A Technical History of the SEI

training and job duties without one interfering with the other. Travel to classroom training is eliminated,
and productivity is maintained. They gain essential cyber training that the SEI keeps current
with the rapidly changing state of cybersecurity. Distributed teams using STEPfwd gain
hands-on experience with the latest security threats and technology, and practice their skills
against real-world scenarios. They work in an isolated environment that mimics their operational
network and eliminates the setup and configuration time associated with hosting an exercise. The
experience they gain through routine practice is a decisive factor in how effectively they respond
in emergency situations and, for the DoD, combat operations. Effective and up-to-date cyber
training prepares the cyber workforce to safeguard U.S. national security.
The SEI Contribution
The SEI shifted the paradigm away from the traditional classroom-based training models. VTE,
XNET, and STEPfwd have been next-generation content delivery platforms with no equivalent in
the private sector. The technology’s flexibility enables the SEI to cost-effectively keep the content
current with constantly changing attack techniques, industry trends, practices, and technologies.
The SEI is filling technology and methodology gaps to empower the DoD and government agencies
to train and maintain the most capable and mission-ready cyber workforce in the world. More
than 80,000 service members and civilians used VTE to meet the compliance requirements defined
in the Department’s 8570.1 Information Assurance Workforce Development program [SEI
2008]. VTE is also the primary training and certification mechanism for the DoD’s Host Based
Security System (HBSS) initiative. In 2012, VTE was transitioned to, and is now operated by, the
federal government as part of its FedVTE program (https://www.fedvte-fsi.gov/).
XNET was used by several DoD organizations. Notably, it was the primary training platform/game
space for U.S. Cyber Command’s (CYBERCOM) Cyber Flag joint military cyber exercise
and the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s (OSD) International Cyber Defense Workshop.
In the fall of 2013, STEPfwd was used for CYBERCOM’s joint military showcase event, Cyber
Flag 14-1. The SEI will continue to investigate new approaches to continuous operational training
and evaluation that make knowledge, skills, cyber experience-building, and measurement globally
accessible in highly collaborative, web-centric learning environments.
References
[CERT 2013] Cyber Workforce Development. CERT Program, Software Engineering Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University, 2013.
[Gjelten 2010] Gjelten, Tom. “Cyberwarrior Shortage Threatens U.S. Security.” National Public
Radio (NPR), July 19, 2010. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128574055
[Hammerstein 2010] Hammerstein, Josh & May, Christopher. The CERT Approach to Cybersecurity
Workforce Development (CMU/SEI-2010-TR-045). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie
Mellon University, 2010. http://resources.sei.cmu.edu/library/asset-view.cfm?AssetID=9697
[Johnson 2011] Johnson, Col. Rivers. “U.S. Cyber Command Conducts Tactical Cyber Exercise.”
Soundoff! December 10, 2011. http://www.ftmeadesoundoff.com/news/9475/us-cyber-commandconducts-tactical-cyber-exercise/
CMU/SEI-2016-SR-027 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE | CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY 94
Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited