A group of Illinois Tech students has developed a cyber range web application aimed at providing their peers a platform to practice cybersecurity skills learned in the classroom. The application offers various tests like capture the flag and penetration testing, enhancing the practical experience for students.
Ivan Zziwa, a second-year student in the ITM program, emphasized the importance of this project, stating, "This will enable professors access to a wide variety of labs. This cyber range will enhance the academic experience for both professors and students."
Typically, the construction of a cyber range can cost around $120,000, with additional expenses related to server hosting. However, the student team managed to establish their cyber range at minimal cost by using local servers operated by the Department of Information Technology and Management. This resourcefulness allowed them to bypass most financial barriers.
An essential aspect of the cyber range is the security of sensitive data, such as user passwords. Anthoinette Ilolo, also a second-year ITM student, developed the Vault, which serves as a centralized control for such data, thus minimizing risks associated with hardcoding and potential breaches. Ilolo credits her coursework for her preparedness in contributing to the project, stating, "There's only so much that you learn in the classroom. You have to know how to apply what you've learned."
Fellow student Aditya Waghmare also highlighted the importance of practical application, asserting, "Knowledge from the classroom is not enough. You have to be able to use that knowledge in the real world." Waghmare played a crucial role in developing the software-defined network infrastructure, enabling the isolation of virtual machines necessary for test runs.
Alumnus Jacon Holtz, a member of the team, supported the decision to host the cyber range on a cloud platform to ensure proper isolation of virtual machines. "We were able to do it using all Illinois Tech infrastructure,” noted Waghmare, highlighting their choice not to rely on external servers like Amazon Web Services.
Despite the achievements, the team recognizes the need for further improvements. These include faster construction of virtual machines, fewer interruptions, enhanced user experience, and scaling the platform for wider use by students and faculty.
"We've proved that it works," Zziwa said. "We've used it, and we're hoping to get it in a centralized environment. The focus now is gaining new skills instead of deploying the labs."