Hackshield

Making Children Resilient Against Online Threats

Children grow up with the internet as a given. They are often unaware of online dangers, even though cybercrime is the fastest-growing form of crime and is expected to increase further with the rising connectivity between people and devices. Moreover, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting individuals. How can we help children become more resilient?

The game HackShield (a follow-up to the pioneering project Hack Stevie) educates children aged 10 to 12 about the forms and impacts of cybercrime in a playful way. Through the MediaMasters platform, the game reaches at least 160,000 children.

Results

HackShield has already provided 32,000 children with the tools to navigate the internet more safely. These results have attracted partners to further develop the game, leading to a new release at the end of March 2019. During Money Week, episode 3 of the game was launched.

SIDN Fund granted additional support for developing episodes 4 and 5 of the game, as well as HackShield in the Library and a version for adults.