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title: "SWINDLERT__ Development of Augmented Reality Game-Based Interactivity for Enhancing Cybercrime Awareness"
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Journal of Computing Research and Innovation
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‘nttps://jcrinn.cora/Available online at https://crinn conferencebunter.com/
Journal of Computing Research and Innovation 10(1) 2025
SWINDLERTC: Development of Augmented Reality GameBased Interactivity for Enhancing Cybercrime Awareness Sakinah Ali Pitchay!*, AH Azni’, Farida Ridzuan®, Najwa Hayaati Mohd Alwi* & Muhammad Syahmi Imran*
1445Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800, Bandar Baru Nilai, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia 2Cybersecurity and Systems Research Unit, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800, Bandar Baru Nilai, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
# ARTICLE INFO
# ABSTRACT
Article history: As digital technologies advance, cybercrime has become a primary Received 24 October 2024 global concer, posing threats to individuals and organisations. Despite Revised 31 December 2024 widespread Intemet use, public awareness of cybercrime risks is still Accepted 10 January 2025 limited, emphasising the need for educational initiatives. The lack of Online first engaging educational tools for cybercrime awareness is due to outdated, Published 1 March 2025 overly technical approaches that fail to captivate modem audiences. Limited investment and collaboration between cybersecurity experts and ‘Keywords: educational designers result in resources that are not as appealing or ‘Auemented Reality user-friendly as they could be. Therefore, this paper introduces Cob reritne Prevention SWINDLERT, an augmented reality (AR) game-based tool in a threeGumification dimensional (3D) environment designed to enhance cybercrime Edutainment awareness and educate users on early prevention. It addresses three key 3d Environment issues: (i) carelessness in sharing credentials, (ii) lack of cybercrime Game-Based prevention literacy, and (iii) low student engagement in traditional DOI: lecture-basedof cybersecurity education.crime Itprevention, has three main(ii) to objectives:develop an(i)edutainment to identify typesAR 10.24191/jerinn.v10i1.497 mobile game with 3D images, and (iii) to evaluate functionality and security. Using Agile methodology, we conduct user requirements through surveys and test the application at SK Teluk Ketapang, Terengganu, and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. 98% agree that SWINDLERT has effectively embedded good gamification elements such as levels, scores and timers. Users benefit from password complexity, email verification, and the ability to retrieve their progress on multiple devices. The game features three levels: beginner, intermediate, and hard. This approach blends immersive technology by integrating an AR quiz-based 3D snake and ladder board gamification to transform education, making learning engaging and enjoyable. 1. INTRODUCTION
According to a series of studies conducted towards the end of 2019, 68.4% of business executives expressed concern about their increased susceptibility to cybercrime. Many leaders believe 2020 will be a year of
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increased caution compared to this trend of cybercrime movements (Lazic, 2021). A review of 2019 cybercrime statistics shows that cybercriminals seeking financial gain were the driving force behind the majority (72%) of cybersecurity breaches. However, motives linked to espionage and other similar purposes accounted for 26% of cybercrimes (Lazic, 2021). This shows the severe cybercrimes that happened in 2019 when the pandemic occurred. The lack of preventative measures by society itself led to an increase in all of these crimes. This study focuses on three main issues. The first problem identified was carelessness in sharing credentials and data. Society does not take preventive steps to save their data on the Internet or share it with the public. Most do not care about what they share or give their credentials or data to an organisation without checking its policy or uploading photos or videos containing credential information to social media. As reported by Sunbiz thesundaily.com (2021) only 7% of Malaysian society know that their identities have been stolen, while the other 12% said that it may happen. From this statistic, it can be shown that Malaysian society does not care about their identities, whether they have been stolen or not, and only a few of them are aware of that situation and take action.
The second issue was illiterate in preventing cybercrimes. As the Internet grows extremely fast, society still does not know or know how cybercrimes trap victims on the Internet. Dewan Rakyat said that 51,631 online fraud cases were registered in Malaysia from 2019 to 2021, resulting in a loss of about RM 1.61 billion (Nuradzimmah, 2022). The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) reported that cybercrimes increased by 99.5 per cent, with about 20805 cases in 2020 from 10426 in 2019 (Nurul, 2021). Cases doubled in just a year, showing that cybercrimes increased drastically during this pandemic. Furthermore, the most significant rise in complaints was for the misleading element, which increased by 117.6% to 6,637 from 3,050 in 2019 (Nurul, 2021). From those statistics, it can be concluded that society is still unaware of how cybercrimes work and how to prevent them from being the victims.
This research examines the issue of student disengagement in preventing cybercrimes. Traditional lecture-based teaching often distracts students, posing a significant educational challenge (Hu-Au et al., 2017). Traditional cybersecurity education methods are often inadequate as they heavily rely on passive learning techniques, such as lectures and static content, which fail to engage diverse audiences. Many current approaches lack interactivity and real-world simulations, making it difficult for learners to grasp the practical implications of cyber threats. Additionally, they often use overly technical language that alienates non-experts, lack personalization to different skill levels, and do not address the rapidly evolving tactics used by cybercriminals, resulting in outdated or incomplete training.
This lack of engagement contributes to various detrimental behaviours that hinder student advancement, including dissatisfaction, negative experiences, and dropout rates. As a solution, SWINDLERT is introduced as an educational entertainment, or edutainment, application that utilizes augmented reality to both entertain and educate. Researchers have found that it is crucial to stimulate students’ interest and engagement with a topic when using virtual reality. For example, virtual reality can be used to educate students about cybercrime and its prevention, leading to increased spatial memory and enhanced understanding. Additionally, mobile gamification has been tailored for secondary school and university students, indicating that 67% of students complete online coursework on a mobile device, and 87% use a mobile device when searching for e-learning courses (Tamm, 2022). Given the current pandemic, augmented reality and mobile gamification are well-suited to help students prevent cybercrimes.
# 1.1 Research Background
Wood (1995; 2002) introduced the Human Firewall theory, emphasizing that user behaviour can undermine technical security measures. He suggested that organizations should raise. The study explored the inadvertent threats posed by human errors, which are often challenging to manage despite being easily made (Mohd et al., 2012). Based on Mary Douglas' cultural perspectives, they pinpointed critical threats and highlighted the impact of these perspectives on vulnerability. The study underscores the importance of incorporating cultural views into e-learning security strategies. Thus, four categories of cybercrimes are identified: cyber-trespass, cyber-deception, cyber-obscenity, and cyber-violence (Holt et al., 2018). Cyber‘tps doi org/10.24191 jerinn v10i1.497
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trespass is a way to get into the computer infrastructure that does not belong to the person who did that cyber-trespass (Nicholas et al., 2019).
In other words, cyber-trespass involves any technique the attackers use intentionally and without authorisation access to targeted systems or computers. Examples of cyber-trespassing are data breaches, hacking, disruption of computer systems, altering the system, and many more. A survey has been conducted by Trend Micro Incorporation, resulting in 73% of the local organisations in Malaysia being most likely to be hacked in the next 12 months (Nurul, 2021). Cyber-deception, on the other way, involves hiding our networks, generates ambiguity and confusion in the face of the enemy's efforts to develop situational awareness, and influences and misdirects adversary perceptions and decision-making processes. According to the Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team (MyCERT), the General Incident Classification statistics in 2023 and 2024 show that significant cases over that year were fraud, as shown in Fig. 1 and 2.
epare edrs band on Grrl letieson Stabe 289
“oot Nay |
Fig. 1. Most reported incidents in 2023 were fraud cases (Coloured in turquoise)
Source: Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team, CyberSecurity Malaysia (2023)
In comparing both statistics for fraud cases, there is a 13.6% increment from 2400 incidents (Jan — Aug 2023) to 2778 (Jan — Aug 2024). It demonstrates the necessity of teaching the next generation about cybercrime awareness to prevent them from falling for Internet fraud.
Sep = = wz
Nee
Fig. 2. Most reported incidents in 2024 were fraud cases (Coloured in orange)
Source: Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team, CyberSecurity Malaysia (2024).
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As outlined by Nandini (2020), cyber-obscenity encompasses the distribution and trading of sexually explicit materials in cyberspace, including but not limited to pornography and content related to the exploitation of children. This material is widely shared or uploaded online for global viewing or purchase. Additionally, in their scholarly work titled "Malaysia’s Legal Response to Tackling the Crime of Online Child Pornography," Kirama Nasim and Juriah (2020) reported that Malaysia holds the third position in Southeast Asia for the possession and distribution of child pornography. Furthermore, cyber-violence, a distinct form of cybercrime, involves verbal or visual acts of harm through the Internet, such as threats, bullying, and harassment, which have the potential to cause psychological, emotional, or physical damage (Sung-Man Bae, 2021). These acts are commonly perpetrated through online chats, gaming platforms, and other digital mediums. Therefore, there is a need to educate the young generation about cybercrime awareness in an interactive way to engage the users.
The concept of edutainment, a blend of education and entertainment, has emerged to make learning more interactive and enjoyable for children who may find traditional education uninspiring. This approach traces its origins to the pedagogy of educator J. Komensky, who incorporated play into the learning process (Rusman & Ismail, 2020). Technological advancements have further propelled the evolution of edutainment, particularly by integrating virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). VR, introduced by Jaron Lanier in the 1980s, allows users to immerse themselves in computer-generated environments. AR, coined by Thomas Caudell and David Mizell in 1990, overlays digital data onto the real world (Elmqaddem, 2019). These technologies have significantly enriched educational experiences, making them more captivating and interactive.
# 2. EXISTING RELATED APPLICATION ON CYBERCRIME
Each system/application has its future, security measures and limitations, but their purpose is similar: educating users on cybersecurity prevention but not focusing on cybercrime. Table 1 summarises the comparisons between the five existing applications.
Table 1. Comparisons between existing related applications
|Application|Features|SecurityMeasures|Limitations|
|---|---|---|---|
|Interland(Google,
2017)|-
Cross-platform on any device.
Only requiredbrowserwith
Internet connection.
-
Easytutorialunderstanding atthe
startof thegame.
-
Friendlyinterface suitable for
children.|~ No registerorlogin
account isrequired.
- Donotrequire any
permission onthe phone or
otherdevice.|~
Progression of thegame not
saved.
- No rewardor experience
_point for eachlevel
- NoVR/ARfeatures.|
|Cyber Security
Quiz (Sana
Edutech, 2021)|~
Have bothpractice and timed
quiz-style options.
-
Have an explanation for every
questionthat is answered.
- Canstorefavouritequestionswith
the answer.|~ No registerorlogin
account isrequired,
- Donotrequire any
permissiontouse the
phone.|~
Contains a lot of
advertisements.
-
Needtopay forthe pro
version
- Norewardorexperience
point for eachquiz
-_No VR/AR features.|
|WebME—The
Cybersecurity
Game(Mrigank
Pawagi, 2018)|~
Real interface practice onwhento
applyandhowtoprevent
cybercrime.
- Theprogression ofthe practice is
saved
-
Friendlyinterfacedesign.|- No registerorlogin
accountisrequired.
- Donotrequireany
permissiontouse the
phone.|~
Cannotreview the last
practicethathasbeendone.
- Norewardorexperience
point for eachquiz
- NoVR/ARfeatures.|
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|‘Leam Computer
Security
(Mohammed
AlRiyami, 2021)
|~
Categorized information in
computersecurity.
- Userfriendlyinterface.
|~ No registerorlogin
accountisrequired.
- Donotrequireany
permissiontouse the
phone.
|~
Directinformation about
computersecuritywithout
anyquizorgame-based.
- No approachwas takento
attracttheuseofthe
applicationtowardsthe
user.
-_No VR/AR features.
|
|---|---|---|---|
|CyberSecurity
Tycoon(Adrian
Kopee,2021)|~ Savetheprogression ofthegame.
- Easytutorialunderstandingatthe
startof thegame.
-
Compete eachotherwiththe
rankingof theleaderboard.|- Noregisterorlogin
accountisrequired,but
onlyusethecompany
nameto rankbetween
users
- Donotrequire any
permissiontouse the
phone.|~ Onlyshows theinformation
abouttheattack that
happenedtowardsthe
companywithout showing
howtoprevent it
- NoVR/AR features.|
The analysis presented in Table 1 indicates that current cybercrime applications do not incorporate VR or AR features. Additionally, these applications primarily focus on educating about cybersecurity and cybercrime, often lacking proper authentication measures. The absence of user verification in gaming raises significant security concerns, leaving games vulnerable to unauthorized access, cheating, and fraudulent activities. This lack of security compromises the gaming experience for legitimate players. It poses a risk of privacy breaches and data theft due to the exposure of personal data associated with user profiles. Furthermore, developers may face challenges implementing features such as multiplayer matchmaking and leaderboards without robust player verification, as unverified players can disrupt the competitive balance. Addressing these limitations, the SWINDLERT mobile gamification was specifically designed to enhance security measures in gaming applications.
# 3. METHODOLOGY
The Agile model depicted in Fig. 3 is highly effective for developing mobile applications to raise awareness about cybercrime. Its flexibility and iterative approach enable quick adaptation to evolving cybercrime trends and timely updates to counter emerging threats. Through short incremental cycles, known as sprints, developers can consistently incorporate user feedback, ensuring that the application remains current and impactful in educating users about the latest cybercrime tactics. This methodology also promotes rapid prototyping, allowing for swift testing and improvement of features to enhance user awareness and engagement with cybersecurity practices.
1/
}
Fig. 3. Process of Agile Model
The first phase of the Agile model is the requirement analysis, which consists of identifying and analysing the problem statements and scope for the project development.
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# 3.1 Requirement Phase
This preliminary survey is conducted to analyse cybercrime awareness and the effectiveness of edutainment via mobile gamification. 51 respondents are university students in Malaysia. Most respondents are from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), with 71%, and the remainder are from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), and other private institutions as summarise in Table 2.
Table 2. Institution demographic of the respondents
|Institution|Percentage(%)|
|---|---|
|USIM|
71|
|UiTM|8|
|UniSZA|6|
|UM
|6
|
|UIM
|4
|
|Others|6|
In Table 3, two specific closed-ended questions were presented to the participants as part of the survey. The data revealed that 86% ofrespondents demonstrated awareness and knowledge about cybercrime, while 14% expressed uncertainty or lack of awareness. This indicates that university students may need to enhance their general knowledge and understanding of cybercrime. Furthermore, 88% of the participants recognized and acknowledged the significant rise in cybercrime incidents in recent years, as depicted in the summary provided in Table 3.
Table 3. Respondent feedback on two close-ended questions on cybercrime
|Did youknowwhat|Percentage (%)|Doyouknow that cybercrime cases have|Percentage (%)|
|---|---|---|---|
|bercrime is?||increased in recent
years?”||
|Yes|86|Yes|88|
|No|8|No|12|
|Maybe|6|||
Fig. 4 illustrates the types of cybercrime by respondents. Phishing leads the most answered, followed by fraud, Internet, financial, card, and identity fraud.
fake identity cybercrime as a victim, or
didyour family experience
it?
|Percentage
(%)
|| The
edutainment
(education
and
entertainment)
approach
to
mobile
gamification should be implemented so that
students can simultaneously learn and play
about cybercrimes.
|Percentage
(%)
|
|---|---|---|---|
|‘Yes|45|Yes|98|
|No|55|No|2|
In the following exploratory study, Table 4 reveals that 98% of the participants support the implementation of edutainment to enable students to learn and play about cybercrimes simultaneously. The majority also agree that informal interactive learning through mobile gamification involving virtual or augmented reality can effectively engage users, as detailed in Table 5. With virtual or augmented reality, educators can develop immersive learning environments that increase student engagement and make learning material more dynamic. Learning experiences can become more efficient and pleasurable due to this improved engagement, which can also promote motivation and knowledge retention.
Table 5. Respondent feedback on VR and AR
|Virtual oraugmented realityimplementation can improve student|Percentage (%)|
|---|---|
|engagement with mobile gamification.||
|Yes|98|
|No|2|
In Fig. 5, 14% of the respondents suggested incorporating game elements into feature recommendations to enhance productivity and engagement. Other ideas included extending the duration and complexity of game levels, keeping it simple, and incorporating quiz segments. By integrating game elements such as progressive challenges, where users face increasingly difficult tasks, and reward systems like badges, points, or virtual currency, mobile edutainment can be improved, motivating users to continue engaging. Additionally, including leaderboards fosters friendly competition among players while unlocking content upon achieving learning objectives, which enhances the user experience. Educational puzzles and mini-games maintain user interest, while story-driven narratives captivate users and contribute to increased retention and engagement. In the proposed SWINDLERT development, mini-games with quizzes, varying difficulty levels, point systems, and leaderboard scores are implemented. NEGATIVE CONTENT real re data/identity ads-free choose accordingly internet level as opt a i BAD IMPACT Streak challnge game Juiz segment= — Live streaming level of age ye, Awareness towards cybercrimes simple PEOPLE family decisions
Fig. 5. Some feature recommendations that can be integrated into the gamification by respondents
# 3.2 Design Phase
Early visual representations are designed to validate design concepts. The use case diagram and the flowchart illustrate the system design, as shown in Fig. 6. It shows how the user acts as a player.
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SWINDLERT
;
reno rate »
/ \ tonto Pay { aRauzGame )
User eat SN)
Praythe Game Yes. sere =
— ( Boacame )
Fig. 6. Use Case of SWINDLERT
The flowchart in Fig. 7 presents the registration step of the application and gameplay in the SWINDLERT application. The user needs to register in the application to ensure that it saves the current progression of the user and benefits them to monitor their progress in the future.
Register registered Leain
yes yes yes
hes
S ‘snakePlay te ARor aot into Quethe
Fig. 7. Flowchart for SWINDLERT mobile application
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## 3.3, Development Phase
In the development phase of Agile methodology, Java programming language was used as the backend application, and it was designed with Extensible Markup Language (XML) in Android Studio. During this phase, the team iteratively codes and integrates AR features, ensuring real-time testing and feedback to refine interactions and enhance the user experience. This phase focuses on delivering functional AR components in short sprints, allowing developers to adapt to changing requirements and improve performance with each iteration.
## 3.4 Testing Phase
To ensure SWINDLERT's release is in optimal condition, feedback was collected from primary, secondary, and university students, focusing on functional and security authentication testing. During usability testing, users answered quizzes by controlling a car to select answers or received cybercrime information if they landed on an info spot. The game ends when the player or machine reaches the final position on the digital snake and ladder board. First-time players can access the How to Play section from the main menu for better understanding. To start, users scan a plane to render the board, then tap to roll the dice and move. Feedback was gathered from 53 respondents, and eight test cases were conducted for functional and security testing. Any failures identified will lead to redesign and improvement. Testing is carried out at SK Teluk Ketapang, Terengganu, and around Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), focusing on functionality, usability, and security authentication.
# 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Based on the functional and usability testing results, SWINDLERT scored 87% in application functionality and 88% in security authentication testing. Additionally, 98% of respondents agreed that SWINDLERT effectively incorporated gamification elements such as levels, scores, and timers. Fig. 8 depicts the virtual dice in a 3D real environment, allowing players to answer quiz questions by manipulating the virtual gear.
{sve = "hel nm) veh id yr certn
.
—
ase
Ps FgEN = SSH
= a ee8 8 = ———ee=
Fig. 8. Snake and ladder board game with the dice (right). Quiz-based while playing the SWINDLERT by controlling the gear and hitting the correct answer with the car
The cybersecurity applications listed in Table 1 do not require registration or login for security purposes and do not offer VR/AR features for gamification. Additionally, they do not provide rewards or experience points for completing quizzes. In Fig. 5, the game offers an interactive experience where players control a car to hit the correct answer. Upon reaching the last position, it provides cybercrime information or starts a quiz. During the quiz, players tap the scanned plane to spawn the car and answer, receiving feedback on whether their response is correct or wrong. It displays scores and reveals the correct answer if a mistake is made. Players compete against a Non-Player Character (NPC), with the first to the last position winning and earning a bonus score. ‘tps doi. org/10.24191 jerinn v10i1.497
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### 4.1 Gamification Elements
SWINDLERT incorporates three key gamification elements: levels, points, and a timer. Players are required to complete three progressively challenging levels, each with its own set of objectives. The beginner level focuses on general cybercrime prevention measures and logical thinking, while the intermediate level delves into various cybercrimes worldwide. The advanced level educates users about commonly used cybercrime attacks, providing detailed insights on identification and prevention techniques. The application underwent rigorous functional testing, including black box testing, to ensure compliance with the specified requirements. Moreover, a survey conducted during the National Science Week Carnival 2023 for Negeri Sembilan level revealed that 98% of respondents, spanning primary, secondary, and university students, thoroughly enjoyed playing SWINDLERT.
# 5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Our primary contribution is a 3D immersive cybercrime awareness game that utilizes augmented reality to create a snake and ladder board concept-based user requirement study. SWINDLERT is a mobile gamification application that offers informal, interactive learning through three quiz levels (beginner, intermediate, hard) on cybercrimes. Gamification elements such as levels, points, and timers enhance the learning experience, with levels providing a seamless learning path. The game is designed for single players aged 8 and above who compete against a machine. It aims to reduce cybercrime incidents by promoting digital learning in a fun and practical manner. The functional and usability survey has yielded significant and convincing findings. This game can serve as a valuable tool for cybercrime awareness campaigns, aligning with the motto "Be Smart Stay Alert" of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of The Royal Malaysia Police and engaging school and university students. Future work could expand the game by adding more questions, creating a multiplayer mode and making it available across platforms like iOS. Besides, the educational value of SWINDLERT can be enhanced by integrating adaptive difficulty levels on cybercrime prevention and personalized learning paths, making the experience more tailored to users with different skill levels. Moreover, incorporating real-time scenarios based on current cybercrime trends will ensure the content remains current and enhance the game's effectiveness in teaching practical prevention strategies.
#### 6.
## .ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/FUNDING
The authors would like to acknowledge the Faculty of Science and Technology from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) for providing the facilities and support for this research.
# 7. CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The authors agree that this research was conducted in the absence of any self-benefits, commercial or financial conflicts and declare the absence of conflicting interests with the funders.
## 8. AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS
Sakinah Ali Pitchay: Conceptualisation, methodology, project administration and writing-original draft; AH Azni: Methodology and investigation; Farida Ridzuan: Investigation, writing — review and editing; Najwa Hayaati: Testing and validation; Muhammad Syahmi Imran: Visualization and development.
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- © 2025 by the authors. Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and
- SY conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) _ license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
# About the Authors
Sakinah Ali Pitchay, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Information Security and Assurance Program at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. She received her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham, UK, a Master's degree in Software Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and a B.IT from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Her research interests include image enhancement, information security, and software engineering. She has numerous publications, won many innovation competitions with 54 medals and a Special Innovation Award in the Bank Innovation Challenge 2024. She achieved first place in the OIC-CERT Global Cybersecurity Award in UAE. She can be reached at sakinah.ali@usim.edu.my
Azni Haslizan, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Information Security and Assurance Programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. She earned her PhD in Computer Science from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, a Master’s in Digital Communication from Monash University, Australia, and a Bachelor’s in Computer Information Systems from Bradley University, USA. Currently serving as Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation) at USIM, she is widely recognized for her cryptography, data privacy, and wireless security expertise. She actively contributes to academia with numerous publications and 10 innovation medals to her credit. She serves on editorial boards, including the OIC-CERT Journal and the Journal of Machine Intelligence and Computing.
Farida Ridzuan, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Information Security and Assurance Program at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. She earned her first-class B.Sc. (Hons.) in Computer Science from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, an M.Sc. in Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications from the University of Essex, U.K., and a Ph.D. from Curtin University, Australia. Her research focuses on steganography and cryptography, with numerous publications in top-tier journals and RM? million in secured research funding. She can be reached at farida@usim.edu.my
Najwa Hayaati Mohd Alwi, PhD is an Associate Professor in Information Security at Universiti Sains Islam. Malaysia (USIM). She earned her PhD from Cranfield University in 2012 and is a certified 1 Citizen trainer, ISMS Internal Auditor, and Digital Leadership Educator. She was a Malaysian Higher Education Teaching and Learning Council member and part of the Malaysia E-learning Council (2013-2018). Appointed as
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Deputy Director for USIM’s Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning in 2021, her expertise spans information security, digital content, and socio-technical research. She is also a certified Cyber Defender Associate and Data Protection Officer and can be reached at najwa@usim.edu.my
Muhammad Syahmi Imran holds a Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) in Information Security and Assurance from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. His expertise extends across web, mobile and game development, with a strong focus on leveraging technologies to create seamless user experiences and secure digital solutions. Passionate about innovation, he continuously seeks opportunities to integrate new tools and methodologies into his work. Muhammad Syahmi can be reached at syahmi.imran92@gmail.com
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