Cyber education is more important than ever. While technological advancements and internet growth offer amazing possibilities, they also bring new threats. Experts predict that the global cost of cybercrime will reach $10.5 trillion by 2025, up from $9.5 trillion in 2024. This highlights the need for everyone to understand cybersecurity and the potential risks waiting online.
But let’s be real – cybersecurity can be dry and complicated. However, do you know what’s not boring and difficult? Gaming. Cybersecurity games offer a hands-on approach that makes complex concepts easy to grasp. These games can transform overwhelming topics into exciting adventures, especially for younger kids. By making learning fun, games can help students retain up to 90% of what they learn and encourage them to keep exploring.
So, what cybersecurity games are out there? We explored the world of gaming and cybersecurity to find out why it works and which virtual adventures are waiting for you (and your little ones) to press play. We also share essential tools like the best parental controls and a VPN Chrome extension for browser safety. Keep reading to discover more.
What Is Cyber Education and Why Does It Matter?
Cyber education is the process of learning how to use the internet safely and protect your data. It covers a range of topics from basic digital literacy, like understanding internet privacy settings, to advanced cybersecurity measures, such as encryption and network security. As digital technologies become fundamental to daily life, proficiency in them is essential. Cyber education ensures we use these tools effectively and responsibly, preparing us for a constantly evolving digital world.
The Importance of Cyber Education
With the average person spending nearly 7 hours online each day, we are increasingly vulnerable to threats like phishing, scams, and malware. Without cyber education, we wouldn’t know how to protect ourselves from these risks.
Beyond just staying safe, cyber education helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It teaches us to question online information, verify sources, and think about where and how we share personal information.
Additionally, cyber education opens up new career opportunities. As more of our world goes digital, the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals is skyrocketing. Learning about cybersecurity can lead to exciting and rewarding careers. Despite a 12.6% growth in the workforce between 2022 and 2023, there’s still a talent gap of about 3.5 million professionals. The demand for cybersecurity workers is increasing faster than the global workforce can keep up with, highlighting the need for talent to address evolving digital threats.
Understanding Online Threats: Why Children Are Especially at Risk
While adults benefit from cyber education by safeguarding their data and privacy, children face unique challenges online. Due to their lack of experience, children could be more vulnerable to online threats.
In 2023, almost 70% of children and adolescents were exposed to cyber risks, according to one report, including harmful content, online predators, cyberbullying, and excessive use of technology. This consistently high exposure rate since 2018 has created what some are calling a “cyber pandemic” for children, making the need for cyber education not just important, but urgent.
Some of the most common online threats that children face include:
Phishing
Phishing scams target kids by tricking them into giving out their or their parents’ personal information like bank account numbers, passwords, and credit card details. These scams typically come through emails or social media messages that appear to be from reputable sources. Cybercriminals might even pose as family or friends to gain trust.
Spotting phishing can be hard for kids. Scammers study children’s online habits to tailor their attacks. For example, if a child searches for sneakers, they might receive a fake email offering a discount, increasing the chances they’ll click on the link.
Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone uses stolen personal information to commit fraud. Kids aren’t usually the main targets, but they’re still at risk because they often share personal info online without realizing the consequences.
Information such as photos, location check-ins, and email addresses can be publicly accessible, making it easier for criminals to commit fraud. With this data, they can open accounts or apply for loans in a child’s name. The impact is significant and often goes unnoticed until the child becomes an adult and tries to use their credit.
Malware and Ransomware
Malware includes viruses, spyware, and other harmful software that can infect devices without consent. Cybercriminals can trick kids into downloading malware via phishing emails or fake websites. Once installed, malware can steal information and even access the device’s camera. Spyware allows criminals to monitor everything a child does on their device, while ransomware can lock and encrypt a device – preventing the child from using it until a payment is made to unlock it.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a major issue for children. In the US, studies have shown that over 60% of kids have been targeted by cyberbullies, with almost 1 in 4 experiencing it more than once. Online bullying can take many forms, including harassing, threatening, embarrassing, or targeting a person online.
Social media, in particular, have become popular platforms for cyberbullying – with 75% of social media cyberbullying incidents occurring on Facebook. Understandably, this can have drastic emotional and psychological effects on children, leaving many concerned for their safety not just online, but in their day-to-day lives too.
Inappropriate Content
Children may accidentally access inappropriate content online without proper cyber education and safeguards, such as parental controls. This includes adult content, offensive, and violent material like hate speech or sexually explicit videos and images. Worryingly, one study found that over 50% of children aged 10 to 12 have seen inappropriate content online.
Repeated exposure to this type of content can harm a child’s well-being and self-esteem, often without parents realizing it. In many cases, inappropriate content appears disguised as something harmless, like a kid-friendly gaming video that contains harmful material.
Social Engineering and Online Scams
Similar to phishing, cybercriminals can use social engineering to gain children’s trust and extract information. They might create fake social media profiles to chat with a child, grooming or catfishing them. After building rapport, they may coax the child into sharing personal information, sending money, or performing actions online. This exposes children to risks such as identity theft, fraud, scams, and threatening behavior.
Data Breaches
While kids aren’t usually the direct targets of data breaches, their information is still at risk because schools are often targeted. In fact, since 2005, schools in the US have had 37.6 million records exposed.
Schools collect tons of personal data, like names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. If cybercriminals breach a school’s defenses, all that sensitive information can end up exposed, putting a child’s privacy and security at risk. And let’s not forget, advertising companies are also tracking kids’ online habits. If these companies aren’t careful, a breach could leak even more of their data.
Unsecured Networks
Connecting to public networks and hotspots can expose children to unknown risks. Public networks at places like hotels, restaurants, and transport hubs often have weak security, making it easier for cybercriminals to steal information. Some cybercriminals even create fake hotspots that look trustworthy, tricking children into connecting to a network that allows spying and data theft.
Educational Gaming as a Solution
With 90% of children over 8 years old using the internet and only 40% of parents aware of the cyber threats their children face, it’s clear that kids are navigating a digital world full of risks. While schools cover some basics, there’s a huge gap in what kids learn about online safety. This is where educational gaming comes in.
While teaching children about cyber hygiene can feel dull, especially when it involves reading pages of text, educational cybersecurity games offer an exciting alternative.
These games blend the excitement and engagement of gaming with the serious task of learning about complex digital defense mechanisms. They provide interactive and immersive experiences that teach theoretical concepts and allow kids to practice new skills in simulated environments. From defending against virtual cyber attacks to managing the security of a digital enterprise, these games can prepare children for real-world challenges without the risk of real-world consequences.
Benefits of Gaming in Cyber Education
Using gaming to educate children about cyber practices has many benefits:
- Interactive Learning: Cyber games make complex cybersecurity concepts more fun and engaging than just reading text, keeping kids interested and helping them remember and apply what they learn.
- Active Recall: Simple activities like card-matching games encourage kids to think about what they’ve learned and recall information more effectively than reading lists of terms.
- Healthy Competition: Many games incorporate leaderboards, levels, and badges to make learning exciting and rewarding, motivating kids to improve their cybersecurity knowledge.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Cybersecurity games introduce multiple topics at once, from basic password security to complex network defense strategies, making them a versatile learning tool for all ages.
- Real-World Practice: Games simulate real-life cybersecurity challenges like brute force attacks, allowing kids to practice threat detection, system defense, and strategic decision-making in a risk-free environment.
- Hands-On Experience: By providing practical scenarios, games let kids see how cybersecurity concepts work in practice, which helps them retain new information.
- Instant Feedback: Most games offer immediate feedback, helping kids quickly understand what they did right or wrong and adjust their strategies, which is essential as cyber threats constantly evolve.
- Risk-Free Learning: Games create a safe space for kids to make mistakes and learn from them without actually compromising their digital security.
Best Cyber Games for Teaching Digital Security
Here are five popular cyber games that turn complex concepts into exciting challenges:
1. Interland
Interland is a web-based game developed by Google as part of its “Be Internet Awesome” educational campaign. The game is set in a colorful, virtual world made up of four islands, each representing different aspects of internet awareness and safety:
- Kind Kingdom teaches the importance of being kind and positive online, helping you recognize and combat cyberbullying
- Reality River revolves around differentiating real from fake information, enhancing your ability to spot phishing and scams
- Mindful Mountain encourages secure surfing, emphasizing the importance of keeping personal information private
- Tower of Treasure secures secrets, highlighting how to create strong passwords and protect valuable information from cybercriminals
The gameplay is simple and easy to navigate. Players help their characters explore different islands by solving puzzles and answering questions. Each challenge reinforces key concepts about online safety, enhancing critical thinking, and promoting responsible internet use. At the end of the game, players can also get a certificate to showcase their skills.
Interland is a free web-based platform, making it accessible to everyone with internet access. No downloads or installations are needed, making it easy to use anywhere to teach kids internet safety basics.
2. Cybersecurity Lab
Cybersecurity Lab, developed by PBS, is an interactive online game designed to teach the intricacies of cyber defense in a start-up business setting.
In the game, players assume the role of chief technology officer for a fictional start-up social networking company. The game challenges players to defend the company against increasingly complex cyber threats. Players must manage a set budget to prioritize defenses, and they can increase their budget by completing challenges that teach skills like password cracking, coding, and social engineering. This helps players learn to implement strong cybersecurity measures, educate others, and respond to attacks.
Despite its cartoony style and playful take on company logos (they resemble Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.), the game realistically simulates the cybersecurity challenges faced by new tech companies. It serves as a valuable educational tool for understanding real-world cyber defense strategies and fostering critical thinking and strategic planning skills. Players learn the importance of proactive measures and the need to continuously improve security protocols to adapt to evolving threats.
Cybersecurity Lab is designed for high school and college students but is suitable for anyone interested in corporate cybersecurity. While younger players can participate, the complex language makes it more suitable for use with a teacher or an adult to help explain difficult concepts. The game is available online for free, making it accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
3. Space Shelter
Space Shelter by Google is an engaging, interactive game that teaches cybersecurity through a space adventure. Players act as spaceship commanders, tasked with navigating the galaxy and defending their ship from online threats like viruses, phishing attempts, and cyber attacks that appear in the form of alien spacecraft and asteroids.
Players also have to:
- Upgrade and manage cybersecurity measures such as passwords, firewalls, 2FA, and anti-malware systems
- Solve puzzles related to password strength and encryption to keep the ship secure
- Make important decisions that affect the privacy and security of your crew and mission data
Space Shelter translates digital safety and cybersecurity concepts into a fun and engaging format, highlighting the importance of protecting digital information and systems. It emphasizes proactive security measures and teaches players how to respond to potential cyber threats.
With its space theme, the game is ideal for young teens and adults, suitable for both educational settings and individual play. Space Shelter is available on various devices, making it accessible to a diverse audience.
4. TryHackMe
TryHackMe is an interactive platform that teaches cybersecurity in a real-world context. Unlike traditional games, it offers immersive learning through simulated environments where users can practice hacking and defend against cyber threats in a controlled and legal setting.
The platform caters to both beginners and advanced users with diverse learning paths and modules. Participants engage in hands-on activities covering a wide range of \topics, including network penetration testing, ethical hacking fundamentals, reverse engineering, cryptography, and web application security.
Each module is structured as a “room” with tasks ranging from simple quizzes to complex hacking challenges. Using a gamified approach with points and leaderboards, TryHackMe motivates users and tracks progress. This practical approach demystifies cybersecurity, providing tools and confidence to tackle real-world security challenges while enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It also prepares users for potential careers in cybersecurity as it mirrors actual work in the field.
TryHackMe isn’t specifically designed for children, as some concepts can be challenging for younger users. However, teenagers and older students could benefit greatly. Accessible online, TryHackMe requires just a web browser and an internet connection.
Top Tips for Staying Safe Online
While cyber games are doing an amazing job of teaching kids about cybersecurity, we all know that learning doesn’t stop when the game is over! There are simple, practical steps you can take to reinforce these lessons and protect your family online. Here’s how to extend those in-game strategies into everyday life:
1. Enable Parental Controls
Parental controls are a valuable tool for guiding your child’s online experiences. They allow you to filter inappropriate content, set screen time limits, and control app usage. Many devices and apps offer built-in parental controls, and there are additional apps like Google Family Link that provide comprehensive options for managing your child’s digital activity.
2. Use a VPN
Using a VPN is a smart way to protect your internet connection, especially when you or your kids connect to public Wi-Fi networks. A VPN encrypts your data, making it much harder for hackers to spy on your online activities. Consider using a VPN app for overall device protection or a VPN Chrome extension if you want to secure just your browser.
3. Use Strong Passwords
Cyber games teach kids to create strong defenses. In the real world, that means using strong passwords. Encourage your kids to create passwords that are long and complex, mixing numbers, symbols, and both uppercase and lowercase letters. Each account should have a unique password. Teach them to avoid using easily guessed passwords like birthdays or pet names. Using a password manager can help keep track of multiple complex passwords securely.
4. Turn On Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an excellent way to add another layer of security to your accounts. It requires users to verify their identity with something they have (like a phone) in addition to something they know (like a password). Even if a hacker gets hold of your password, they won’t be able to access the account without the second factor. Encourage your kids to enable MFA on all accounts that offer it. It’s a simple step that significantly boosts security.
5. Update Devices
Device updates can be annoying, but they’re necessary for protecting device security. Most updates include patches to fix security issues that cybercriminals could exploit to gain access to your device or steal your information. If you fail to update your apps, these loopholes could remain unfixed, leaving you vulnerable.
6. Use Secure Networks
Teach your kids the importance of connecting to secure networks. Public Wi-Fi networks, like those in cafes or airports, can be risky because they often lack proper security measures. If you must use public Wi-Fi, make sure it’s a legitimate network. Confirm the network name with the staff or use a trusted hotspot. A VPN can add an extra layer of security when using these networks, keeping your data safe from prying eyes.
7. Install an Antivirus
Antiviruses can help you detect harmful software on your device. It can also detect risks as they appear, preventing you from downloading malicious content or clicking on suspicious links. If a website isn’t secure, an antivirus will alert you. Be sure to install a reputable antivirus and keep it updated. Show your kids how to run regular scans and pay attention to alerts that may indicate suspicious activity.
8. Be Vigilant
Teach your kids to be cautious about what they share online. Encourage them to think twice before posting personal information such as their location, school, or phone number. Remind them that once something is posted, it can be difficult to remove it entirely. Being mindful of what they share helps protect their privacy and keeps them safe from potential online threats.
9. Adjust Privacy Settings
Help your kids review and adjust the privacy settings on their apps and devices. Some apps request permissions that aren’t necessary, like access to your camera or microphone. Ensure that only essential permissions are granted and encourage your kids to be selective about the information they share. This step is important for maintaining privacy and protecting personal data.
How do you teach your kids about online safety at home? Share your tips in the comments below!
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