Intelligent Game-Based Simulation in Cyber Security Awareness for Tweens/Preadolescents

In the digital age, children—particularly those in the 8–12 age group—are increasingly exposed to cyber threats, making early cybersecurity education critical. This study presents an AI-enabled, desktop-based intelligent simulation designed to raise cybersecurity awareness among tweens through real-time, interactive pop-up notifications. The system integrates a Naïve Bayes classification model to analyze recent browsing behavior and dynamically generate context-aware notifications that mimic real-world spam and malware scenarios. When tweens interact with these simulations, the system reinforces learning through either simulated cyber-attacks or rewards, thereby promoting secure online behavior using a reward-punishment strategy. The training dataset, constructed from survey responses of 204 tweens, informed the development of 20 realistic interactive scenarios. The simulation was deployed in a school computer lab for one month, during which a pre- and post-simulation quiz assessed its educational impact. Results revealed a significant improvement in cybersecurity awareness: the average quiz score increased from 5.35/12 before the simulation to 9.32/12 afterward, with full participation in the post-test. The findings affirm that gamified, AI-driven simulations can substantially enhance children’s understanding of cyber hygiene.