A Review of Using Gaming Technology for Cyber-Security Awareness

Rapid development has been observed in the deployment of communication technologies and the use of the Internet across the globe. Information exchange is the main aspect of use of such technologies in everyday life. Crimes associated with the misuse of information on the Internet are on the increase and are resulting in various losses. Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest developing countries in the Middle East, where the uptake of communication technologies such as the Internet and mobile technologies has risen sharply in recent years. These technologies are relatively new to the region when compared to developed countries. Therefore, the crimes associated with these technologies may be new to the people in the region. Our previous study has found that there is an immediate need for launching awareness programs about cyber security and cyber-attacks, keeping in view of the rising Internet and mobile usage in the country. A mobile gaming application was preferred by the participants in the previous study to address the issue of creating awareness. Considering the results from the previous study, this paper reviews various studies focusing on gaming applications and the effectiveness of their usage in creating cyber security awareness. Different gaming applications are studied and compared, and majority of the studies proved to be effective in creating awareness among the users. However, there are few aspects which need to be considered such as suitability or tailoring the applications/games according to the user needs and requirements, issue specific games etc. The review of the previous studies and gaming applications in this paper has found that mobile gaming applications are effective in creating cyber security awareness.

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