(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-12)
Ren, Ziang
Cybersecurity is a concern for both organizations and individual users. Although there are a variety of security tools available, the number of cybersecurity incidents is still high. One cause of this phenomenon is that users are typically unaware or underestimating the potential negative consequences of their insecure behaviors on the internet. This leads to a lack of motivation among users for adopting security tools that require additional efforts in order to access a desired service. Conventional methods in promoting people s awareness of cybersecurity such as information sessions hosted by cybersecurity professionals have been shown to be ineffective. Video games is a novel approach in cybersecurity education has achieved some success in training cybersecurity professionals. However, whether video games are an effective method for educating the general public about the basic concepts of cybersecurity remains untested. This study presents Stranger Danger, a video game that simulates real-world exploits and teaches its users via negative reinforcements. The purpose of the study is to examine whether video games are effective in teaching the general public about basic cybersecurity concepts.