Cyber crime is on the rise, with children becoming primary targets for predators on the digital prowl. To beat these predators at their own game, UAE Cyber Security Council partnered with KPMG to create the first-ever Cyber Defense HQ in a gaming world. We invited schools nationwide to train young digital-native students against online threats on a platform they know and love: Minecraft Education.

The United Arab Emirates has actively, rapidly embraced digitalization, and children in the UAE are no exception. In fact, boasting an average of over 7 hours spent on the internet per day, children in the UAE have been named the most tech-addicted in the world. The UAE’s digital-first future is swiftly approaching, how can we ensure its next generations aren’t left vulnerable to online attacks?

2022 saw over 7 million cyber attacks on kids in popular game worlds. While identity theft, phishing and malware are known risks, the attacks are getting more and more sophisticated every day. With parents just as vulnerable, the problem has reached a critical point with no real adult in the room. As each passing day puts their digital future more at risk, an intervention to put our children’s cyber safety first was far overdue.

Our approach was to head straight for the battlefield, teaching kids to fight cyber threats where they’re occurring the most: in popular gaming worlds. But not just any gaming world would do, we needed to build our game on a platform that was simple, easy to use, beloved by kids, educators, and parents alike. Minecraft Education ticked every box and more. The platform also allowed us to faithfully recreate the UAE and all its iconic landmarks around the Cyber Defense HQ in-game, making the threat imminent in our own backyard.

Over 690 million blocks were used to build the Cyber Defense HQ amidst the reconstructed UAE, creating the perfect environment to level up the stakes. On the 16th of November, 2023, the HQ opened its digital doors for young cadets across the UAE to participate in the day-long event.

After special in-game cyber training, our young cadets had to vanquish digital threats across three carefully constructed levels - Identity Theft, Phishing, Viruses & Malware. They graduated into State Officers with flying colors, celebrating the UAE’s newly-secured digital borders across iconic landmarks from every emirate, including Burj Khalifa, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Fujairah Fort and more.

Our Cyber Defense HQ garnered support from over 5 national organizations, including the Ministry of Education, Government of Sharjah, and Department of Education & Knowledge, making it a certified nationwide success both in-game and IRL.

In just 24 hours, we broke two Guinness World Records, with 3000+ teachers, 520+ schools, and 120,000 students participating across the UAE. Cyber Defense HQ saw 3.6 million minutes of game played, and a whopping 0 complaints from parents about screen time. The most gratifying part… leveling up an entire generation’s defenses. Mission complete.