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Kaspersky debuts [Dis]connected – a game that teaches cyber security

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 03 Feb 2022

Kaspersky has released a video game aimed at complementing traditional security awareness training programmes. The game demonstrates the benefits of secure behaviour and can be used to reinforce what employees have learned.

Titled [Dis]connected, the interactive cyber security quest follows the daily routine of a person in the near future who is on a mission to maintain a healthy work-life balance and be successful in both their career and relationships.

A recent Kaspersky survey of IT and cyber security practitioners revealed that 50% of enterprises have cyber security hygiene courses in place, but staff members may be reluctant to take part in these programmes.

Employees may think they could be forced to do someone else’s job, as there is a dedicated department responsible for cyber security, and they don’t see how it impacts their life, the company adds.

“As a result, even when they have completed the course and learned best practices, they may still act as they did before completing the training."

The storyline

In the game, players live a day set in the future, where smart home assistants can cook breakfast, and underwater homes and human augmentation have become commonplace.

But despite technological progress, familiar issues still remain – for example, the player has to solve a number of business and work tasks simultaneously. 

The plot has cyber security elements woven in, to highlight how decisions related to this subject can help to achieve or ruin the character’s goals. During the game, the player needs to solve a total of 24 cases covering topics such as passwords and accounts, e-mails, Web browsing, social networks and messengers, PC security and mobile devices.

The story features several alternate endings which depend on choices the player made throughout the game. At the end, they receive a summary of how successfully they coped with the project and what is happening in their personal life, as well as an assessment of their security skills and knowledge.

The one-hour gameplay is delivered piece by piece, with each session lasting up to ten minutes. According to Kaspersky, this makes it more digestible and helps the player retain what they have learned.

The game can be offered after employees pass training courses to consolidate their cyber security knowledge and motivate them to apply their skills in practice.

Choices and dilemmas

Denis Barinov, head of Kaspersky Academy, says the game is all about the choices and dilemmas of the modern world.

“Should we use the newest technologies to our advantage even if they create additional security risks? Or should we forgo them for the sake of security and become less effective in our work? Comfort versus security – is it possible to find a balance?”

He says making these sorts of choices in the course of the game will not only help players to embrace how to use technologies in a secure manner but also gain a better understanding about how cybersecurity is intertwined with their daily routine and how it affects their lives.

[Dis]connected is currently only available for corporate customers. It runs on Android and iOS smartphones. Free demo version of the game is available in App Store and Google Play.

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