Laboratory Support for Information Security Education

The Information Security Faculty of MEPhI has felt the necessity of designing educational environment for teaching information and network technologies and their security. MEPhI has already designed and implemented the Network Security Scientific and Research Laboratory. It consists of several logical segments: the Internet emulation segment, teams segments for mutual attacks and defense, control segment (a workplace of the administrator/instructor and entrance to the Internet), Distance Learning System and transport medium connecting all the segments. We defined traditional and distance educational courses utilizing the Laboratory, study objects and methods, preliminaries and resulting knowledge and skills, configuration of student/administrator working places, topology, methodical maintenance, scientific and research works, and technical support. Laboratory users carry out the following works: vulnerability and security testing and computer-aided testing facilities; familiarization with instruments used for ensuring system security; design of secure systems and subsystems. Several electronic tutorials for the different parts of the information security educational courses have been created.