Enhancing Industrial Cybersecurity with Virtual Lab Simulations

Abstract: The increasing integration of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) within production environments underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures. However, securing these devices without disrupting ongoing operations presents a significant challenge. This study introduces a virtual laboratory environment that simulates real-world ICS networks, including a misconfigured Active Directory (AD) domain and a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) node, to train cybersecurity professionals in recognizing and mitigating vulnerabilities. We propose a comprehensive setup of virtual machines—Windows Server, Windows Workstations, and Kali Linux—and follow the Purdue model for network segmentation, effectively bridging theory with hands-on practice. Demonstrating various penetration testing tools (e.g., Impacket, Kerbrute, Chisel, Socat, and TeslaCrypt ransomware), this work reveals how a single misconfiguration, such as disabling Kerberos pre-authentication, can cascade into severe breaches, including ransomware attacks on critical devices. Our preliminary results show that the virtual laboratory approach strengthens business continuity and resilience by enabling real-time testing of countermeasures without risking production downtime. This ongoing research aims to provide a practical, adaptable, and standards-aligned solution for cybersecurity training and threat response in industrial setting.

Hamza Hmiddouch, Antonio Villafranca, Raul Castro, Volodymyr Dubetskyy and Maria-Dolores Cano. “Enhancing Industrial Cybersecurity with Virtual Lab Simulations”. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications (IJACSA) 16.5 (2025). http://dx.doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160505

@article{Hmiddouch2025,
title = {Enhancing Industrial Cybersecurity with Virtual Lab Simulations},
journal = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
doi = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160505},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160505},
year = {2025},
publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
author = {Hamza Hmiddouch and Antonio Villafranca and Raul Castro and Volodymyr Dubetskyy and Maria-Dolores Cano}
}