Title: An Abstract Cyber Security Strategy Game

Proposer: Hans-Wolfgang Loidl

Suggested supervisors: Hans-Wolfgang Loidl

Goal: Implement and evaluate a boardgame on the topic of "cyber security".

Description:

Cyber security is currently one of the main priority areas of the UK government with its UK Cyber Security Strategy [2] outlining the Government’s plans for ensuring a secure and prosperous cyberspace for UK citizens and businesses. A recent boardgame, designed by Andreas Haggman, aims to model, on an abstract level, the threats and vulnerabilities of the UK and other technology-focused states in the context of on-line business and government. The main aim of this project is to implement Haggman's design for a cyber strategy game on a mobile deviced, preferably Android, and to evaluate the game by running a gaming session with testers and evaluate their experience as well as the game dynamics.

The project will proceed in the following stages:

• Literature review on cyber security, board game design, and programming mobile devices.
• An initial implementation of the game as a multi-player game on mobile devices.
• Test and evaluation of the initial implementation, identifying areas for improvement.
• A revised implementation based on the above
• Test and evaluation of the revised implementation, in terms of software quality and gaming experience.

Resources required: Android devices (can be provided by the department).

Degree of difficulty: Moderate

Background needed: Requires good programming background; a general interest in game design is desirable.

References:

[1] Haggman's design for a cyber strategy game

[2] UK Cyber Security Strategy

[3] National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021