Inside the FBI’s Secret Replica Town for Cyber Warfare

Opened in February 2025, the facility functions as a closed-loop ecosystem. It houses fully furnished residential and commercial spaces wired with the same consumer and enterprise technology found in any American city. By simulating ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure—such as power grids or healthcare systems—the FBI forces investigators to navigate the high-pressure triage required when digital breaches manifest as real-world danger.

The range also features a data center packed with over 200 physical servers. Program manager Dave Beachboard describes the space as a gritty, cramped environment designed to mirror the harsh reality of responding to a live breach. Beyond incident response, the site serves as a testing ground for controversial digital forensics tools. These systems exploit undisclosed vulnerabilities in devices like those from Apple or Google, allowing agents to bypass encryption to extract evidence for criminal investigations.

Since its inception, the Kinetic Cyber Range has processed more than 1,400 students, ranging from federal agents to local law enforcement partners. The training aims to bridge the gap between classroom theory and the chaotic, noisy reality of modern cybercrime, providing a secure sandbox where simulated exploits remain contained while providing the most realistic training scenarios currently available to U.S. authorities.