In an era where the cybersecurity landscape evolves at a breakneck pace, traditional security training often falls short. The sheer volume of new Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) – over 26,000 documented in the past year, with a staggering 40,003 in 2024 alone – has created a critical gap between theoretical knowledge and practical defense.
INE Security is addressing this pressing issue head-on with its game-changing CVE Labs within the Skill Dive platform, providing modern security teams with the hands-on experience crucial for proactive defense.
The days of leisurely patching cycles are long gone. Reports indicate that over 28% of vulnerabilities disclosed between January and April 2025 were exploited within a single day. This alarming statistic underscores the need for immediate and effective response capabilities. As Dara Warn, CEO at INE Security, aptly puts it, “Reading CVE bulletins is not the same as knowing how to stop the attack.”
INE’s Skill Dive platform offers a continuously updated library of labs specifically designed to provide immersive practice with actual CVEs. This isn’t about rote memorization; it’s about building muscle memory for rapid response. Security professionals can experience both the exploitation and mitigation of real-world vulnerabilities in contained, risk-free environments, a stark contrast to the often-theoretical approach of traditional certifications.
Tracy Wallace, Director of Content at INE Security, emphasizes the tangible benefits: “Teams with hands-on practice respond significantly faster because they’ve seen similar attack patterns before. Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228) was a perfect example – practitioners who had experience with JNDI injection attacks were able to implement effective mitigations within hours, while others took days or even weeks to fully remediate.”
The CVE Labs cover a comprehensive range of threats, from critical zero-days to common misconfigurations. Recent additions include high-impact vulnerabilities like Calibre RCE (CVE-2024-6782), OpenMetadata Authentication Bypass (CVE-2024-28255), and persistent threats such as Log4Shell. With monthly updates, the labs ensure that security teams are always practicing with the most relevant and actively exploited vulnerabilities.
For modern security teams grappling with hundreds of monthly CVEs, the Skill Dive platform provides a vital solution for risk prioritization, testing mitigations without impacting production, and adapting defenses to diverse system configurations.
This proactive approach transforms security from constant firefighting into a strategic advantage, making INE Security’s CVE Labs an indispensable tool for any organization committed to fortifying its defenses in today’s volatile cyber landscape.
