Computer Games as a Pedagogical Tool for Creating Cyber Security Awareness

This study examines whether serious games and online quizzes can raise cyber security awareness and motivate students to change their security behaviour, using Nord University in Norway as the setting. Drawing on the surge in cyberattacks against the education and research sector, particularly the 43% rise in 2022, the authors argue that universities and schools need effective awareness training, especially for students who use personal devices and public networks. The work focuses on two courses, a basic information security course for teachers and a digital preparedness course for military, police, and public and private managers, and analyzes reflection notes from 92 students in total.

The researchers applied inductive thematic analysis, supported by NVivo, grounded in a social constructionist perspective. The results diverged markedly between cohorts. In the basic information security course, 42 of 43 students (98%) reported increased awareness, particularly regarding fraud and identity theft, and better understanding of workplace security rules. In the digital preparedness course, only 12 of 49 students (24%) reported increased awareness, though 28 (57%) judged games to be effective educational tools, provided they were realistic, organization-specific, and available in Norwegian. The authors attribute the difference partly to prior training and the stronger baseline awareness of the second group.

The study's findings are qualitative, based on self-reported reflections from a small, specific sample, and the authors explicitly state they are not generalizable beyond these data sets. They conclude that both groups value computer games in cyber security training and recommend tailoring games to audiences, with technical measures for managers and human-factor scenarios for teachers.