NICE Success Story: Cloud Range

Organizational Profile

The Cloud Range cyber range-as-a-service platform measurably decreases cybersecurity exposure and overcomes the cyber skills gap by proactively preparing cybersecurity operations and incident response teams to defend against complex attacks through a customized simulation-based cyber attack training program. The full-service cyber simulation training and assessment platform focuses on the human element of cybersecurity with hundreds of scenarios and labs that measurably improve technical proficiencies, soft skills, and team cohesiveness and give users hands-on, practical experience. 

Cloud Range’s safe, controlled, and immersive attack simulation platform enables security leaders to improve their organization’s cyber readiness, test processes and playbooks, measure and track capabilities, and cultivate an experienced, skilled, aligned, and confident security team.

Tie-In with the NICE Framework

Every Cloud Range live-fire simulation team-based exercise, skill development lab, and assessment is directly mapped to the 2017 NICE Framework Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) statements to evaluate progress, proficiency, gaps, career paths, effectiveness, and risks. This alignment makes it easier for Cloud Range to communicate the specific skills and competencies our training imparts.

The mapping has been custom-built into the database of Cloud Range’s platform, so it includes the KSAs of every NICE Framework Work Role. 

With that foundation, Cloud Range custom-built a way to pinpoint the specific training and development needed for each role. Customized learning plans have been created, based on the Work Roles and KSAs, to help individuals and cybersecurity teams develop specialized skills, knowledge, and capabilities relevant to their desired career trajectory and organizational goals. For example, someone on our platform who has the learning path of a Cyber Defense Incident Responder can see those KSAs and the courses and exercises that align.

Drivers

Cloud Range chose to align with the NICE Framework because its standardized content serves as a great starting point for objectively measuring the performance of teams and individuals as they participate in simulation exercises, self-paced labs, and assessments on our cyber ranges. More importantly, it helps create learning plans that align with career goals and recommend next steps. It also enables Cloud Range to generate metrics to measure a person's competencies.

Process

1. Cloud Range has a team of subject matter experts (SMEs) who are familiar with the NICE Framework Work Roles and structure. 
2. SMEs analyzed every instructor-led, live-fire attack simulation; self-directed skill development lab simulation; and assessment in our catalog, mapping each one down to the KSA level. 
3. The NICE Framework is built into the design of Cloud Range’s Performance Portal (LMS). The courses are mapped with a many-to-many relationship of the KSAs that are covered in each course.
4. Every Cloud Range user is mapped to one (or potentially more than one) of the 52 NICE Framework Work Roles based on their position. Cloud Range’s platform allows the Work Roles to be customized as needed for each organization.
5. Cloud Range’s Performance Portal enables individuals and security leaders to track KSA completion by Work Role and learning plan. 
6. Going forward, Cloud Range maps every cyber attack simulation, lab, and assessment that it creates to the NICE Framework.

Benefits and Impacts

The NICE Framework, when combined with Cloud Range’s Performance Portal LMS, helps employers and security leaders clearly define and customize job roles and better understand the existing and needed competencies of their team.

• Consistency across Cloud Range products – By aligning Cloud Range’s FlexRange live-fire, team-based cyber attack scenarios, ~1,500 self-directed FlexLabs, FastTrak Candidate Assessments, and RightTrak Cyber Aptitude Assessments to the NICE Framework, customers have a holistic suite of solutions to gain the critical skills and experience needed to take on today’s complex threat landscape. 
• Improved cyber readiness – With Cloud Range’s Performance Portal mapped to the NICE Framework, security leaders can easily gauge the skills and competencies of their people in order to close vulnerabilities and create a strong cyber defense team. 
• Actionable metrics & results – Cloud Range uses the NICE Framework KSAs to help track individual and team performance and highlight technical proficiencies. 
• A plan to bridge gaps – With all scenarios mapped to industry-standard frameworks, like the NICE Framework, security leaders can discover what skills, techniques, tactics, and procedures to focus on, see where additional training is needed, and track progress.
• Certainty in hiring and accelerated time to value – Hiring managers and security leaders can assess knowledge, skills, and real-world experience aligned to NICE Framework Work Roles and generate tailored career development plans for each person.
• Customized learning plans – Customized learning plans are generated in the Performance Portal based on each person’s Work Role. Simulation exercises and labs are recommended based on KSAs to be completed. That ensures every cyber practitioner is regularly growing in their field and advancing in their careers.