Background¶

First developed to support Cyber Defense Competitions (CDCs), ISERink is a virtual laboratory environment that allows students an opportunity to undertake hands-on activities focused on networking, cyber security, and penetration testing. As shown below, ISERink supports 3 network ranges (Blue, Red, and Green). Each range consists of multiple subnets and can support dozens of teams. In addition, ISERink is connected to the Internet to allow users access to web services.

It is built upon an Internet testbed, ISEAGE, that provides a real-world networking environment for students. To the students, it appears as if their network, which uses the public-address space, is directly connected to the Internet. However, the students’ traffic is contained in the controlled ISEAGE testbed. This prevents misconfigurations or other beginner mistakes from disrupting a campus network or the Internet.

This document will guide you through installing and setting up your own instance of ISERink.

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Fig. 1 ISERink playground