Development of an educational platform for anti-scamming and anti-phishing

• Main Author: Zhong, Yi
• Other Authors: Chan Chee Keong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168526
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Since the dot-com bubble, the internet and its associated technologies have become an increasingly large part of our daily lives. Unfortunately, the rising global usage of the internet and the expansion of cyberspace has also led to an increasing rate of cybercrimes. This is more so due to the global pandemic where many began working remotely, further increasing reliance on the internet for both work and leisure purposes. The target group for this project, Generation Z, are also known as the internet natives. Having grown up with technology and the internet as a ubiquitous presence in their lives, this tech-savvy generation relies heavily on online resources in their daily life. In response to this concerning trend, there have been efforts made to educate our digital natives. To maximise the impact, it is important to reinvent the way we teach based on their learning needs. To educate through more interactive and engaging methods in order to equip them with critical skills to protect themselves on the internet which they highly depend on. With the scope of scams and phishing in mind, the goal of this project aims to develop a suitable platform that allows the target group to have fun while learning. With the concept of gamification, where a game is designed to educate the target audience, a game is developed for the purpose of this project. The game “Fake to Fish(F2F)” is a 2-D game developed on unity where players need to complete the game by reaching each level check point. In the process of doing so, they can collect items that give them points and will need to avoid traps that will result in player death. This mimics real life scenarios that players will encounter, where they have to discern for themselves what are the risks involved and if they are worth taking. User acceptance testing was conducted on selected students where they are invited to play the game and provide their feedback. In conclusion, this game is by and large enjoyed by the respondents with many mentioning it being ‘interesting’ and that they enjoy learning through games. It has the potential to cater to a wider target audience. As this project is in its infancy, future prospects can involve increasing the game depth and widening the scope of scenarios posted based on upcoming trends in cybercrimes as well.