WHAT SHIPS.
Complete engineering changelog, architectural specifications, and operational capabilities across all active DaemonCore Academy releases.
LATEST RELEASE // 6.0 BETA 3
Upgrade Note: Install beta.3 over your existing Windows installation. Your operator profile, progress, settings, FieldOps records, and license data are retained. As a precaution during the beta period, operators may also export their record from Settings before upgrading.
WHAT'S NEW IN BETA.3
- Operator identity now persists after restarting the app
- Academy progress, Mission OS state, settings, FieldOps records, and licensing survive application upgrades
- Stable version-independent application-data storage
- Automatic recovery migration for users affected by the earlier storage issue
- Windows installer preserves user data while replacing program files
- Persistence is verified across completely separate application processes
- Includes Mission OS, six professional routes, improved Academy guidance, guided first missions, and lesson-to-range handoffs
> New 12-Scenario Entry Diagnostic
Measures practical operational judgment before pathway assignment.
> Capability Scoring
Comprehensive capability scoring across Scope & Safety, Network Analysis, Web & API, Identity, Cloud & Supply Chain, and Evidence & Detection.
> Six Selectable Professional Pathways
Choose from Penetration Tester, Web & API Specialist, Identity Security, Cloud Security, Detection & Response, and Security Engineer.
> Adaptive Training Plans
Generated based on lessons, ranges, Web Forge work, Enterprise Forge cases, and capstones completed by the operator.
> Persistent Operator Records
Persistent pathway selection and diagnostic results stored in the local operator record with automatic data format migration.
> Seeded Professional Case Variations
Seeded professional case variations for Ghost Port, Broken Trust, and Night Shift.
> New After-Action Reviews
Measures evidence coverage, operator independence, method discipline, and time discipline with concrete remediation and next-action recommendations.
> Sealed Results & System Versioning
Mission case variation and debrief data included in sealed mission results. Exact app version and operating system displayed inside the application.
Available as a beta for Windows, Linux AppImage, and Debian. FieldOps licensing and the free Academy access model remain unchanged.
LINUX BETA // v5.5.0-beta.2
DaemonCore Academy expanded to native Linux environments with universal AppImage and Debian (.deb) packages, bringing live containerized ranges and tactical training to Linux operators.
> Universal AppImage
Single executable file for Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, and modern Linux distributions with local container runtime support.
> Debian Package (.deb)
Native system integration for Debian and Ubuntu environments with automated desktop menu entries and dependency resolution.
ADAPTIVE RANGE ENGINE // 5.4
> Four Operator Modes
Guided exposes the full runbook, Assisted provides a tool map and progressive hints, Blind removes prescribed commands, and Professional removes hints entirely while applying the highest score multiplier.
> Outcomes Over Magic Strings
Mission completion no longer depends on typing one exact command string. The desktop backend records each live execution and accepts alternate investigative paths when the resulting signal proves the current objective.
> Ordered Evidence Gates
Discovery, positive control, boundary proof, and finding submission must be established in sequence. A successful process exit is not enough by itself.
> Backend-Owned Run Ledger
Each execution receives a SHA-256 digest. Accepted objective evidence retains that digest, its acceptance time, and the exact outcome it proved.
> Progressive Guidance
Hints are tied to the current unresolved objective, limited by mode, and carry an explicit score penalty. Professional runs cannot request hints.
> Sealed Completion Receipt
Mode, seed, elapsed time, guidance use, score, and the complete evidence chain are bound into a tamper-evident result retained with the operator attempt.
FIELDOPS WORKBENCH // NEXT & PRO
DaemonCore Trust Authority & Signed Permits
A protected Ed25519 operator identity signs every new operation permit and audit receipt with the operator’s name, organization, role, device-key fingerprint, and timestamp. New engagements cryptographically bind the operator, approving authority, client, ROE reference, Observe/Validate/Stress policy, exact targets, ports, network boundary, and validity window. Editing any bound field invalidates execution.
Campaign Engine
Run durable multi-target assessment campaigns across exact systems in a signed engagement. Complete Assessment, Service Inventory, and Change Verification profiles coordinate FieldOps modules in the background with full pause, resume, safe cancellation, and desktop-restart recovery.
Deep Service Inventory
Sends authorized IPs and normalized port lists through a shell-free Nmap bridge (using local Nmap or pinned Docker instrumentisto/nmap image). Normalizes XML output into digest-sealed capture records.
Surface & Change Intelligence
Baseline targets combine resolution, DNS records, allowlists, and web posture. Change intelligence compares resolved addresses, ports, DNS, HTTP headers, server disclosures, and TLS certs against prior sealed captures.
Findings & Professional Reports
Promote evidence into findings with severity, impact, remediation, and disposition. Reverify with evidence-backed retests and export clean JSON case files and printable HTML client reports.
TRUST CHAIN (v5.1) & RANGE FABRIC (v5.0)
Full-Tree Range Fingerprints
Verification covers every Dockerfile, entrypoint, tool, fixture, case file, scenario contract, and Compose definition under a deterministic sha256-tree-v1 root. Added or removed files change the root digest instantly.
Identity Citadel Realm
The first protocol-native enterprise range provisions a disposable Samba Active Directory realm with live DNS, Kerberos, LDAP, and SMB instead of replaying canned results.
Runtime Preflight & Launch Receipts
Range Fabric checks Docker Engine, Docker Compose, all nine pack roots, and containment policy through one diagnostic surface. Successful launches receive tamper-evident digest-sealed receipts.
Seven Field Missions Across Six Tracks
Network, Web + API, Detection, Cloud, Supply Chain, and Enterprise Identity now progress from live evidence with regression-proven tamper rejection.
ENTERPRISE FORGE, WEB FORGE & MASTERY SYSTEM
Enterprise Forge (v4.0)
Six specialist pathways (Windows/AD, Cloud Security, Detection/Incident Analysis, Linux Privilege/Host Security, Containers/Kubernetes, Software Supply Chain) with 72 complete enterprise lessons and 48 sealed enterprise cases. 127 total lessons (120h45m).
Web Forge (v3.0) & Mastery (v2.1)
27 Web + API lessons and 22 live conditions running against purpose-built vulnerable services inside internal-only Docker networks. Three principal capstones (Night Glass, Broken Orbit, Red Ledger) turning synthetic evidence into 15 scored professional decisions.
DaemonCore Chaos Engine & Power Domain
Four real black-box resilience profiles with a non-blocking native worker, live telemetry, SLO aborts, emergency stop, and resilience scoring. A dedicated disposable Chaos Worker drives up to 500 req/s, 100 concurrent workers, and 30,000 requests against the Academy black box.
GET DAEMONCORE ACADEMY.
Download the automated setup for Windows and start your tactical training.