Cyber-security training center opens in Maryland

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Baltimore Cyber Range LLC and Elbit subsidiary Cyberbit Ltd., have opened a cyber-security training and simulation center in Maryland.

The center is powered by the Cyberbit Range Platform and provides simulation training in protecting national assets and infrastructure.

"I am very pleased to celebrate the opening of Baltimore Cyber Range," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a news release. "With our skilled workforce, world-class academic community, and proximity to the federal government, Maryland has truly become the cyber capital of the world.

"This state-of-art center will help ensure that even more Marylanders are fully trained and prepared to meet the demands of 21st century jobs," Hogan added.

Israel's Elbit Ltd, in announcing the opening of the center, referenced U.S. labor statistics that highlight a critical shortage of capable IT and cybersecurity professionals in the country -- 200,000 unfilled cyber-security jobs, a number that will increase to 1.5 million by 2019.

The Baltimore Cyber Center will help provide the cyber-security skills needed for employment in the sector, the company said.

The facility allows cyber-security practitioners the opportunity to experience the latest real-world cyber threats in a controlled and sequestered environment to improve their hands-on skills. It can simulate large-scale virtual networks and attacks based on real-world incidents, pinpoint system vulnerabilities and help users develop counter-measures.