Security Card Game
In brief
Understanding the problem, developing solutions
Issues
The human factor is the primary source of vulnerability to cyber-attacks (phishing, social engineering, negligence in access management). Whilst traditional awareness-raising training is essential, it often struggles to engage teams in the long term due to its theoretical and top-down nature.
Objective
The project reimagines continuing professional development in cybersecurity, resulting in an educational game in the form of a physical, modular game. It features real-life attack scenarios designed to demystify technical complexity and encourage good cyber hygiene practices within organisations:
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Mapping out real-world cyber threats: Modelling the most common attacks faced by SMEs and organisations in the form of action and event maps.
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Developing active learning mechanisms: Encouraging collective decision-making, fostering a culture of crisis management and helping participants to adopt the recommended defensive measures without using off-putting jargon.
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Assessing the educational impact: Rigorously measuring the retention rate of best practices amongst panels of staff before and after the gaming sessions.
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Developing active learning mechanisms: Encouraging collective decision-making, fostering a culture of crisis management and helping participants to adopt the recommended defensive measures without using off-putting jargon.
A collaborative project that is funded and well-organised
Budget
CHF 149,731
Total project costs
CHF 100'000
Funding [seal]
Key dates for the project
End of 2025
Start of the collaborative project
Early 2027
Dissemination of results
Game design and production: development of the educational concept, visual style and card-based experience to make cyber security behaviours easier to understand, discuss and practise
Technical expertise and cyber-threat scenario development: providing practical expertise on current vulnerabilities and attacks, and jointly developing the game’s scenarios to ensure their technical realism and relevance to the day-to-day challenges faced by businesses in the Canton of Vaud
Human factors and behavioural evaluation: designing and conducting a user study to assess usability, trust, acceptance and contexts of use, and to guide future improvements