Cyber Surf Island: FBI Game Promotes Internet Safety for Children
By Karla Robinson
October 23, 2012
October 23, 2012
- Government auditors have criticized the FBI for promoting cyber security awareness, but never showing any tangible success in educating Internet users. The FBI is looking to change that with its new cyber security education program for elementary students.
- “‘Cyber Surf Island’ is a playable, Web-based game world for school children from grades 3 to 8,” explains Naked Security. “By playing simple games, the children learn about online threats ranging from malware to Internet predators to cyber bullies. Schools can compete against each other for points and winning schools get a visit from a real FBI agent.”
- The FBI’s revamped Safe Online Surfing program intends to help teachers educate students regarding topics such as sexting, copyright violations, secure passwords and more. Teachers wanting to participate must create an account with the FBI to receive online IDs for each student.
- The program separates content by grade level and includes tests to evaluate what students have learned — a good measurement for auditors.
- However, occasionally “substance wins out over style on ‘Cyber Surf Island,’ with games that are heavy on the message but light on the entertainment,” the article notes. Also, a Facebook post about the initiative showed many users having problems like account takeovers.
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