An internet role-game for the laboratory of network security course

Over the last few years, many universities and educational institutions have introduced computer security related courses to their degree programs. The majority of these courses feature intensive laboratory activity based on live experiments of attack and defense techniques by means of team games organized as "cyber-wars". In this paper we argue that, although it is a useful tool for teaching and learning these techniques, the exercise paradigm does not cover all the aspects of security relating to a real-world scenario, with it not allowing students to experience the realistic needs of maintaining network services. In this paper we present the "role-game of the Internet" which was designed as part of the lab activity of our Network Security Course. In our game, instead of fighting against each other, student-teams had to cooperate in order to accomplish a list of business-like tasks over a simulation of the Internet while preserving the security and availability of featured network services.

[1]  Brett C. Tjaden,et al.  Training students to administer and defend computer networks and systems , 2006, ITICSE '06.

[2]  Henry L. Owen,et al.  Georgia tech information security center hands-on network security laboratory , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Education.

[3]  Rahul Tikekar,et al.  The challenges of designing lab exercises for a curriculum in computer security , 2003 .

[4]  Prabhaker Mateti A laboratory-based course on internet security , 2003, SIGCSE.

[5]  H. Armstrong,et al.  Incorporating vendor-based training into security courses , 2005, Proceedings from the Sixth Annual IEEE SMC Information Assurance Workshop.

[6]  G. G. Stokes "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[7]  Giovanni Vigna Teaching Network Security Through Live Exercises , 2003, World Conference on Information Security Education.

[8]  Paul J. Wagner,et al.  Designing and implementing a cyberwar laboratory exercise for a computer security course , 2004, SIGCSE '04.

[9]  Kyle King,et al.  Design and Implementation of a Multi-Use Attack-Defend Computer Security Lab , 2006, Proceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'06).

[10]  Wm. Arthur Conklin Cyber Defense Competitions and Information Security Education: An Active Learning Solution for a Capstone Course , 2006, Proceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'06).

[11]  Udo W. Pooch,et al.  Using an isolated network laboratory to teach advanced networks and security , 2001, SIGCSE '01.