Boosting Montana鈥檚 Defensive Posture Through Practice
The Montana CyberRange
The Montana CyberRange provides three core resources for cybersecurity training:
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Cyber Gymnasium – Located at Missoula College, the Cyber Gymnasium is a local resource designed to facilitate cyber competitions.
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Practice Labs – Allows educators and students to train in immersive lab environments, tackle real-world challenges, and sharpen your skills through statewide competitions. The Cyber Range gives learners the tools and experience to defend against today’s cyber threats.
For information, please contact: Victor Valgenti - Program Director - Competitions and Challenges- Test your skills in fast-paced, high-energy competitions that mirror real-world cyberattacks. These challenges let learners practice teamwork, problem-solving, and defense strategies in a competitive environment.
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Action Research: Incident Response Labs – Collaborate with experts, faculty, and peers in applied research that bridges theory and practice, from protecting local networks to specialized projects and team-based breach response simulations.
- Security Operations Center (SOC) - In partnership with the Public Infrastructure Security Cyber Education System (PISCES), the SOC trains future Security Analysts while protecting Montana’s rural communities through real-time network traffic monitoring. Students gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools, preparing them to defend local and national cybersecurity infrastructure.
Tabletop Exercises (TTX)
Tabletop exercises give organizations the opportunity to test and refine their response plans in a safe, discussion-based environment. Participants work through hypothetical cyber or physical threat scenarios to identify gaps, clarify responsibilities, and strengthen coordination. These exercises are tailored to the and provide a practical way for Montana organizations to prepare for real-world challenges, improve communication, and build resilience.
Rural Cybersecurity Policy Institute
The Center will be the administrative home of the new Rural Cybersecurity Policy Institute, an interdisciplinary entity that will consider cybersecurity challenges and opportunities through the lenses of technology, public policy, and law. The Institute will partner with public institutions in the creation of cybersecurity policy and will develop practice exercises to ensure policy effectiveness. The Institute will assist public institutions in constructing and testing cybersecurity defensive plans through tabletop exercises and simulation environments (such as the Montana Cyber Range). The planning, policy guidance, and practice supported by the Institute will strengthen the defensive cyber posture for partner institutions.
The Institute will also serve the State by unifying disconnected public entities including the Montana University System, the National Guard, State government, and local governments creating a comprehensive cybersecurity defensive strategy for protecting Montana’s citizens and digital assets. It will provide nonpartisan procedures and best practices to further the State’s election security preparedness.