Manar: An Arabic Game-based Application Aimed for Teaching Cybersecurity using Image Processing

People use the Internet for various activities, including exchanging money, playing games, and shopping. However, this powerful network came at a cost: the features that provide the Internet with these capabilities are also what make it vulnerable. The need for cybersecurity tools and practices was recognized, especially for children, since they tend to be naive and can be easily tricked. Aimed at children from 6 to 12 years old, Manar is an Arabic smartphone game that seeks to build a generation who are well-informed about cybersecurity issues. It teaches them about notable cybersecurity topics such as social engineering and cryptography, it also has a very appealing theme to attract children to play the game. The theme being “pirates and islands”, each level will be represented as an island and a moving pirate ship will navigate between the levels. The application introduces the technology of image processing in a unique way, allowing children to move around and look for objects, which makes the game as interactive as possible to attract children’s attention.