Levereging Apache Guacamole, Linux LXD and Docker Containers to Deliver a Secure Online Lab for a Large Cybersecurity Course

ABSTRACT

This Innovate Practice Full Paper presents a technique to create a flexible, secure lab environment for a comprehensive practical course in cybersecurity.A common challenge for universities is integrating a hands-on learning environment as part of the cybersecurity curriculum. As a result, university programs that can allow students to practice and experiment with security tools similar to those used by both professionals and malicious actors are in high demand. Unfortunately, getting the needed IT infrastructure for a practical cybersecurity lab environment in academia is challenging for educators. Many instructors are therefore resorting to using virtual machines, containers, and cloud services to provide virtual labs environments that students can access anytime and anywhere. However, despite the vast benefits these technologies offer, deploying, configuring, and maintaining a secure virtual lab infrastructure is demanding and requires much preparation and testing.Utilizing open-source technologies such as Apache Guacamole, Docker, and LXD containers, the author, managed to provide a simple, secure lab setup that only required a web browser to access the lab. Students could then work on individualized lab exercises using time-constrained ephemeral Linux containers with the necessary software and tools to complete their weekly assignments.We deployed the solution in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic to an undergraduate cybersecurity class with 250 students. Furthermore, the anonymous online survey results were overwhelmingly positive, and the participants responded that accessing a Linux machine through the browser anytime, anywhere enabled them to learn the material effectively. © 2022 IEEE.