Participant
Caution
Always check the help documentation within your Crucible environment. Instructors and range builders often highly customize exercises and user interfaces. The guidance below provides general expectations but may not reflect your specific configuration.
Typically, participant-facing documentation is integrated directly into the applications used. Refer to in-app help for environment-specific instructions and resources.
Overview
Participants engage directly with the Crucible training environment to practice, demonstrate, and refine cyber defense skills.
This role maps to:
- Player in the Player application
- Competitor in the Gameboard application
What to Expect
You will typically:
- Join exercises through Player or Gameboard or a Learning Portal
- Access virtual machines, networks, or scenario provisioned for your team
- Follow instructions from your Instructor
- Submit answers, artifacts, or defensive actions as required
- Receive feedback or scoring through the exercise interface
Quick Reference
| Issue | Try This First | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Platform won't load | Refresh or try another browser | Check for maintenance notices |
| VM or tool not responding | Restart or reconnect | Contact your instructor |
| Disconnected during event | Log back in via portal | Notify Exercise Control if issues persist |
| Scoring seems off | Refresh Gameboard | Report discrepancies to instructor |
Learning Best Practices
- Engage actively: Treat each inject or task as a real incident.
- Collaborate: Coordinate with your teammates; range success is team success.
- Keep notes: Document commands, discoveries, and fixes for your after-action review.
- Ask questions: Clarify objectives early—ambiguity can be part of the challenge, but confusion isn't.
Support
If you encounter critical issues:
- Follow local escalation procedures first (as posted by your instructor).
- Capture screenshots or logs when reporting issues.
- Avoid changing or rebooting infrastructure unless directed.