Cybersecurity and secure software deployment are issues that cut across multiple sectors - aerospace, defense, energy, critical infrastructure, industrial automation, medical devices, telecommunications, and more. What these disparate sectors have in common is that a malicious, network-borne intrusion can cause untold damage, whether financial or physical, and even threaten human safety.

Fortunately, there are security-strengthening techniques and solutions for cybersecurity research that can apply in all of these areas. This paper explains why creating and testing security solutions is more effectively performed using virtual hardware and system simulation technology, rather than using the live systems that are being subjected to attacks.