Enhancing Cyber Security - Development of trainings using 'Escape Room' Model

Covid-19 gave a push to digitalization: processes have been shifted into the virtual space, work was organized remotely, new business models have been created. While the use of ICT infrastructures...

Digital competencies and skills, especially cyber literacy, are urgently needed in an ever more digitalized world for minimizing risks and ensuring data and information protection. The growing numbers of cyber-attacks affect private persons, SMEs and corporations: CS becomes an urgent topic for employers and employees. The partners identified common problems and needs in GE, IT and PT, namely missing recognition of SMEs on the relevance of informing, sensitizing, and training non-technical staff for CS matters, missing focus of edu. institutions on trainings for non-technical/non-IT staff or VET learners on the topic of CS, insufficient preparation of VET teachers and trainers with knowledge and tools to hold trainings for non-technical staff/VET learners and the lack of online training programs aiming to raise awareness and train CS subjects mimicking real-life and real-work environments in an engaging way. With the three outputs, the project addressed exactly the needs. O1 puts together CS cases that serve for edu. purposes, based on real-life examples to VET trainers. O2 is relevant for the improvement of CS awareness and skills and supports information reception and knowledge application. O3 provides VET online training.

In O1 selection criteria for cyber security cases were defined for making them comparable, diverse, applicable and transferrable into the (VET) educational/learning environment. Partners decided on a structure of the compendium and collected case studies in their countries making use of their network. Elaboration of the compendium. In O2 escape room-based learning as a pedagogical concept was discussed, six learning scenarios focusing on different cyber security threats, were developed and accompanied by learning objectives, storyline and implementation notes in order to offer a comprehensive and practical resource for cybersecurity training, leveraging innovative approaches to enhance learning effectiveness and promote awareness of cybersecurity risks. Based on O1 and O2, O3, the virtual training program utilizing the Escape Room Model as a learning method in the field of CS was developed including 4 game episodes focusing each on different of the 6 developed SC scenarios set up on real-life situations. The escape room game was technically implemented through the dg games platform and subject to a 3-stage evaluation process, alpha, beta and pilot testing leading to a continuous improvement of the output.

1. The Compendium of Cyber Security Cases (O1) containing: – A contextualization of the escalating cyber threat landscape and the need for more awareness and skill development on cyber literacy – A comprehensive overview of national and EU CS strategies, including insights into ENISA's role and the EU Cybersecurity Act including various CS challenges – Collection of innovative training concepts (game-based learning and educational escape rooms) emphasizing experiential and immersive learning approaches – Description and evaluation of 26 practical CS cases in EN, DE, PT and IT. 2. Publication on “Cyber Alert Scenarios” (O2) in EN containing: - The discussion of theoretical pedagogical concepts, focusing on escape room-based learning. - Development of 6 learning scenarios: identity theft, CEO fraud, social media and password attacks, phishing/smishing, white hacker, awareness campaign. - Description of attack vectors and associated learning objectives for each scenario. - Implementation notes providing guidance for incorporating the scenarios into training programs or educational activities (transferability). 3. Virtual Training Escape Room as a web-based application containing: - Different component-based escape room content with information and action in the context of CS - 4 episodes focusing on the 6 developed CS scenarios in O2. the last episode contains a quiz to test and consolidate the learned content. in EN, DE, PT and IT.