CySecEscape – Escape room technique to raise cybersecurity awareness in SMEs

Abstract

With the evolution of information technology, more and more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are using technology to support and grow businesses. With the prevalence of the internet, SMEs are constantly evaluating and adapting new technologies such as software as a service, cloud computing, or the internet of things. All these new opportunities are coming with inherent risks of everchanging cyberspace and overgrowing cybercrime. SMEs are soft targets for cybercriminals and the need for controls is evidenced by accumulating fraud incidents, identity thefts, denial of service attacks and illicit accesses or breaches of data over the last few years. This limits the ability of SMEs to innovate and gain business advantage. Previous research has shown that the human factor remains the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain, so it is paramount to make sure the employees receive effective training to embrace a security mindset. This study focuses on developing a prototype of a portable escape room to raise cybersecurity awareness in SMEs. Evaluation highlights that the escape room method is a worthy instrument.