Towards the Design of Cyber Range Training Programs for Enhanced Preparedness: Investigating the Training Needs in Critical Infrastructures

The rising complexity of cyber threats demands tailored cybersecurity training, especially for critical infrastructure sectors such as healthcare, energy, telecommunications, and maritime. This paper examines the training needs of professionals in these domains, emphasizing the importance of customized Training Programmes that address sector-specific challenges and workforce diversity. For this study, two tailored questionnaires were developed to address the distinct needs and perspectives of IT and non-IT personnel. This distinction was crucial to capture the diverse challenges and priorities faced by these groups, ensuring a more holistic understanding of organizational training requirements. By incorporating these diverse perspectives, the study aims to bridge critical gaps in training and awareness, enabling organizations to design more inclusive and impactful cybersecurity programs. The findings guide the development of effective Cyber Range training initiatives, providing actionable recommendations to enhance cybersecurity preparedness in critical infrastructures. These include strategies for building competences that contribute to the protection of sector-related supply chains, promoting the reusability of Cyber Range training scenarios to improve resource efficiency, and tailoring scenarios to sector-specific challenges for greater relevance. All efforts should focus on building a cyber resilient ecosystem for critical infrastructures to address the current and future cyber threat landscape. The study was performed in the context of SecAwarenessTruss project, that emphasizes the role of Cyber Ranges in delivering hands-on, realistic training to enhance organizational resilience.