Building cybersecurity scenarios: Forging a methodology through iterative creation and implementation

Details

Supervisors

Sadre, Ramin ; Duhoux, Benoît

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences informatiques, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enExisting cybersecurity literature on scenario development within cyberranges often prioritizes commercial interests, focusing on promoting cyberrange platforms rather than systematic scenario design methods. This master's thesis addresses this gap by proposing the "Helical Build Framework", an agile methodology for designing cybersecurity scenarios that integrates technical design with narrative coating. The methodology was developed and refined through the iterative creation of four distinct scenarios: Satellite Siege, Hotel Daemon, Patch War and Zheng Hijack. Each scenario was fully developed from design, using MITRE ATT&CK tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) for the attack-defense flow, to implementation with NixOS, a declarative Linux distribution. This approach integrates technical design with narrative elements to enhance training realism.