Game-based learning is becoming an important element that many security managers are hoping to incorporate into a cyber security education program to engage employees in understanding risks within their own job context, and to improve resistance to threats. There are some key objectives that must be met to align the interests of employees and the organization in a gamified learning world. While “gamification” is a buzzword that implies “fun” to some people, that’s usually not what management wants the objective to be. This presents some interesting challenges in creating a large-scale, integrated framework or strategy for using gamification to improve security awareness.
This session will provide a background on the important principles of gaming that need to be considered in order to be worth investing in for educational purposes. It will also explore how these principles can be integrated effectively into cyber security training programs to improve value to the business through better engagement, comprehension and metrics for achieving cyber security awareness.
Scott Wright is an Ottawa-based veteran security professional who specializes in helping business teams manage the risks from human vulnerabilities. He has created innovative initiatives such as the Honey Stick Project for USB drives, smartphones and rogue wifi hotspots. His latest project involves gamification and tailoring of training content for businesses that focuses on a risk-based methodology. He also co-hosts the “Shared Security Podcast” on iTunes and speaks on security and privacy to groups in the financial manufacturing and healthcare fields. Scott has an engineering degree from the University of Waterloo, and an MBA from the University of Ottawa. He also worked for 10 years as a software product manager with companies such as Entrust and Hummingbird.
