Bridging the Gap Between Cybersecurity and Public Awareness Through Art
In an age where digital threats loom large, governments and businesses invest billions of dollars annually to educate the public on cybersecurity. Campaigns focus on critical topics such as avoiding phishing emails, using strong passwords, implementing multifactor authentication, securely erasing data from old devices, and being skeptical of social media misinformation. Despite these efforts, many individuals struggle to grasp the real implications of cybersecurity threats, even as they witness high-profile data breaches.
To address this disconnect, a groundbreaking art exhibit at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, aims to make cybersecurity tangible and relatable. Coinciding with the conclusion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the exhibit, titled CyberArts, runs until January 19, 2024. Funded by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, this initiative seeks to enhance cybersecurity research, workforce development, and innovation across Virginia’s academic institutions and government entities.
A Multifaceted Exploration of Cybersecurity Themes
CyberArts features six distinct exhibits that delve into various aspects of cybersecurity, including identity, privacy, scams, misinformation, surveillance, and artificial intelligence. The artworks, created by students and faculty from colleges and universities throughout Virginia, serve as a medium to convey complex cybersecurity concepts in an engaging and accessible manner.
One notable exhibit from George Mason University showcases a collection of discarded smartphones transformed into 80 unique videos. These videos reveal remnants of personal lives—photos, internet bookmarks, and text messages—while ensuring that all personally identifiable information has been removed. This powerful visual narrative emphasizes the importance of thoroughly wiping data from devices before recycling or reselling them, highlighting a common oversight that can lead to significant privacy breaches.
Innovative Approaches to Privacy and Misinformation
Another compelling exhibit from Virginia Tech investigates the processes of hiding, detecting, and extracting information. This exploration sheds light on the complexities of data privacy in an increasingly interconnected world. Meanwhile, a project from Blue Ridge Community College employs camera technology similar to that used in retail and law enforcement to track individuals’ likenesses as they navigate a space. This exhibit raises critical questions about privacy, bias, and consent, prompting viewers to reflect on the implications of surveillance in their daily lives.
Artists from Virginia Commonwealth University have taken a unique approach by collecting stories from immigrants and transforming them into scripts for a live performance. Actors navigate five virtual reality locations while AI and emotion-tracking technology respond to their speech, creating an immersive experience that fosters empathy and connection with the immigrant community in Richmond, Virginia.
Additionally, James Madison University presents an exhibit that explores the effectiveness of misinformation alerts on social media. By utilizing brainwave data, the exhibit assesses how well these alerts resonate with attendees, providing insights into the psychological aspects of misinformation.
Making Cybersecurity Personal
John Delaney, managing director of the Commonwealth Cyber Institute, emphasizes the importance of making cybersecurity relatable to everyday individuals. “Cyber is everywhere,” he stated during a press preview of the exhibit. “That means it’s multidisciplinary, so it’s not just computer engineers and computer scientists. … It’s more than that. As a means to educate the public, we thought, let’s look at cyber differently.” This innovative approach allows attendees to experience “aha moments” that connect cybersecurity concepts to their personal lives.
This is not the first time the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative has merged art with cybersecurity. A similar exhibit in Roanoke, Virginia, in 2022 featured performances, exhibits, and even board games, demonstrating the potential for art to illuminate complex technological issues. As Ben Knapp, executive director of the Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology at Virginia Tech, notes, “Artists come at it from that human-centered design point of view, and the engineers and scientists are coming out from the technological point of view. We’ve got to bring them together. That’s what this is.”
Collaborative Learning and Engagement
The collaborative nature of these exhibits has proven vital in engaging students with cybersecurity topics. Dan O’Brien, an assistant professor at Blue Ridge Community College, led the likeness tracking project known as “Steal Your Face.” This initiative required extensive collaboration between cybersecurity and computer science students, who coded the project using Python, and arts and design students, who enhanced its capabilities. The project not only highlighted significant gaps in privacy protections but also underscored the need for legislative action in an area that is often overlooked.
Katalin Parti, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at Virginia Tech, is also exploring innovative ways to engage the public. She plans to produce an interactive stage performance where actors recount real-life online scams, inviting audience members to share their experiences. This multidisciplinary effort aims to create a safe space for individuals who may feel embarrassed about falling victim to scams, emphasizing that vulnerability to cyber threats transcends age and demographic boundaries.
Conclusion: Art as a Catalyst for Cybersecurity Awareness
The CyberArts exhibit at the Torpedo Factory Art Center serves as a powerful reminder of the intersection between art and technology. By transforming complex cybersecurity issues into relatable and engaging experiences, the exhibit fosters a deeper understanding of the challenges individuals face in the digital age. As the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative continues to explore innovative approaches to cybersecurity education, it is clear that art can play a crucial role in bridging the gap between technology and the public, ultimately empowering individuals to navigate the digital landscape with greater awareness and confidence.