Frequently Asked Questions

An interactive IT and cybersecurity training platform. It organizes learning into "houses" — specialized tracks covering networking, security, scripting, cloud, and more. Each house contains presentations, labs, quizzes, and hands-on tools.

Open the app, go through the sorting quiz to get assigned to a house, and start exploring your house's modules. You can also browse other houses anytime from the dashboard.

Yes. Use the "Retake Sorting" option in the dashboard footer to take the sorting quiz again. Your progress in all houses is preserved regardless of which house you're sorted into.

No. Hexworth Prime works entirely offline by default. If your instructor has set up a class, you can optionally sign in with Google to sync your progress.

Both, and we are honest about which is which. Interactive lab pages run in your browser. The live sandboxes are different: real containers on real server hardware we own and operate. When you launch the Linux Practice Sandbox or the OpenStack cloud terminal, a machine spins up for you on our infrastructure. It is not a mockup of a terminal. It is a terminal.

The sandbox bay: every live practice environment on the platform, one launchpad. Launch, practice, tear down. Find it at The Rig. Free play from The Rig shares capacity with coursework, so graded lab work always has priority.

The Linux Practice Sandbox (a full Linux box with graded practice challenges), Linux Command Mastery (18 story-driven missions with 159 server-graded tasks), Arena boxes (attack and defend challenges with flags and scoring), and the live OpenStack cloud terminal, where the CLI you type talks to a real private cloud.

A real shell wired to a real OpenStack cloud running on our own hardware. You run the actual commands: openstack server list, flavor list, network list. Access is a read-only demo project, a telescope rather than a bulldozer: list anything, change nothing. Per-student cloud projects with real build permissions are in active development.

The honest numbers: 2 containers per person, a 120 minute maximum lifetime, and a 15 minute idle timeout. The platform-wide pool is 40 concurrent containers, shared by everyone, with capacity reserved for graded coursework ahead of free play.

Not currently. When a session ends, launch a fresh one and keep working. Session extension is on our list; we do not promise features before they exist.

The container and the files inside it are removed. Anything already graded is recorded to your progress and survives. Treat sandbox files as scratch space: the skills persist, the scratchpad does not.

On the server, against real system state. When you press a check button, the grader inspects the actual files, services, and configuration inside your container: did the file get created, does the service answer, is the permission correct. Nothing is self-reported.

The checks that matter run server-side. Certification-hub quizzes and exams are graded on the server too, so answer keys never travel to the browser. A green checkmark on graded work means the server saw the evidence.

The grader looked at your container and did not find the required state. Each lab lists its objectives with the exact requirement, so re-read the objective, run the step, and check again. Checks are repeatable and never penalize retries.

By default, all progress is saved in your browser's localStorage — it never leaves your device. If you join an instructor-led class, progress also syncs to the cloud.

Your local progress will be lost. If you're signed into a class, your cloud-synced progress is safe and will restore when you sign in again.

Only if you're signed into a class. Local-only mode saves per-browser, so progress won't transfer between devices.

Go to Settings in the dashboard footer. There you can clear your local progress data.

12 houses: Web (networking), Shield (cybersecurity defense), Cloud (cloud technologies), Forge (hardware/troubleshooting), Script (Linux & scripting), Code (programming), Key (cryptography), Eye (OSINT & reconnaissance), Dark Arts (offensive security), AI (artificial intelligence), Matrix (data science), and Divergent (interdisciplinary). Each house has its own AI advisor based on a historical pioneer.

No. You can explore any house at any time. Within a house, modules are numbered for a suggested order, but you're free to jump around.

Most modules include a presentation (lesson), a lab (hands-on practice), and a quiz (knowledge check). Some modules also include interactive tools and visualizers.

A special section focused on malware analysis and advanced security concepts. Access is gated by a five-stage CTF (Capture the Flag) challenge. You need to solve all five gates to enter.

over 120 Capture The Flag boxes where you hack into simulated systems by finding vulnerabilities and capturing flags. Includes 15 Open World investigation boxes that simulate corporate espionage, money laundering, and insider threats. Progressive difficulty from beginner to expert.

120 vulnerability challenges across 5 belt levels (White through Black Belt). Starts with basic injections and ends with multi-vulnerability chain attacks. A hands-on training ground for offensive and defensive security skills.

A 120-mission Metroidvania-style coding system spanning 7 programming languages (Python, JavaScript, Bash, SQL, and more). You control an agent on a grid, writing code to navigate obstacles, defeat enemies, and capture objectives. Tools earned in one mission carry forward to the next.

A live streaming gallery for CTF tournaments. When operators go live, spectators can watch every competitor's screen simultaneously in a multi-channel grid. Click any tile to expand full-screen.

The platform's real-time messaging system for communication between students and instructors. Includes inbox, moderation controls, and a dashboard notification badge.

100 software projects (AI, cloud, security, web, data science) and 102 hardware projects (Signal Hub — WiFi scanners, BLE trackers, intrusion detectors, USB security tools). All projects are GitHub-publishable so students build a verifiable portfolio.

An interactive ethics investigation system where students analyze real-world cases (VW emissions, Snowden, Cambridge Analytica), commit to decisions under pressure, and defend their reasoning against structured challenges from opposing ethical frameworks. No right answers, only defensible ones. Includes evidence analysis with red herrings, stakeholder mapping, framework collision, peer perspectives, and instructor feedback. 10 cases across the Ethics in IT course.

Yes. Each of the 12 houses has an embedded AI advisor based on a historical pioneer — Turing, Mitnick, Lovelace, Cerf, Shannon, Wozniak, and more. Each carries domain-specific knowledge and personality.

Certification-prep hubs include CompTIA A+ (Core 1 and Core 2), Network+, Security+, Linux+, ISC2 CC, Azure AZ-900 and AZ-104, AWS Cloud Practitioner and Developer, and CCNA-aligned material, among others. Each hub organizes lessons, labs, and server-graded assessments around the exam it targets.

No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Hubs are preparation: the certification itself comes from the certifying body's proctored exam. What you earn here is the skill, the practice record, and platform badges that mark your progress.

That's Digital Life — a binary firefly ecosystem. The 0s and 1s are living organisms that are born, evolve, hunt, reproduce, and die. It's a simulation running in real-time.

Yes! There are player tools (energy blessing, gravity brush, shield bubble, spawn beacon, evolution catalyst) that let you influence the ecosystem. Look for the tool buttons on the dashboard.

Fireflies evolve through tiers: Basic (white), Charged (purple), Radiant (cyan), Prismatic (gold), and Ascended (green). Higher tiers live longer and resist the black hole's gravity.

Binary math! 1+1=0 (overflow), 0+0=1 (quantum flip), and 1+0 gives both an energy boost.

Text-based emergency scenarios where you play as an IT professional dealing with a crisis. Type commands to solve the problem before time runs out. Each house has at least one game.

Win all 10 survival games. The badge unlocks automatically when you've won at least once in each game.

Games track your play history, wins, best times, and achievements. These stats persist between sessions.

Yes. Once loaded, most content works without an internet connection. Some features (class sync, update checks) require connectivity.

Any modern browser — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari. We recommend Chrome or Edge for the best experience.

Most content is responsive, but labs and interactive tools work best on a desktop or laptop with a keyboard.

Use the "Report an Issue" link in the dashboard footer. It will take you to our GitHub Issues page where you can describe the problem.

As little as the feature needs. Local-only use keeps everything in your browser. Signed-in class use stores your email, display name, and learning progress. Authentication is handled by Google; we never see or store a password.

You, and your class instructor if you joined a class. Student data is not visible to other students and follows FERPA-aligned handling. Details are on the About page.

Graders inspect your container when you ask to be graded. Idle detection watches for activity so unused sessions can be reclaimed. We are not screen-recording your terminal.

Sign in with Google, then access the Handler Dashboard from the dashboard footer. From there you can create classes and generate join codes for students.

Yes. The Handler Dashboard shows per-student progress across all modules, including quiz scores and lab completions.

Yes. Only the class instructor can see student data. We follow FERPA-aligned data handling practices. See the About page for full details.

We work with colleges, universities, and training organizations to deploy Hexworth Prime as a supplemental or primary learning platform for cybersecurity and IT programs. Reach out to us directly:

Frank Mora — frank@hexworth.com
Jorden Stafford — jorden@hexworth.com

Include your institution name, program size, and which areas you are interested in (cybersecurity, networking, cloud, programming, etc.) and we will follow up within 48 hours.

Yes. Email us and mention you would like a live demo. We will walk your team through the platform, show the instructor dashboard, and discuss how Hexworth Prime integrates with your existing curriculum. Demos typically run 30-45 minutes.

Yes. We offer pilot deployments for institutions that want to evaluate the platform with a single class or cohort before committing to a full rollout. Pilots include full platform access, instructor onboarding, and dedicated support.

Pricing is based on institution size and deployment scope. We offer per-student, per-class, and site-wide licensing models. We work with institutions of all sizes and budgets — whether you are building your first cyber range or expanding an existing program, we will help you find a deployment model that fits. Contact us for a conversation, not a sales pitch.

For any questions, partnerships, feedback, or general inquiries:

frank@hexworth.com