The SPEAR and SHIELD cybersecurity simulation enables teams of remote learners to manage and defend SHIELD's corporate network, which faces an imminent cyberattack. The malicious adversary, SPEAR, is attempting to breach the SHIELD network and cause system disruptions, network outages and financial damages. Learners will detect and respond to automated cyberattacks against the SHIELD network, and attempt to mitigate those attacks in real time. These highly realistic scenarios provide rich learning experiences that are safely conducted in a virtualized network of computers.

SPEAR stands for Simulated Persistent Electronic Attack Robot and SHIELD stands for Simulated Hacking Interface for Experiential Learning on Demand. Together, they create a unique online learning environment which safely simulates cyberattacks and evaluates the efficacy of defensive mitigations. The SPEAR and SHIELD simulation is housed in the Open Cyber Arena platform, which was funded by a 2018 SUNY IITG Tier 2 grant.