Raimondo, Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency Announce Official Launch of The Rhode Island Cyber Range Initiative

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Governor Gina M. Raimondo and the Rhode Island Emergency Management
Agency (RIEMA), in partnership with the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI),
the Rhode Island State Police (RISP), the Rhode Island National Guard (RING), and
the Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance (SENEDIA), will officially
launch the Rhode Island Cyber Range Initiative on Friday.

The Cyber Range will provide a unique, hands-on testing environment and educational
setting with a virtual platform for cyber security modeling, simulation, and job
training for future cyber professionals. Participants will be able to recreate
their network in a controlled environment and test, evaluate and validate their
cybersecurity capabilities and review advanced analytics of networks that may be
subject to countless simulated cyber-attacks. Friday’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
will be the official launch of the Rhode Island Cyber Range Initiative and will
showcase the cybersecurity resources Rhode Island possesses and has the ability
to offer to academia and industry professionals.

«Now more than ever, we depend on technology for nearly every part of our lives
– and that makes us vulnerable to cyberattacks that could disrupt critical services
and operations, in state government and in the private sector,» said Governor Gina
M. Raimondo. «My focus is taking these challenges and turning them into opportunities
for Rhode Island – and that’s exactly what we’re doing with the launch of this Cyber
Range. We’re training our workforce to make Rhode Island more secure and resilient
against possible threats, and we’re seizing the opportunity to create new jobs in
this growing field. I want to thank the State Agencies, the Congressional Delegation,
and the private sector for coming together to make this a reality.»

«There is no better way to conclude Cybersecurity Awareness Month than with the
opening of the Rhode Island Cyber Range,» said Peter T. Gaynor, Director of RIEMA.
«The Rhode Island Cyber Range promotes a unique, hands-on testing environment in
which virtual elements are subjected to countless simulated cyber-attacks that
participants train and exercise upon to advance their cybersecurity capabilities.
This is a valuable asset, not only to develop a more prepared professional
cybersecurity
workforce, but to train and educate the entire community about how to better prepare
for and respond to cyber threats.»