Sifu Reloaded: An Open-Source Gamified Web-Based CyberSecurity Awareness Platform (Short Paper)

Abstract

Malicious actors can cause severe damage by exploiting software vulnerabilities. In industrial settings, where critical infrastructures rely on software, handling these vulnerabilities with utmost care is crucial to prevent catastrophic consequences. For this purpose, a cybersecurity awareness platform called Sifu was created. This platform automatically assesses challenges to verify its compliance to secure coding guidelines. Using an artificial intelligence method, an interactive component provides players with solution-guiding hints. This paper presents an improved version of the Sifu platform, which evolves the tool in the following aspects: architecture, data model and user interface. The new platform separates the server and client-side using a REST API architecture. It also accommodates an intrinsic and richer layer of gamification, which explores the concept of game rooms at an organizational and gamification level. Finally, it offers an improved interactive training experience for individuals and organizations through a responsive and intuitive single-page web application.