⚡ Quick Summary
A recent systematic mapping study explored the role of gamification in information security awareness (ISA) programs, revealing its effectiveness in enhancing employee knowledge and reducing human errors related to security breaches. The study identified significant research gaps, particularly in adaptive gamification and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
🔍 Key Details
- 📊 Papers Analyzed: 69 research papers
- 🗓️ Publication Trend: Increased interest from 2015 to 2022
- 🔍 Research Types: Evaluation and validation research
- 🛠️ Contribution Type: Primarily tools for gamification
- 🎮 Gamification Types: Content gamification more prevalent than structural gamification
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 📈 Gamification is a promising method for enhancing ISA programs.
- 🔍 Research Gap: Limited studies on adaptive and AI-based gamification.
- 🗓️ Trend Analysis: Growing interest in gamification from 2015 to 2022.
- 🛠️ Tools Development: Majority of contributions focused on developing gamification tools.
- 🎮 Content vs. Structural: Content gamification is more commonly used.
- 🤖 AI Integration: Potential for AI to tailor gamification experiences.
- 🌐 Sector Impact: Effective in both private and public sectors.
- 📚 Future Research: Need for studies on dynamic adaptive gamification.
📚 Background
In today’s digital landscape, information security awareness is crucial for organizations, as many security breaches stem from human errors. Traditional training methods often fall short in engaging employees effectively. This is where gamification comes into play, offering a more interactive and engaging approach to learning about security practices.
🗒️ Study
The systematic mapping study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of gamification within ISA programs. Researchers analyzed a total of 69 papers, categorizing them based on various criteria such as document type, year of publication, and the type of gamification employed. This methodology allowed for the identification of trends and gaps in the existing literature.
📈 Results
The findings indicated a clear division in publication types, with a higher number of papers appearing in conference proceedings compared to journals. The study highlighted that the majority of research focused on evaluation and validation, with tools being the primary contribution type. Notably, content gamification was favored over structural gamification, suggesting a preference for engaging content in ISA programs.
🌍 Impact and Implications
The implications of this study are significant for organizations looking to enhance their information security awareness programs. By integrating gamification, companies can create more engaging and effective training experiences. Furthermore, the identified research gaps in adaptive and AI-based gamification present exciting opportunities for future studies, potentially leading to more personalized and effective security training solutions.
🔮 Conclusion
This systematic mapping study underscores the importance of gamification in improving information security awareness. As organizations continue to face security challenges, leveraging gamification techniques could be a game-changer in educating employees and reducing human errors. Future research should focus on exploring adaptive gamification and AI integration to further enhance these programs.
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A systematic mapping study on gamification within information security awareness programs.
Abstract
Information security awareness (ISA) has become a vital issue for organizations, as security breaches are usually attributed to human errors. ISP programs are effective ways to educate employees and enhance their information security knowledge. Gamification is a new concept in the area of ISA programs and it has been proven to be one of the most effective and proper ISA methods in both the private and public sectors. Despite a growing interest in employing gamification as an ISP program in recent years, there is a lack of study to provide a comprehensive overview of gamification within ISA programs and identify trends, patterns, and research gaps in this area in order to direct future research. To bridge this gap, a systematic mapping study is adopted as a research methodology. A total of 69 papers were selected and classified by document type, year of publication, research type, research contribution, gamification type, gamification in terms of adaptivity based on the target group, and gamification in terms of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in order to make it user-tailored. The mapping study revealed that the published papers in this area were split between journals and conference papers with a higher proportion published in conference proceedings. Regarding the publication trend, from 2015 to 2022, gamification within ISA programs has come across to researchers’ attention. The identified two main research types were evaluation research and validation research and the vast majority of the contribution type was tools. Moreover, content gamification has been used more commonly in ISA programs than structural gamification. Furthermore, the finding indicated that there were clear gaps in employing adaptive gamification, dynamic adaptive gamification and AI-based adaptive gamification, which makes these areas significant for future research.
Author: [‘Pahlavanpour O’, ‘Gao S’]
Journal: Heliyon
Citation: Pahlavanpour O and Gao S. A systematic mapping study on gamification within information security awareness programs. A systematic mapping study on gamification within information security awareness programs. 2024; 10:e38474. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38474