DIGITAL MAZE: CRACK THE CYBER CRISIS

The "Digital Maze: Crack the Cyber Crisis" project enhanced students' cybersecurity knowledge, critical thinking, and teamwork skills through an engaging Virtual Escape Room. It empowered PASUM students to adopt secure online practices and advocate for cybersecurity awareness within their communities, aligning with SDG 4 and strengthening the university’s community engagement efforts. Our primary objective is to create a more cyber-aware community by equipping participants with foundational skills in digital security.
The impact of the project on society includes:

- Increased Cybersecurity Awareness: Participants will finish the escape room with an enhanced understanding of cybersecurity threats and best practices, such as secure password habits, phishing awareness, data privacy, and general online safety. This heightened awareness is expected to foster safer online behaviours within participants’ personal and professional lives, reducing vulnerability to common cyber threats.

- Ripple Effect of Digital Safety Practices: As participants gain knowledge, theywill likelyo share their insights with peers, family, and coworkers, extending the project's impact beyond individual participants. Thisknowledge transfere could lead to safer digital habits across communities, contributing to a broader culture of cybersecurity consciousness and a reduction in the risk of cyber incidents at a community level.

For our project team, the event represents a unique, hands-on learning opportunity to build skills, collaborate effectively, and engage with real-world challenges.
The impacts on our team and members include:

- Development of Project Management and Collaboration Skills: Planning and executing an educational escape room requires coordination, creativity, and problem-solving. Team members will gain practical experience in project design, content creation, user experience (UX) development, and event management—skills that will be valuable in both academic and professional contexts.

- Increased Knowledge and Advocacy for Cybersecurity: Through researching, designing, and testing cybersecurity puzzles, our team members will deepen their understanding of digital security. This experience will also enhance our ability to advocate for cybersecurity awareness, as we learn to communicate complex topics in an engaging and accessible way. This personal growth will serve our members well in their studies and careers, especially as digital security is a growing concern worldwide.