Polymorphic Lab Testing for Introductory Cybersecurity
Open Access
- Author:
- Delorenzo, Chris
- Area of Honors:
- Cybersecurity Analytics & Operations
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Nick Giacobe, Thesis Supervisor
Nick Giacobe, Thesis Honors Advisor
Carleen Maitland, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- PolyLab
Linux
education - Abstract:
- This thesis discusses the current cybersecurity education landscape in academia and novel approaches to improve it. It goes over the shortcomings of the traditional cybersecurity education system and why there needs to be innovation in this space. The research aspect of this thesis focuses on the development and evaluation of a new version of PolyLab. PolyLab is a system of “game” levels designed to help teach the next generation of cybersecurity professionals the basics of using the Linux command line interface. It also has the added benefit of being polymorphic which prevents cheating and enables the user to have a unique experience with the system. The proposed new version of Polylab utilizes a browser-based virtual machine as the environment to run the “game” in. This approach enables students to have fast cost-effective access to the system from anywhere with an internet connection. This eliminates the need for expensive software or hardware and provides a safe environment for new students to practice their Linux skills without risking their system. The research aspect of this thesis experimented on a group of underclassmen college students studying cybersecurity or related field. The study helped evaluate the new version of PolyLab and determine what systems to use to evaluate the system. Participants were asked to play the PolyLab “game” two times with time in between each session to measure their improvement and see how effective PolyLab is. Overall, this thesis provides valuable insights into the current state of cybersecurity education in academia and provides a good baseline for others to continue research and development in this field.