Digital defenders: Computer security literacy via game-based learning

Within the field of computer and information security, there has been a relatively recent surge of interest on a multitude of topics. However, this body of research typically focuses on the implementation or theory of security controls and mechanisms at the application, operating system, network, and physical layers. The user layer, long recognized as the weakest link in the security chain, has had little to no attention paid to it by comparison, especially from a sociotechnical perspective which is fairly new to engineering. With the introduction of new technologies putting modern society in an almost constant state of flux, familiarity with technology is no longer simply a luxury, but almost a necessity. To that end, we propose the development of an educational game to help instill vital engineering skills as well as practical and relevant computer security practices to users who might not necessarily have a technical background. This approach would take advantage of the relatively recent explosion in the popularity of video games and digital distribution platforms such as Steam to reach a wider potential audience base. In addition, we would assess the effectiveness of this approach utilizing the evaluation of training programs as proposed by Kirkpatrick.