SWINDLERT©: Development of Augmented Reality Game-Based Interactivity for Enhancing Cybercrime Awareness

SWINDLERT©: Development of Augmented Reality Game-Based Interactivity for Enhancing Cybercrime Awareness

Authors

  • Sakinah Ali Pitchay Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai, Malaysia.
  • A.H Azni Cybersecurity and Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia
  • Farida Ridzuan Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai, Malaysia.
  • Najwa Hayaati Mohd Alwi Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai, Malaysia.
  • Muhammad Syahmi Imran Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24191/jcrinn.v10i1.497

Keywords:

Augmented Reality, Cybercrime Prevention, Gamification, Edutainment, 3D Environment, Game-Based

Abstract

As digital technologies advance, cybercrime has become a primary global concern, posing threats to individuals and organisations. Despite widespread Internet use, public awareness of cybercrime risks is still limited, emphasising the need for educational initiatives. The lack of engaging educational tools for cybercrime awareness is due to outdated, overly technical approaches that fail to captivate modern audiences. Limited investment and collaboration between cybersecurity experts and educational designers result in resources that are not as appealing or user-friendly as they could be. Therefore, this paper introduces SWINDLERT, an augmented reality (AR) game-based tool in a three-dimensional (3D) environment designed to enhance cybercrime awareness and educate users on early prevention. It addresses three key issues: (i) carelessness in sharing credentials, (ii) lack of cybercrime prevention literacy, and (iii) low student engagement in traditional lecture-based education. It has three main objectives: (i) to identify types of cybersecurity crime prevention, (ii) to develop an edutainment AR 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.

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Author Biographies

Sakinah Ali Pitchay, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai, Malaysia.

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

A.H Azni, Cybersecurity and Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia

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, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai, Malaysia.

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 RM2 million in secured research funding. She can be reached at farida@usim.edu.my

Najwa Hayaati Mohd Alwi, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai, Malaysia.

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 1Citizen 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 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, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Nilai, Malaysia.

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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Published

2025-03-06

How to Cite

Ali Pitchay, S., Azni, A., Ridzuan, F., Mohd Alwi, N. H., & Imran, M. S. (2025). SWINDLERT©: Development of Augmented Reality Game-Based Interactivity for Enhancing Cybercrime Awareness. Journal of Computing Research and Innovation, 10(1), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.24191/jcrinn.v10i1.497

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2025)

Section

General Computing

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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