development. [Sept 2016].
• Mobile Oppression Machine (Mobile AZCWR) on-
site at several community events.
• We have it here -- 09:00 Session

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How to Get Involved
http://azcwr.org
Home page for AZCWR.
https://plus.google.com/communities

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Hack Responsibly (i.e. Don’t Go to Jail)
• DHS has recognized our collaborative partner, the Arizona Cyber
Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA) as the premier model for an
Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO)
[Pursuant to Executive Order 13691 Feb. 2015]
• DHS has recognized AZCWR as a leading Cyber Warfare Training
facility.

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Final Thoughts
• We are losing the war on Cyber. Get moving.
• Real Hardware = Real Experience = Real Jobs.
• Practice Organic Mentoring.
• “That doesn’t look right…”
• Make a Difference.
Adopt a Dog. Or Two…

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Thank you!
SECURITY & COMPLIANCE
CONFERENCE 2016