ManTech a New Competitor in 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program (Videos)

ManTech’s ACRE is a unique physical and virtualized cyber range that brings best-in-class cyber defense expertise to a new generation of professionals.
ManTech’s ACRE is a unique physical and virtualized cyber range that brings best-in-class cyber defense expertise to a new generation of professionals.

Protecting against cyberattacks is an inside job.

Organizations can readily test their own network security posture and defenses while training their security teams quickly and affordably with the ACRE™ Cyber Range, a New Competitor in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

ManTech’s ACRE is a unique physical and virtualized cyber range that brings best-in-class cyber defense expertise to a new generation of professionals.

Using highly realistic network models – military grade cyber training, testing and evaluation capabilities are within reach using a cloud-based range.

Information Technology personnel can experience “live fire” cyberattacks using real malware in the safety of their own network environment to train in the latest defensive cyber technologies.

Existing system and network infrastructures can be replicated on ACRE, and then activated with realistic collaborative solutions for traffic, users, and malware including compliance and log retention, security information and event management, security operations center supplementation or replacement, risk reduction, insider threat, information assurance, cyber range customization and hands-on cyber training.

(Brig. Gen. Andrew Twomey, US Army Ret., senior vice president and general manager at ManTech International Corporation’s C4ILOG-SE Business Unit, discusses how the company uses its “cyber range” to train individuals and groups, why military and commercial skillsets are needed to strengthen system security, and more during an interview at the Association of the United States Army’s 2017 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington. Courtesy of the Defense & Aerospace Report and YouTube. Posted on Oct 11, 2017.)

Scale to Replicate Your Network Network size is no obstacle.

At one end of the scale, ManTech has run exercises on small isolated networks such as naval vessels and military installations.

Moving upstream, they have executed global exercises against a replica of the Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN) with more than 800 participants.

Once the network model is built, it can replicate the systems, structures, and behavioral simulation needed in seconds, to cost-effectively train teams and classrooms of cyber defenders.

Currently in use by the U.S. Department of Defense and Financial Sector Sharing and Analysis Council (FS-ISAC) established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), organizations are persistently testing and evaluating the security of their networks to train users to evolve on pace with emerging technologies while protecting their networks and infrastructure against damage that could occur from new malware, unforeseen threats to platforms and evolving threats from the Internet of Things (IoT).

Put Your People to the Test

“When our clients are in the range, they should feel like they’re under attack,” says Dave Ferguson, ManTech’s Cyber Solutions Vice President and Technical Director.

“They put their skills to the test against real malware such as WannaCry to learn how they would respond in their own environment.”

“Our goal is to make the simulation as real as possible in order to improve the overall effectiveness of the security team, their processes, and their tools. We want it to feel like a really bad day in the office while also stretching the limits of their knowledge and abilities.”

End-to-End Cyber Training

By quickly and accurately delivering a network environment matching any targeted level of fidelity, our range creates unlimited potential to improve your organization’s security posture.

Training from ManTech’s Advanced Cyber Range Environment will provide the confidence that your cyber defense skills are truly end-to-end.

Among its many uses:

Product Evaluation:

  • Conduct comparative evaluations of new tools.

  • You can bring your own licenses or use the hundreds of evaluation copies already available within the Range to conduct a wide variety of testing.

  • Depending on the level of fidelity in the simulated network environment, organizations can rapidly validate and verify new capabilities that support high-value security accreditation requirements before they are deployed on an operational network.

  • This minimizes potential vulnerabilities and risks.

Security Architecture Testing:

  • Conduct “what-if?” analysis of proposed security architectural changes in a simulated network environment ahead of live implementation.

  • This allows you to evaluate overall effects of a “defense-in-depth” approach to securing the network.

  • Testing ensures that multiple layers of security are in place, are configured properly, can be monitored and administered, and provide a level of redundancy that collectively increases overall IT dependability.

Individual and Collective Training:

  • Train and evaluate your cyber personnel on individual tools, techniques, and processes.

  • Use the range to develop and refine day-to-day activities as well as incident response processes in a hands-on lab environment.

  • Leverage the hundreds of online training courses available through our web based Learning Management System to work toward information assurance certifications, such as CISSP.

  • Develop and deliver customized courses for your organization.

Exercises:

  • Depending on the exercise parameters, you can put your cybersecurity teams to the test in a simulated generic environment (low fidelity) or a near replication of your operational network (high fidelity), then evaluate how your information security teams respond to one or both types of attack simultaneously.

In-Depth Analysis:

  • Leverage ManTech’s big data platform to analyze your operational network, defensive tools and staff.

  • Use what you learn to develop and implement a roadmap and let your overall, integrated cybersecurity effectiveness evolve through continuous monitoring.

ManTech Wins $322M Multi-Award in Support of U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence Activity

ManTech recently announced the company has been awarded a five-year $322 million task order to support the U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA), under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center’s Multiple-Award Contract (DoD IAC MAC).

ManTech will develop technical recommendations on application of IT, process and policy improvements, systems integration and cyber operations, and provide analytics of geospatial intelligence for the U.S. Marine Corps, Expeditionary Operating Forces and the Intelligence Community.

This award directly supports the DoD IAC mission by advancing science and technical information (STI) to inform and prepare decision-makers and warfighters for mission success.

DoD IAC MAC task orders are awarded by the U.S. Air Force Installation Contracting Center (AFICC).

Matt Tait, President of ManTech Mission Solutions & Services (MSS) Group
Matt Tait, President of ManTech Mission Solutions & Services (MSS) Group

“In today’s hybrid warfare environment, marked by the merger of conventional, irregular and cyber tactics, sophisticated intelligence capabilities are more critical than ever to safeguarding national security,” said Matt Tait, President of ManTech’s Mission Solutions and Services (MSS) Group.

“By Bringing Digital to the MissionTM, we will help ensure that action at the tactical edge is driven by focused intelligence in sync with strategic objectives.”

The DoD IAC program operates as a part of Defense Technical Information Center and provides technical data management and research support for DoD and federal government users.

Established in 1946, the IAC program serves the DoD science & technology (S&T) and acquisition communities to drive innovation and technological developments by enhancing collaboration through integrated scientific and technical information development and dissemination for the DoD and broader S&T community.

To further validate ACRE’s effectiveness, the FS-ISAC comprised of financial sector organizations such as banks and insurance companies, selected ManTech’s ACRE solution after reviewing 30 different vendor offerings.

It is now being widely used across the financial sector for cyber training of IT personnel.

ManTech provides mission-focused technology solutions and services for U.S. defense, intelligence community and federal civilian agencies.

In business more than 50 years, we excel in full-spectrum cyber, data collection & analytics, enterprise IT, systems engineering and software application development solutions that support national and homeland security.

Additional information on ManTech can be found at www.mantech.com.

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