Project Ares Enterprise

Overview

Circadence;s Project Ares is an award-winning, gamified cyber security learning platform that helps novice and seasoned cyber professionals keep skills sharp against evolving cyber threats. The simulation platform uniquely combines machine learning, single- and multiplayer exercises, and offensive and defensive missions that mirror real-life threat scenarios.

Project Ares Enterprise includes access to Media Center, Mini-Games, and Battle Rooms and Mission Scenarios. Customer users are deployed in an organizational separation within the cloud to allow for team chat, leader board, trainer view and reporting.

Anytime, anywhere training access allows for practice of real-world situations in a 24/7, online, safe environment.

Game-based learning keeps users engaged and excited about continuous training, helping them see the true value of their capabilities. Hands-on training and active-learning models increase retention rates by 75 percent, so users can prepare for real-world threats.

Library of scenarios provides levels of experiential depth that helps users thrive in varied situations, so professionals can feel confident in managing and resolving any critical issue.

Skill-specific virtual settings help perfect skill strengths and toughen weaknesses so you can be prepared to strategically resolve any situation that comes your way. Comprehensive ecosystem feeds threat data to improve training so relevant skills are honed to perfection.

Prerequisites

Project Ares is ideal for any organisation looking to level-up their cybersecurity training for leadership and teams alike. Keep current with preventative measures so you can take an active role in advancing the maturity of the cybersecurity profession and be better prepared to defender your organisation.

Players can track and print a certificate of completion and submit CPE credits for (ISC)2 , ISACA and CompTIA through the platform or submit a request for completion at circadence.com.

Objectives

Skill and tool training:

• Constantly-evolving training scenario library provides offensive and defensive scenarios at varying levels of difficulty
• Media centre provides 100+ hours of learning material in a curated collection of documents, videos, and web resources for all things cyber
• Learning games provide specific skill practice (work role certifications, matching ports and protocols, regular expressions, and more)

Team training:

• Trainer View for team or class performance assessment to manage cross-team skill gaps and build ROI
• Chat service lets players learn together and build community; discuss cyber issues, in-game challenges, and leader board stats
• Player performance is recorded and awarded by a showcase of skills, trophies, and badges of accomplishment

Cyber-range-as-a-service technology:

• Scale cyber training to meet specific readiness requirements and regulations
• Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure makes training accessible and secure
• Each scenario spins up an individual cyber ranges

Automated features support skills adoption:

• In-game advisor ;Athena; guides players through scenario challenges
• Automated adversary responds to players for added challenge
• Automated scoring of player and opponent actions with replay for objective assessment

Player actions culminate to inform models on best tactics for scenarios

Outline

The Project ARES Enterprise includes Cyber Skills Assessments, Battle Rooms and Missions.
Cyber Skills Assessments

Scenarios designed to help assess skill levels. They are played individually and have no specified learning objectives and there are no hints or help. Players enter into an environment and must use the skills they have to complete the stated activity, finding integrated ;flags; along the way.
Battle Rooms

Scenarios designed to help instructors train and assess skills of their learners on a set of fundamental tasks specific to a topic. Foundational building blocks that all cyber security professionals must be proficient to participate in modern day offensive and defensive operations. Played individually and allow instructors the choice to enable or disable hints to tailor the learning experience. Users enter the environment and are provided a simple network environment, instructions and a list of tasks to complete.

The Ares Battle Rooms are;

Project Ares Battle Room 1 - Systems Integrator

Project Ares Battle Room 2 - Network Analysis

Project Ares Battle Room 5 - Intelligence Analyst

Project Ares Battle Room 6 - Linux Basics

Project Ares Battle Room 8 - Traffic Analysis

Project Ares Battle Room 9 - Forensics

Project Ares Battle Room 10 - Scripting

Project Ares Battle Room 11 - System Analysis

Project Ares Battle Room 21 - PowerShell Fundamentals
Missions

Scenarios designed to help players and instructors train and assess skill levels of their learners within a realistic story that is either offensive or defensive (i.e. ransomware attack on a hospital). The network environment is more complex than a Battle Room scenario and requires the learner(s) to combine multiple skill sets to complete the learning objectives. Played individually, or instructors can allow teams to learn together. Instructors can choose to enable or disable hints and enter the scenario to tailor the learning experience. Users enter an environment and are given mission orders, rules of engagement and must use their skills to compete objectives.

The Ares Offensive Missions are:

Project Ares Mission 1 - Disable Botnet (Operation Goatherd)

Project Ares Mission 2 - Stop Terrorist Financing (Operation Bear Treat)

Project Ares Mission 3 - Intercept Attack Plans (Operation Desert Whale)

Project Ares Mission 9 - Attack ICS/SCADA System (Operation Waterfall)

The Ares Defensive Missions are:

Project Ares Mission 4 - Stop Malicious Process (Operation Arctic Cobra)

Project Ares Mission 5 - Protect Financial Institution (Operation Wounded Bear)

Project Ares Mission 6 - Respond to Phishing and Exfil (Operation Angry Tiger)

Project Ares Mission 8 - Defend ICS/SCADA System (Operation Water Flash)

Project Ares Mission 10 - Stop Ransomware Attack (Operation Crimson Wolf)

Project Ares Mission 12 - Defend Against Web Attack (Operation Bold Hermit)

Project Ares Mission 13 - Power Grid Incident Response (Operation Black Dragon)