7. Starting early
Researchers at Kennesaw State University in Georgia developed virtual reality-based lessons and gamified learning software to help K-12 students develop cybersecurity skills.
“Cybersecurity is not yet an official part of school curriculums, yet we are living in an increasingly digital world,” Kennesaw professor Joy Li said in a press release. “This presented us a wonderful opportunity to make an impact on education by using games, which has become one of the most efficient ways to grab their attention. On a secondary level, we hope that this kind of exposure will encourage kids to pursue careers in cybersecurity.”
The University of Texas at San Antonio’s cybersecurity center developed games for K-12 students, both in digital and physical card formats. The games, designed for children as young as five years old, teach vocabulary and general cybersecurity concepts, like cryptography. One of the games introduces cybersecurity using bear mascots, called the CyBear family, which is complete with four bear characters named after famous computer scientists: Alan Turing, Grace Hopper, Augusta Ada King and Vint Cerf.
