Snakes and ladders for digital natives: information security education for the youth

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to educate the youth about information security. Cyber technologies and services are increasingly becoming integrated into individual’s daily lives. As such, individuals are constantly being exposed to the benefits and risks of these technologies. Cyber security knowledge and skills are becoming fundamental life skills for today’s users. This is particularly true for the current generation of digital natives. Design/methodology/approach – Within the design science paradigm, several case studies are used to evaluate the research artefact. Findings – The authors believe that the presented artefact could effectively convey basic information security concepts to the youth. Research limitations/implications – This study had a number of limitations. First, all the learner groups who participated in this study were too small to enable analysis of findings for statistical significance. Second, the data compiled on the long-term effectiveness of the game for Group B was incomplete. This limitation was the result of School B’s ethical concerns regarding learners being a vulnerable target audience. Originality/value – This paper presents and evaluates a brain-compatible, information security educational game that can be used to introduce information security concepts to the youth from a very young age.