The Brief

With security threats to the government and research agencies on the rise globally, CSIRO identified a pressing need for an updated organisation-wide mandatory security awareness training. Optivly took on this challenge and, in collaboration with CSIRO’s Security and Learning teams, defined the key objectives for this timely learning intervention:

  1. Raise awareness about physical and digital security risks among CSIRO staff.
  2. Illustrate tangible impacts those risks could have on people’s work.
  3. Affirm that individual actions have significant positive impact on CSIRO’s security posture.
Security Quest
Secutity quest characters

Our solution 

Optivly created a game-like, scenario-driven eLearning module ‘CSIRO’s Security Quest’, where learners are recruited to act as ‘protectors of CSIRO’, face a range of security threats in their work environments, and see how their actions help keep themselves, each other, and their work secure.

Our design and development specs

Scenario-based learning: Content is presented as interactive on-the-job scenarios, with each learner choice followed by immediate feedback and tangible consequences. This effectively demonstrates that even small behavioural changes create large impact on security, encourages active learning, and links abstract concept of security threats to real-life workplace situations.

Immersive game-like learning environment: The learning experience evokes the look and feel of a retro platformer game. This allows to maintain narrative cohesion while guiding learners through an array of security threats, offers strong and memorable visuals to capture (and hold!) learners’ attention, and organically incorporates gamification into module progression.

Multidimensional, custom-built characters: The six playable characters are intentionally designed to represent not only a variety of roles in CSIRO, but also different backgrounds and identities. All characters have preexisting opinions and misconceptions about security (echoing those polled from CSIRO staff) that are challenged throughout the module, and each of them is placed in the context most relevant to their work. This made the characters more relatable to CSIRO staff and emphasised that everyone’s actions matter when it comes to security.

Approachable and conversational tone of voice: This helped create emotional connection with the content, alleviate concerns around reporting even low-level concerns, and strengthen positive internal brand for the CSIRO Security team.

Our Project Outcome 

The module was met with great enthusiasm and received exceptionally positive feedback from the learners. The strength of the narrative and visual concept led to the module expansion, with a cybersecurity sequel currently in the works.