CyberProtect
By Carney, Inc., SAIC, Department of Defense
Business Category
2010 Finalist
Skills and Ideas Taught: Basic concepts of Computer Network Defense and Information Assurance (IA) resource management.
Goal or Challenge: Players must protect a department network (LAN) from malicious cyber attacks.
Primary Audience: A basic network end-user to a network administrator.
Assessment Approach: Cumulative quarterly and year-end readiness ratings of the network provide scoring. While, an incident report is displayed after each quarter of play where a learner is given an indication of an attack type, its origin and whether or not it was successful in penetrating the network. By clicking on “Behind the Scenes” the player can obtain additional information about the motivation of the attacker. All together this tactics help convey learning and conviction. A network readiness rating along with the attack sequence provide rewards to the player (positive and negative) during each quarter.
Description: CyberProtect is an interactive practical challenge where players face real-world scenarios involving internal and external network security threats. Game play begins with a fresh, unprotected operating system. There are no defensive tools in place—no firewalls, no antivirus software, nothing. The goal is to protect the network from malicious attacks by requisitioning and placing security tools within the network. Once tools are installed, the system is tested for vulnerabilities, simulating real-life challenges faced by IT security professionals. The challenge is to balance the need for security with a finite budget for network tools using knowledge from training and personal experience.
Game Engine: ActionScript 3.0
Operating System: Windows
Platform: Personal computer
Special Hardware: None