Towards NICE-by-Design Cybersecurity Learning Environments: A Cyber Range for SOC Teams

Abstract

Cybersecurity has become an increasingly important field as cyber threats continue to grow in number and complexity. The NICE framework, developed by NIST, provides a structured approach to cybersecurity education. Despite the publication of cybersecurity frameworks, scenario design in cybersecurity is not yet governed by structured design principles, leading to ambiguous learning outcomes. This research uses the NICE framework to provide structure design and development of a cyber range and the relevant scenarios. The proposed methodology and research results can assist the scenario design in cybersecurity and as a methodological procedure for evaluation. Finally, the research provides a better understanding of the NICE framework and demonstrates how it can assist in creating practical cybersecurity scenarios.