Date of Award

Winter 2026

Document Type

Thesis (Master's)

Department or Program

Computer Science

First Advisor

Chistophe Hauser

Second Advisor

Lorie Loeb

Third Advisor

James Mahoney

Abstract

Many everyday computer users lack the cybersecurity knowledge and motivation necessary to secure their personal devices. To better understand these barriers, we conducted an initial study with nine participants who were asked to complete simple laptop security tasks, such as reviewing firewall settings. We found two primary challenges: participants were unfamiliar with basic security features, and many expressed low motivation to engage in security practices even after learning about them. To address the motivational barrier, we developed a beginner-friendly cybersecurity game designed to reward users for completing real device security tasks. We compared this reward-based game to a version of the game that focused on explaining the tasks without providing motivational incentives. Results showed that the reward-based game significantly improved task completion, with participants completing an average of 5.50 out of 6 tasks compared to 1.97 out of 6 in the informational condition. These findings suggest that reward-based game strategies may be more effective than purely educational game approaches for encouraging secure behavior among novice users.

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