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Visual Programming in Cyber Range Training to Improve Skill Development

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Human Aspects of Information Security and Assurance (HAISA 2022)

Abstract

Cyber range training is a promising approach to address the shortage of skilled cybersecurity experts in organizations worldwide. Seeking to make the training of those experts as efficacious and efficient as possible, we investigate the potential of visual programming languages (VPLs) for training in cyber ranges. For this matter, we integrate the VPL Blockly into an existing cyber range concept. To evaluate its effect on the learning process of the trainees we conducted a user study with an experimental group using the VPL and a control group using textual programming. The evaluation results demonstrated a positive impact of the VPL on the trainees’ learning experience. The trainees in the VPL group achieved equally good learning outcomes as those in the control group but rated the subjective workload as lower and perceived the training as more interesting.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://developers.com/blockly.

  2. 2.

    https://blockly-demo.appspot.com/static/demos/blockfactory/index.html.

  3. 3.

    https://github.com/BlocklyCyberRange.

  4. 4.

    https://github.com/BlocklyCyberRange/userStudy.

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Acknowledgment

This work is partly performed under the INSIST project, which is supported under contract by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (DIK0338/01).

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Correspondence to Magdalena Glas .

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Glas, M., Vielberth, M., Reittinger, T., Böhm, F., Pernul, G. (2022). Visual Programming in Cyber Range Training to Improve Skill Development. In: Clarke, N., Furnell, S. (eds) Human Aspects of Information Security and Assurance. HAISA 2022. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 658. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12172-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12172-2_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-12171-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-12172-2

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