Abstract:

K-12 educational institutions have become a frequent target of cyber-criminals, especially during and after the pandemic period. According to the literature, common cases of cyberattacks, in K-12 education include phishing, ransomware and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The rise of cyber-attacks and the global shortage of cyber security skilled personnel highlight the need for training and awareness raising in cyber security. The K-12CyberAwareness game is an innovative collaborative COFELET game aiming to train and raise cybersecurity awareness of K-12 teachers. By training teachers and highlighting the importance of cybersecurity, can help them keep their personal and students’ data safe and promote safe use of the cyberspace withing classrooms. Moreover, cybersecurity-aware and skilled teachers will disseminate their knowledge and skills to their students encouraging them to pursue a career in cybersecurity. The design of the K-12CyberAwareness game was based on the COFELET framework and the training material was formulated based on the information gathered from a literature review on cybersecurity risks and incidents recorded in K-12 education from 2018. An effort was made to integrate several incidents from the literature, into the game’s scenarios, without increasing the game’s duration. Open-source software was used to design the graphical user interface, AI-based tools were used to produce stunning visuals, and underlying simulation software was used for game development and pilot testing. This study presents the components of the game and the mechanisms that promote collaboration among players and foster joint decision making. The game was implemented for on-the-job training session with eight teachers, divided into two different groups of four, and it was evaluated using a 15-item questionnaire. The assessment focused mainly on the knowledge gained on cyber security concepts and countermeasures, the development of collaboration and joint decision-making, the relevance of the training materials, and the usability of the game. Results showed that the participating teachers were able to collaborate and make joint decisions about real life cyber-threats and learned ways to deal with common cyber-attacks.

Keywords:

COFELET, collaborative learning, cybersecurity, education, serious games, on-the-job training.