Animation: tomorrow's cyber superheroes

The University of Kent's Institute of Cyber Security for Society spotted a lack of material to engage children with issues of cyber security. They commissioned an animated video explainer to highlight the need for future "cyber superheroes": people with the skills and knowledge to make our cyber world a safe place.

Cyber security concerns us all, affecting every aspect of our lives. And, at the University of Kent's Institute of Cyber Security for Society (iCSS), they're on a mission to show children how vital cyber security skills are, now and in the future. 

Lead by Professor Shujun Li, our team of animators, set to work creating a 2d animation for an audience of primary-aged children, that would highlight the diversity of jobs and skills that require cyber expertise. Dispelling the myth that cyber security is for computer nerds only, it points out that everyone from psychologists, teachers and lawyers, to doctors, journalists and even politicians may need specialist cyber security knowledge. 

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Professor Li explains: "To ensure captured the children's attention, we felt we needed to take a more creative approach. Colleagues recommended Scriberia and, after seeing your past work, we knew you could bring the right balance of creativity and information."

Professor Li worked with two 9-year-old co-creators to refine the story he wanted to tell, and Scriberia embraced his innovative approach.

"I found it very easy to work with Scriberia," he says. "The process (click here to learn more about our animation process) was well-designed, which meant everything went very smoothly. Our ideas were well-received and the animators were able to translate our abstract ideas into a vivid storyboard."



The animation has received the thumbs-up from thousands of viewers already but, with Safer Internet Day on the horizon, it will form a central part of iCSS campaign. Professor Li hopes the animation's reach will grow as a result, and inspire even more content to engage children in this crucial issue. 

"I feel very proud of the end result," says Professor Li. "We've uploaded it to our YouTube channel, and put it on the front page of our website. We have shared it with multiple organisations active in cyber security and online safety education and skills development for children.

"We are running a social media campaign to reach out to a wider range of audience. We are even considering producing an illustrated book and a short play based on the video."

Watch it in full:

 

 


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