Cyber Dawg 2025: Sharpening Georgia's cyber defenses

The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA), in partnership with the Georgia Department of Defense, successfully conducted Cyber Dawg 2025, a rigorous, week-long live-fire cybersecurity exercise. Held September 22 through 26 at the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center in Augusta, this year's event saw a record 129 players from 33 organizations, marking a 23 percent increase in participation over 2024.

The challenge

The exercise's defensive front was formed by blue teams, composed primarily of state agency employees. Operating across 11 enclaves that mirrored actual state agency environments, they had to defend their networks under constant attack. Nearly two-thirds of these defenders were first-time Cyber Dawg participants, underscoring the event's role in cultivating new talent.

The scenario

To provide a realistic and high-pressure test, the red team meticulously emulated the tactics of a sophisticated nation-state threat actor. Their multi-phase campaign escalated from reconnaissance and social engineering to exploitation, covert command-and-control, and culminated in lateral movement and data exfiltration. Blue teams were forced to rapidly detect, validate alerts, and escalate reports while the attacks unfolded. They were supported by a fusion cell for intelligence, a gold team of subject matter experts, and a range team maintaining the technical environment.

Key outcomes

With a primary focus on detection and analysis under fire, the exercise demanded quick thinking, collaboration, and inter-agency coordination. Cyber Dawg 2025 delivered concrete improvements:

• Agencies demonstrated measurable progress in incident validation and log analysis.
• Intelligence sharing between the fusion cell and blue teams elevated coordinated situational awareness across the state.
• The high participation of new defenders accelerated the development of Georgia's future cyber workforce.

Cyber Dawg 2025 reaffirmed Georgia's commitment to practical, hands-on training. By simulating realistic adversary behavior in a safe environment, the state identified actionable improvements that will directly strengthen Georgia's defensive posture.