We launched BI.ZONE Cyber Polygon Platform for individual training

Now cybersecurity professionals can practice their incident investigation and threat monitoring skills at any time

March 5, 2024

The labor market has a shortage of experienced cybersecurity specialists. The talent shortfall is estimated at 50,000 people and is likely to grow (according to Sber).

To help professionals assess their skills, fill the knowledge gaps, and boost the capabilities, BI.ZONE hosts the Cyber Polygon event. Launched in 2019, this international initiative combines a cybersecurity training with an online conference featuring senior government officials and business leaders.

In 2022, BI.ZONE premiered its free training platform based on the technical tasks from the event. The resource attracted users from 27 countries and later became the foundation for our new training solution.

Titled BI.ZONE Cyber Polygon Platform, it is designed to help professionals hone their skills in forensics, security assessment, and threat monitoring. What is more, the platform alleviates the need for organizations to allocate resources for internal or external training events. Exercises hosted on the platform are available by individual subscription.

While the tasks would be useful for any cybersecurity professional, they will particularly benefit SOC analysts, specialists in digital forensics, incident response, malware analysis, and compromise assessment.

The training scenarios on the new platform are based on real‑life incidents and contain a sequence of tasks similar to those offered at ethical hacking contests, such as CTF (capture the flag).

All the Premium scenarios require a three‑month subscription that can be renewed. In addition to tackling the tasks, the subscribers can compete for the ranking, which reflects each user’s level and achievements. Before opting for a Premium subscription, users can explore the platform and try their hand at a free scenario.

There are loads of courses, events, and other activities dedicated to offensive security. However, we see a clear shortage of training programs and resources for those who defend corporate infrastructures, the so‑called blue teams. We want to give professionals an affordable tool for practicing their skills.

Besides, specialists lack the opportunity to assess their skills. While previously this need was largely covered by international certification agencies, their withdrawal from the Russian market called for a new frame of reference. With BI.ZONE Cyber Polygon Platform, we offer a new training resource, which we expect to evolve into a flexible assessment tool.

Dmitry Malinkin

Head of BI.ZONE Cyber Training

In the time to come, the platform will be updated with more scenarios that integrate new defense and response techniques to address a wider range of practical cybersecurity objectives.