Cyber Futures Escape Room Activity Exposes Over 600 Students to Real-World Cyber Security Challenges
Over the past three months, the Cyber Futures Escape Room activity has captivated and educated more than 600 students across Cork, providing them with a hands-on, immersive experience into the critical world of cyber security. The unique activity, designed to give students a practical insight into the daily cyber security challenges faced by companies, has been hailed as an engaging and educational tool for understanding how real-world cyber threats are managed.
The Escape Room activity tasks students with solving a series of puzzles that mirror the kinds of challenges companies encounter from cyber-attacks and gives students a glimpse into the realities of cyber security, showing them the complexity of the problems companies face and the urgency with which solutions must be found. It’s designed to both challenge and inspire, while also showing the importance of collaboration and quick thinking.
“It’s designed to both challenge and inspire, while also showing the importance of collaboration and quick thinking.”
Following the Escape Room activity, students take part in a tabletop exercise where they explore real-life scenarios involving cyber threats. In this follow-up activity, participants analyse how companies prepare for and respond to cyber incidents, including creating strategic plans to mitigate risks and manage the aftermath of an attack. Students engage in discussions about incident response protocols, crisis communication, and the long-term recovery process that follows a major security breach.”
The activity has been well-received by educators as well, who see it as an invaluable supplement to traditional classroom learning. The program has already proven to be a significant success, with plans to expand deliver over the next 21 months. Organisers hope that by exposing students to the real-life consequences of cyber threats and encouraging proactive thinking, they will be inspired to pursue careers in cyber security, ultimately helping to bridge the growing skills gap in the industry.
