Games for Developer-Centred Security

This page is dedicated to interdisciplinary research into using serious games for developer centred security.

Citadel Programming Lab (2021-22)

We have developed a secure coding game-based lab called the Citadel Programming Lab. You can find out more and try the lab at: https://citadel-programming-lab.gitlab.io/

Secrious Project (2020-2023)

The Secrious project is funded by EPSRC EP/T017511/1 to develop a Game Approach To Security For The New Code-Citizens @SecriousProject.

Impact of Gamification on Developer-Centred Security (2017-18)

The cyber security context requires to better understand how developers write (in)secure code and to assist them in their software developments. To investigate how to help developers build more secure software, we aim to identify activities that could effectively persuade developers to improve their cybersecurity skills and increase the security of their code. We want in particular to investigate the impact gamification and serious games have on secure coding training.

In this NCSC-RISCS project, we have developed a secure coding experiment and serious game intervention [GaLA-2018,EuroUSEC-2019]. The project lead by Manuel Maarek was a collaboration between Heriot-Watt University and the Glasgow School of Art. The members of this project are:

  • Manuel Maarek (Heriot-Watt University)
  • Sandy Louchart (Glasgow School of Art)
  • Léon McGregor (Heriot-Watt University)
  • Ross McMennemy (Glasgow School of Art)

The online game embeds a set of programming exercises in a tower defence game which design reflects on the purposes of the programming tasks.

Game screenshot gameplay

Figure 1: Gameplay

Game screenshot upgrades

Figure 2: Game upgrades

Programming screenshot menu

Figure 3: Programming menu

Programming screenshot environment

Figure 4: Programming environment
Do not hesitate to contact Manuel Maarek if you are interested in this research.

Publications

[EuroUSEC-2019]
Manuel Maarek, Léon McGregor, Sandy Louchart, and Ross McMenemy. How Could Serious Games Support Secure Programming? Designing a Study Replication and Intervention. EuroUSEC European Workshop on Usable Security, Stockholm, Sweden, April 2019. In EuroS&P Workshops 2019, pages: 139–148
[ DOI ]
[GaLA-2018]
Manuel Maarek, Sandy Louchart, Léon McGregor, and Ross McMenemy. Co-created Design of a Serious Game Investigation into Developer-Centred Security. In Manuel Gentile, Mario Allegra, and Heinrich Söbke, editors, Games and Learning Alliance, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 221–231. Springer International Publishing, 2019.
[ DOI ]