Result: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Cyber Range Training Scenarios: Impact of Video Tutorials on Mental Workload, Situational Awareness and Presence

International audience ; The increasing reliance on digital technologies heightens the risk of cyber crises, driving public and private organizations to invest in training key personnel for effective crisis management. Cyber range platforms offer immersive simulations to replicate the intricate interplay between information systems and human behavior. While these platforms show potential, further exploration of effective pedagogical strategies is needed for optimal learning. This study assesses the effect of showing a video that outlines practices before or during the training scenario. This study involved six crisis units (29 individuals) from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in France. The six crisis units were distributed into two groups; one received video at the start of the exercise, while the other accessed the video during a mid-exercise debrief. The exercise simulated a data theft cyberattack, with dynamic stimuli injected throughout. Individual performance was measured at mid-exercise and at the end of it, using the NASA-TLX for mental workload, SART for situational awareness, and the Presence Questionnaire. Results revealed a significant effect of video presentation timing on situational awareness and certain presence dimensions improved for participants exposed to the video. These findings highlight the nuanced relationship between cognitive load and performance indicators in complex training scenarios, underscoring the need for multifaceted evaluation approaches to optimize cyber crisis training.