DefEX: Hands-On Cyber Defense Exercise for Undergraduate Students

Abstract

DefEX incorporates a set of hands-on cyber security exercises aimed at developing problem-solving proficiency, teamwork, and cyber defense skills in undergraduate students. The exercises include Code-Level and System-Level Hardening, Static and Dynamic Reverse Engineering, Detect and Defeat, Digital Forensics, and the Wireless Access Point Treasure Hunt. Providing a diverse group of students with a common set of foundational knowledge and finding the balance between enabling participation of novice students and generating problems complex enough to challenge experienced students posed the major curriculum design risks. Instructors reduced the risks by administering a technical survey, requiring students to complete a set of fundamental exercises, and assigning balanced student teams. As a result, student teams successfully completed all of the exercises.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA560055

Entities

People

  • Brian A. Kropa
  • Sonja M. Glumich

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Application Protocols
  • Computational Forensics
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer Science
  • Computers
  • Cyber Defense Techniques
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberspace Operations
  • Detection
  • Engineering
  • Intrusion Detection
  • Intrusion Detection Systems
  • Intrusion Detectors
  • Operating Systems
  • Reverse Engineering
  • Security

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Cybersecurity.
  • STEM Education

Technology Areas

  • Cyber