From Playground to Battleground: Cyber Range Training for Industrial Cybersecurity Education

Abstract

The manufacturing and critical infrastructure world is increasingly dependent on cyber security. Cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting traditional Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) systems mainly due to the convergence of these infrastructures. Cyber-range assists with educating professionals and stakeholders about current trends and techniques by simulating realistic scenarios. This paper presents a scenario using the BUTCA (Brno University of Technology Cyber Arena) platform, developed at the Department of Telecommunications with a focus on IT and OT. The presented solution provides an effective and entertaining form of education using gamification aimed at a sector of interested students from primary school students to university students, professionals and interested members of the general public. As a proof of concept, we have developed a game (within BUTCA) targeting an industrial sector. Where the main objective of the cyber game is to demonstrate the potential impact of a successful cyber attack caused by human error through a phishing attack.