Integration of Scenario-Based Learning in CyberTOMP With FLECO Studio: Enhancing Situational Awareness Training in Cybersecurity
Manuel Domínguez-Dorado, Francisco Javier Rodriguez-Perez, David Cortés‐Polo, Jesús Galeano-Brajones, Jesús Calle-Cancho · IEEE Revista Iberoamericana de Tecnologias del Aprendizaje · 2025
Situational awareness is crucial in cybersecurity to identify, understand, and anticipate cyber threats, and to make effective decisions during cyber crises. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a hands-on approach based on interactive scenarios using FLECO Studio software, integrated into the holistic management model CyberTOMP, compared to a traditional lecture-based approach framed within the same model. An experiment was designed with 200 participants, divided into a treatment group (70%) and a control group (30%). Both groups received training aimed at increasing their level of situational awareness in cybersecurity, with assessments conducted before and after the training. The treatment group employed the interactive scenario-based approach modeled with FLECO Studio, while the control group received traditional lecture-based training. To mitigate potential biases, preventive measures were implemented during the design and analysis of the study. The statistically analyzed results illustrated a significant improvement (up to 54%) in the situational awareness level of the treatment group, along with a strongly positive perception of effectiveness among the participants. These findings suggest that the interactive scenario-based approach, using tools embedded within a comprehensive holistic framework, significantly enhances the acquisition of situational awareness capabilities in cybersecurity compared to a traditional lecture-based approach.