The uOttawa-IBM Cyber Range, the first of its kind in Canada, is globally unique in its structure and will operate in partnership with IBM’s global Security Cyber Range Team. Visitors will enjoy a full, sensory-immersive and interactive training setting in which to experience true-to-life cyber response scenarios in a full-scale security operations center (SOC) based on a fusion team model.

Thanks to its further focus on collaborative research and security innovation, the Cyber Range will pair IBM’s expertise in data analytics, deep learning, software, and systems with uOttawa’s research, training, and teaching strengths in disciplines that underpin cybersecurity and cyber safety.

The University of Ottawa is committed to forging relationships with organizations and to building the next generation of cybersecurity professionals from its students and researchers.

The Cyber Range seeks to address the growing skills gap in cybersecurity and cyber safety. Cybersecurity affects every organization, and the need for certified skilled workers continues to grow. The IBM-uOttawa Cyber Range provides students and professionals with a space to learn, develop, and address these gaps in their experiences thanks to lessons learned through simulations with real data that can be applied in real life.

The Cyber Range has been developed to provide diverse organizations with greater access to state-of-the-art technology in order to build cybersecurity resilience across Canada. Through immersive learning and practice, students and professionals will learn how to better protect themselves against cyber attacks.

The Cyber Range is equipped with cutting-edge technology and assets for cybersecurity testing, planning, and training, including:

• 30 stations equipped with iMacs where training and simulations take place
• Latest IBM security software and services, like IBM's Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) QRadar, IBM Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR), IBM Security® QRadar® SOAR (formerly Resilient®) and IBM Guardium®
• RHEA Group’s Cyber Integration, Test and Evaluation Framework (CITEF™) for technical simulations
• A diverse scenario library that can be accessed online and in person
• Technologies that allow for the creation of an exact clone of your organization’s network and operational technology assets.

The activities conducted in the Cyber Range allow us to use real-world data in our research in close collaboration with our industry partners, ensuring that the innovations and solutions produced by our research teams at the Cyber Range have a direct impact on industry. For example, we are developing and testing new AI models to detect cyber attacks or abnormal network activities, to automatically detect malware and vulnerable code, and to identify ongoing cyber attacks as they occur.