Tailored Extended Reality Environments for Education and Training in Cybersecurity: Engagement Beyond Awareness

Critical infrastructures and related operational technologies are high value targets for cyber threat actors. Whatever the intent, espionage, sabotage or destruction, cyber-attacks can have serious and far-reaching consequences for the provision of essential services in society. Providing cybersecurity education and training for professionals working with operational technology can support how they observe, mitigate and respond to cyber events. However, cybersecurity training continues to focus on awareness of risks in information technology, and not on the specific needs of operational technology environments and their personnel. This paper discusses the potential benefits of tailored extended reality training for these professionals, alongside some of the ethical concerns with creating these environments. The paper particularly focuses on how co-creating cybersecurity training as digital spaces which take into account different social and organizational factors is important for fostering engagement and building self-efficacy in personnel. It highlights how these environments can in turn contribute to the cyber resilience of organizations.