Seminar: From Boring to Engaging: Transforming Cybersecurity Education with Games and Visual Technologies
Zikai Alex Wen
HCI Researcher, Specializing in Usable Privacy and Security
Privacy, Accessibility, Security Tech for All (PASTA) Lab
Virginia Tech
Friday, October 25, 2024
2:30 - 3:45PM
3100 Torgersen Hall
Abstract
Despite improvements in cybersecurity and privacy education, most people still find these concepts boring and difficult to apply. My research leverages games and visual technologies to make these topics engaging and accessible. I explore visual explanations of privacy-enhancing technologies to improve user comprehension and trust, design "What.Hack," a role-playing video game for effective anti-phishing training, and develop interactive e-learning tools for families to build digital resilience together.
My research demonstrates how game-based learning and visual techniques can better equip users to protect themselves online. Future research will expand these approaches in the context of emerging technologies like generative AI, aiming to create more effective and engaging cybersecurity education.
Biography
Dr. Zikai Alex Wen is a human-computer interaction (HCI) researcher specializing in usable privacy and security, aiming to help users enhance their digital resilience and anti-deception capabilities. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Cornell University and currently works at the Privacy, Accessibility, Security Tech for All (PASTA) Lab as a postdoc at Virginia Tech, advised by Prof. Yaxing Yao.
His work focuses on designing engaging cybersecurity education methods, such as video games and interactive media, and optimizing privacy-enhancing technologies for usability. He has published in top venues like ACM CHI, Information Sciences, and ACM CCS, and received the AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Award Honorable Mention in Security and Privacy. His work led to securing major funding, including the $3.8M E-learning Ancillary Facilities Grant, and has had real-world impact, such as an anti-phishing training game adopted by a Fortune 500 global bank.