The proposal of a virtual Internet of Things (IoT) sensor network emerges as a cost-effective solution to enhance laboratory practices within educational environments. This simulation of IoT ecosystems at the software level offers a practical approach to understanding and implementing IoT technologies. This research validates predominant IoT messaging protocols through a virtual IoT laboratory, analyzing the configuration of encrypted and unencrypted messaging protocols. Therefore, this approach establishes a series of laboratory practices focused on Hypertext Transfer Protocol / Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTP/HTTPS) and Message Queuing Telemetry Transport / Message Queuing Telemetry Transport Secure (MQTT/MQTTS), which are prevalent within IoT cloud platforms. From a cybersecurity standpoint, the investigation offers a methodology for evaluating the security effectiveness of these protocols, specifically in the context of passive attacks. Undergraduate students of the Universidad Internacional del Ecuador (UIDE, abbreviation in Spanish) tested and validated these laboratory practices in the Emerging Technologies course as part of the Information Technology Engineering Program. Finally, opinion surveys demonstrated the pedagogical impact of these laboratory practices during the academic period (November 2023 - March 2024). The feedback served as a cornerstone for the ongoing curriculum enhancement of the course.