DefAtt - Architecture of Virtual Cyber Labs for Research and Education

There is a need for more skilled people in cybersecurity, and initiatives are being taken all over the world to improve the education of both students and professionals. This includes establishing cyber ranges and using them for training. Despite several cyber range projects going on, there is still a need for platforms that are easily accessible for both teachers and students. This paper presents ∗DefAtt∗, which is a highly automatized platform for red team and blue team games, particularly focusing on network-based attacks and their defenses. The platform supports a high degree of gamification, while at the same time giving the participants realistic feedback through the emulation of a Security Operations Center (SOC). The platform is open-source and available for everyone to use and contribute to.