Using Virtual Reality for Training to Identify Cyber Threats in the Bridge of a Ship

Abstract

Seventeen college ROTC Navy midshipmen were recruited for an 8-week course that met twice weekly for lectures and training to identify cyber security threats in a virtual reality (VR) application. This VR trainer, the Cybersecurity Virtual Reality Trainer (CyVR-T) is an immersive application of a U.S. Navy destroyer. During the training scenarios one of the three designated systems (Voyage Management System, Radar Detection System, and Automatic Identification System) was hacked, showing erroneous information for a ship in the vicinity. In addition to the role of Trainee in the CyVR-T, participants observed their peers, held discussions after each scenario, and played the role of instructor. The trained midshipmen showed significant improvement in knowledge and cyber threat performance compared to a control group. Improved performance was noticed early in the program. CyVR-T showed to be a great tool for identifying cyber threats and has potential to be beneficial in more complex situations.