PERMA-RUN: A Persuasive Game to Create Awareness and Promote Secure Smartphone Behaviour

Abstract

Smartphones have become an integral part of people’s everyday lives. Due to the ubiquitous nature of smartphone and their functionalities, the data handled by these devices are sensitive. Despite the measures taken by smartphone companies to protect users’ data, research has shown that people often do not take the necessary actions to stay safe from security and privacy threats. Sometimes, even people aware of security and privacy threats might not take the needed steps to secure their data. Persuasive games have been implemented across various domains to create awareness and motivate people towards a positive behaviour change. Even though games motivate users, research has shown that the one-size-fits-all approach for persuasive games might not be effective for all users. This thesis reports the design, development, and evaluation of Perma-Run, a persuasive game that aims to educate users and improve their awareness of smartphone security and privacy. We discuss the effect of tailoring Perma-Run according to the user’s motivational orientation using the Regulatory Focus Theory.