Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane | Soldiers and civilians take part in Cyber Bluegrass at the Emergency Operations Center...... read more read more
FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky National Guard hosted the inaugural Cyber Bluegrass, a cyber exercise held at the State Emergency Operations Center on Boone National Guard Center, Nov. 4–6.
The three-day event brought together nearly one hundred participants, including cyber professionals from across Kentucky, the FBI, Kentucky Emergency Management, and the North Carolina National Guard’s Cyber Task Force.
At the heart of the exercise was Crimson Serpent, a scenario-based training environment developed by the Kentucky National Guard’s Cyber Resilience Initiative in partnership with Murray State University and the University of Louisville’s School of Engineering. The exercise challenged participants to respond to simulated cyber intrusions and attacks, testing both their technical skill and teamwork.
Eight teams operated on-site with four additional teams working remotely. Their shared mission: “Harden and defend the network from malicious cyber-attacks and restore the damage” caused by the Crimson Serpent simulation team.
“This exercise is about more than technology—it’s about strengthening homeland defense at the state level,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dayna Sanders, deputy chief information officer and cyber program manager. “It exposes weaknesses and tests the ability of team members from different agencies to work together effectively.”
Cyber Bluegrass 2025 marked a major step forward in Kentucky’s cyber preparedness, fostering collaboration among military, academic, and civilian partners. Through joint training and shared expertise, the exercise aimed to build stronger, more resilient networks capable of defending critical infrastructure across the Commonwealth.
“The last place you want to introduce yourself is at the scene of an incident,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Haldane Lamberton, Kentucky’s adjutant general.
Collaboration was the prevailing theme throughout the event, as leaders encouraged everyone to get to know each other, learn what everyone does and share expertise.
By bringing state, federal, and regional cyber defenders together under one roof, the Kentucky National Guard continues to play a leading role in keeping Kentucky cyber-secure.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2025 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 551709 |
| Location: | KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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