U.S. simulates a cyberattack

U.S. and industry officials participated in a simulated exercise this week to help them prepare for a massive cyberattack on computer networks in the government and commercial sectors.

Silent Horizon, which was set in the future, involved a scenario to help the U.S. officials recognize indicators of a large-scale computer network attack. The unclassified event took place in Charlottesville, Va., said an intelligence agency official familiar with the exercise.

Government and industry officials often run simulations to prepare for different types of cyberattacks. It would be irresponsible not to plan and train for them, the intelligence agency official said.

The government and industry experts who participated in Silent Horizon were the people who would respond to the type of cyberattack it simulated. The intelligence agency official declined to comment on details of the exercise, such as how many people participated and what agencies and companies they came from.