Introducing Serious Games as a Master Course in Information Security Management Programs

In this chapter, the authors outline their process for introducing serious games as a course in an Information Security Master Course Program at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The process is built on the author's experiences from both participating, coaching, judging, and even arranging serious games and cyber security challenges. With the lack of cultural recipes (or shared experiences) in information and cyber security from previous generations, these recipes must be learned in other environments. Given the efficiency of using exercises for incident response training, the authors suggest that information and cyber security incident response can be learned efficiently through serious games as one type of exercise. The authors suggest that serious games give relevant learning experiences from both developing them and participating in them, and they suggest these learning experiences as part of the course, in addition to necessary instructions.

Infrastructure Cyber-Attack Awareness Training - Effective or Not?

The purpose of this study is to provide insight as to how infrastructure countermeasures awareness training will impact individuals dealing with a nationwide catastrophic cyber-attack. Can this awareness training lessen the psychological effect of an attack? This study showed no value for this type of training. Reading about such an attack, the subjects had lower technical optimism and cyber self-efficacy. Reading about infrastructure countermeasures, before or after reading about a cyber-attack, did not improve or maintain the subjects’ optimism and self-efficacy. A possible explanation is that emotional arousal may override or block rational thinking. Another explanation may be that a nationwide attack is towards the infrastructure and not the personal computer. Here the individual lacks any control. Future research needs to look at personal preparation and response training to see if it will help the psychological effects of a catastrophic cyber-attack.

Improving Self-Reported Empathy and Communication Skills Through Harm in Healthcare Response Training

Objective Communication and Resolution Programs (CRP) were developed to equip healthcare organizations with tools to respond when physical and psychological harm occurs. Our objective was to assess development of empathic behaviors and communication skills through CRP training based upon the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) CANDOR toolkit to assess the ability to develop and improve empathic behaviors and communication skills. Methods The Jefferson Scale of Empathy, the CANDOR Communication Assessment Questionnaire and a self-assessment were used pre- and post-intervention to analyze development of empathy, growth of communication, and improvement in confidence and knowledge through 6 h of virtual education over a six-week course. Results Self-reported communication, confidence and knowledge improved with statistical significance and small to moderate effect size in both men and women. A statistically significant improvement of self-reported empathy scores t (22) = 2.23, p = .037; (95% CI = 0.41 to 11.5) for women only represented a small to moderate effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.46). While there was no improvement in Cognitive Complexity, (Cohen’s d = 0.065) mean pre-post .42 (SD = 6.52); Message Design Logic improved with statistical significance in paired pre-and post-assessment (Z = -3.28, p = .001). Notably, previous attendance at CANDOR classes demonstrated no impact on improvement of scores. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate improvement in self-reported empathy and communication skills through harm in healthcare response training. Healthcare organizations should carefully consider investing in CANDOR training for the benefit of patients, their families, and healthcare workforce members.

Challenges of Emergency Management in Nigeria: A Case Study of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) (FEMA)

The study examined the challenges of emergency management and response in Nigeria; a case study of FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FCT Nigeria. The study assesses the nature and trend of disasters and emergency situations prevalent in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the effectiveness of FEMA’s response to emergency situations in the FCT, and highlights the challenges of the Federal Environmental Management Agency of FCT. Both primary and secondary methods of data collection were used. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that road crashes and flooding are the highest emergency situations recorded in the area. The trend shows that in 2014, 40 emergency situations were recorded, 26 in 2016, and 49 the highest in 2019. In terms of the effectiveness of FEMA’s response to emergencies, the study findings revealed that from 2014 to 2019, 215 emergency situations were recorded, 740 lives were saved as a result of FEMA’s response time of 3 to 15 minutes. The study also revealed that FCT FEMA synergies with other emergency stakeholders in emergency management and response. Training of staffs was periodically carried out to improve productivity and level of alertness of the staff. Some of the humanitarian services of FCT FEMA include the distribution of relief materials and school enrolment for internally displaced persons (IDPs). These notwithstanding, the activities of the agency have been constrained by inadequate funding, poor logistics, wrong address from callers, lack of proper maintenance of infrastructure and equipment, improper vulnerability assessment, and inadequate and ineffective legal and regulatory framework. Based on the findings, the study recommends adequate funding, use of other means of transportation, public enlightenment, and increase synergies among emergency management stakeholders.

Confidence in Mental Health Professionals and Other Interdisciplinary Involvement in Disaster Response

Increased utilization of coordinated disaster response in the United States has resulted in the integration of interdisciplinary professions, which must involve mental health professionals to maximize potential success. The lack of interdisciplinary training has been cited as problematic. An anonymous survey identifying current training and scaling effectiveness was distributed. Seventy-two responses were recorded from various industries including fire rescue, law enforcement, emergency management, mental health professionals, physicians, and health professional students. As expected, very high percentages of these professionals had received response training. However, the average response often included “neutral” within the standard deviation of responses assessing training efficacy suggesting a possible lack of comfort and confidence. Most significantly, respondents were least comfortable working with mental health professionals, suggesting a need for considerable improvement in mental health professionals' involvement in interdisciplinary disaster response training and exercises.

The Effect of A Proposed Apparatus for Developing Motor Speed in Volleyball Players

Through the researchers’ observation of volleyball players’ motor response training especially that of Al Jaish Sport Club, they found that most training were traditional and do not depend on modern updated equipment. The aim of this research was to design an apparatus for developing a motor response in volleyball players. The subjects were (7) volleyball players from Al Jaish sport club and after applying a group of exercises the results showed that using the proposed apparatus has a positive effect on developing motor response speed in the subject under study.

Development of computer simulator ‘Kawauchi Legends’ as disaster response medical training software: overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic

Medical disaster response training is provided for international students in Kawauchi Village to share the lessons learnt from the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. At present, this is difficult due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this article is to report the development of hands-on medical training software on a topic that does not require in-person attendance. The ‘Kawauchi Legends’ disaster simulator was developed as a useful tool to teach the medical response to various disasters, and this was applied in a 3-day webinar in October 2020. Fourteen students participated in the webinar and successfully learnt medical management, manipulating their avatars in the virtual environment. This software can be an effective substitute for in-person disaster training without physical involvement. Such innovative teaching methods mean that lessons from the Fukushima accident can continue to be shared, even in the COVID-19 pandemic situation.