Published in the Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice, 2026(1), Article 34. https://doi.org/10.62915/2472-2707.1342
Abstract
Realistic, hands-on cybersecurity training has traditionally depended on fixed infrastructure such as dedicated lab hardware, cloud subscriptions, or permanent network connectivity, limiting where and how often it can be delivered. This paper presents the design and implementation of a portable, scenario-based cybersecurity training platform housed in a single travel case and built from commodity hardware, type-1 hypervisor virtualization, containerized service orchestration, and software-defined networking. The platform clones, isolates, and resets complete lab environments on demand, allowing the same physical system to support repeated classroom, workshop, or field deployments with minimal manual reconfiguration. Training scenarios are grounded in generated organizational profiles that define sector, size, roles, assets, services, and network structure, situating exercises within a realistic operational context rather than as isolated technical tasks. Network and vulnerability placement are aligned with publicly documented adversary tactics and techniques drawn from government and industry guidance, so constructed attack paths reflect plausible, observable adversary behavior rather than artificial shortcuts. A representative lab walkthrough demonstrates the platform supporting both offensive and defensive training within a single bounded scenario. Early use suggests this approach can substantially reduce the infrastructure cost and setup overhead of realistic, adversary-aligned cybersecurity instruction, though systematic measurement of learning outcomes remains future work.
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Citation
@article{straight2026,
author = {Straight, Ryan and Chumley, Aaron Nair, Royce Yaezenko,
Joshua Payne, Veronika Kyles, Paul Wagner, Robert J. Honomichl, Ryan
Straight, and Shengjie Xu, Ethan},
title = {Clinic-in-a-Box},
journal = {Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice},
volume = {2026},
number = {34},
date = {2026},
url = {https://ryanstraight.com/research/2026-08-31-clinic-in-a-box-jcerp/},
doi = {10.62915/2472-2707.1342},
langid = {en}
}