ACTING: A Platform for Cyber Ranges Federation

2026-05-12

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenges of poor interoperability among cross-domain distributed cyber ranges and insufficient automation in evaluation within cyber defense training. To overcome these limitations, the authors propose the ACTING platform, which introduces the Exercise Description Language – First Generation (EDL-FG), a novel scenario description language enabling joint deployment and coordinated exercises across multiple ranges. Built upon a federated architecture, ACTING integrates a unified performance assessment framework with automated data collection mechanisms, facilitating structured definition of training scenarios, cross-domain automated orchestration, and quantitative scoring. This work significantly enhances the interoperability, scalability, and operational realism of cyber attack–defense exercises, thereby providing an effective foundation for multi-domain collaborative training in civil-military integration contexts.

Abstract

Cyber Defence (CD) training requires interoperable cyber-range environments capable of supporting complex, multidomain exercises across distributed infrastructures. This paper presents three main contributions addressing this challenge. First, we introduce the Exercise Description Language - First Generation (EDL-FG), a structured language for formally describing cyber-range training services and exercises. EDL-FG captures both the technical infrastructure required to emulate ICT/OT environments and the scenario logic governing cyber events, injects, and participant interactions, enabling interoperable and automated scenario deployment across federated Cyber Ranges (CRs). Second, the ACTING platform introduces automated PE and scoring mechanisms that assess trainee actions during exercises through coordinated data collection and analysis across participating CRs. Third, the platform enables multi-domain cyber training scenarios that combine civilian and military operational contexts. Building upon federation capabilities established under the H2020 ECHO project, ACTING demonstrates how interoperable scenario description and automated evaluation support scalable and realistic CD training.

Problem

• Cyber Defence
• Cyber Ranges Federation
• Interoperability
• Training Scenario
• Multi-domain Exercises

Innovation

• Exercise Description Language
• Cyber Ranges Federation
• Automated Evaluation
• Multi-domain Training
• Interoperability