Raising awareness for cybersecurity with a VR game

The Positive Thinking Company has been inspired by the motto learning by doing and offers a playful cyber security awareness training. The Security Game is based on the principles of active and collaborative pedagogy and uses VR and the concept of Escape Games.

In the skin of a cyber pirate

The virtual reality module of this serious game was developed in collaboration with the Swiss start-up Epekina, which has specialised in VR solutions since 2019. Equipped with an Oculus Quest 2 headset, participants slip into the role of a person who gained access to the premises of their former employer. The goal is to obtain as much information as possible in order to then pass it on to a person seeking a competitive advantage over the company.

"Immersion in virtual reality triggers an emotional response that facilitates learning and long-term retention of information. The application has been designed to be accessible to everyone, including those who have never been exposed to a VR headset before," it continues.

In the next module, the Escape Game, employees are asked to deceive their interlocutors and gather as much information about them as possible. The training then concludes with a field report highlighting the best practices and safety risks covered in the first two immersive modules.

Raising awareness of various cyber threats

According to the Positive Thinking Company, this hands-on training dusts off traditional awareness-raising methods. The Western Switzerland-based provider explains that the security game approach effectively raises awareness of various cyber threats: physical security, social engineering, password security, phishing emails, portable device security, and viruses and their impact.

In small groups, employees can engage in an exciting safety adventure. The company summarises the benefits as follows:

• Employees are placed in a real attack scenario
• They become actors in their own education to improve the acquisition of knowledge
• The team's awareness of safety issues is improved
• The motivation and cohesion in the team (team building) increases

The Russian IT security provider Kaspersky is pursuing a similar approach: the company has developed a mobile phone game - an interactive cybersecurity telenovela, so to speak. While trying to do your job and not lose your partner, you are supposed to learn more about passwords, PC security and other topics through play. It should help to consolidate what has been learned in training courses.

Source: swisscybersecurity / Positive Thinking Company