Information technology for orchestration of the cybersecurity training situation center cyber range virtual environment
Ivan Horniichuk, Mykhailo Shelelo, Artem Mykytiuk, Volodymyr Onishchenko · Collection Information technology and security · 2024
The rapid development of information technology and the ever-increasing complexity of cyber threats create new challenges in the field of cybersecurity that require modern and innovative approaches to training. Effective training requires realistic and secure platforms, such as interactive simulated environments that allow for the modelling of various attack and defence scenarios. Cyber ranges have become a key tool for developing cybersecurity skills, but creating such platforms is a complex and resource-intensive process. Optimising the management of virtual resources is a critical condition for ensuring the flexibility and scalability of such environments. The aim of the paper is to improve the efficiency of managing virtual environments for cybersecurity training by improving the process of orchestrating virtual resources of a cyber training ground. The paper defines a cyber training ground as an interactive simulated platform that may include physical and virtual equipment to create training environments that are as close as possible to real-world conditions. The main types of such platforms and the main categories of their users are allocated. The modern approaches to the orchestration of virtual environments, such as manual configuration, scripting, infrastructure as code, containerisation and cloud orchestration, are analysed. An information technology for orchestrating the virtual environment of the cyber range training situation center for cybersecurity has been proposed, with functional requirements and the physical structure of the orchestration module defined. In the course of the work, a software implementation of the proposed information technology was developed in the form of an orchestration module, which automates the processes of deployment, configuration, management, and scaling of virtual resources. The development is based on Python 3, Flask 3, Docker, and JWT technologies, which allows for secure authentication, efficient container management, and integration via RESTful API. The testing confirmed that the module meets the criteria of scalability, flexibility, and security. The novelty of the work lies in the development of information technology for orchestrating the virtual environment of a cyber training ground, which takes into account the specific needs of organisations and minimises dependence on commercial solutions, as well as integrates modern technologies to improve the efficiency of training platforms.