America’s mysterious ‘ghost’ city… where there are no humans, only ‘dangerous hackers’ live
Just imagine a city with shining roads, traffic signals, petrol pumps, luxurious houses and hotels, and hospitals—yet not a single person lives there. At first glance, this eerie place looks like the set of a horror movie, but it’s actually a highly secret and sophisticated operation of the American intelligence agency, the FBI. The FBI has invested billions of rupees into this fake city built in Huntsville, Alabama, but the reasons behind it are fascinating.
The Kinetic Cyber Range
This is not an ordinary location, but a 22,000 square foot world designed to replicate a small American town. The FBI has named this “ghost” city the Kinetic Cyber Range. Rather than housing actual ghosts, its purpose is to combat cyber criminals and hackers from around the world. It serves as a unique training ground where FBI agents move beyond classroom theory to gain practical experience dealing with real cyber attacks.
Why Billions Were Spent
In today’s world, cyber attacks pose a threat comparable to traditional warfare. According to the FBI’s recent cyber crime report, cyber crime losses in America have exceeded $20.9 billion, or approximately Rs 2 lakh crore. These losses are growing at a staggering rate of 26 percent annually. Hospitals, power grids, and banks have become prime targets for hackers, prompting the intelligence agency to create this specialized training facility.
What the Fake City Contains
Everything in this simulated city—from traffic lights to hospital ventilator machines and petrol pumps—is real and connected to the internet. During training exercises, instructors deliberately disrupt critical systems, such as cutting off hospital power or hacking traffic signals. Trainee agents then face the high-pressure challenge of restoring these systems without panic, mirroring real-world scenarios.
A Deliberately Harsh Environment
To provide authentic challenges to trainee agents, the facility includes a massive data center with more than 200 physical servers. Rather than creating comfort, the environment is intentionally made extremely cold, cramped, and filled with deafening noise. Program managers explain that this deliberately difficult setting mirrors the actual conditions in compromised corporate server rooms, ensuring agents are mentally prepared for such stressful situations.
Training Success Stories
According to a TechCrunch report, the program’s effectiveness is evident in its results. More than 1,400 cyber warriors have been trained at the facility so far. The practical training provided here has proven to be a game changer in breaking through the most sophisticated security defenses employed by hackers.
