Developing Effective Cybersecurity Labs: Initiating the Conversation

Hands-on labs are critical to cybersecurity education, but are often based on one instructor's preferences, knowledge, and skills. The chosen topics may not align with established curriculum guidelines, and even when they do, labs may not be maximally effective in teaching the topics, partly because the professor is not an instructional designer. This paper represents a first attempt to draw up guidelines for cybersecurity labs, based on pedagogical principles and best practices in related fields.