“Hack-Proof in 18 Panels”

Understand Phase

The challenge:

While people freely enjoy using the internet, most overlook the importance of cybersecurity, leading to increasingly severe issues of identity theft and hacking. This comic aims to educate about the importance of cybersecurity.

Context and Audience:

Typical cases:

Young people who frequently use social media, online games, and online services. They have grown accustomed to the convenience brought by technology and the internet since childhood, yet they overlook the importance of information security.

Extreme cases:

Young people using public Wi-Fi without connecting to a VPN, or connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks without passwords, as well as accessing the internet in countries with severe internet restrictions without using a VPN.

Needs, goals, and motivations:

Young people need clear, straightforward methods to protect their online information and accounts. Their primary goal is to ensure personal data security without sacrificing the convenience the internet has provided. Motivation to learn cybersecurity typically arises only after experiencing a security breach themselves or witnessing similar incidents among their friends. However, a simple, engaging story can also help them understand the dangers and ways to address them.

Demographic, psychographic, and behavioural factors:

The primary demographic consists of young people aged 16 to 25 who are currently students. While the internet is deeply integrated into their lives, they are not employed and therefore have not received cybersecurity education. Psychographically, they prefer efficient, simple, and free online tools. Behaviourally, they are constantly connected to smartphones and computers, requiring Wi-Fi access at all times and gaming. Because they manage numerous accounts and passwords, they often reuse the same password across multiple platforms.

POV Statement:

A university student who often uses public Wi-Fi needs practical, accessible strategies to strengthen their online security so that they can protect personal data and avoid identity theft without sacrificing convenience.

Learning Objectives:

The primary learning objectives of this project are for students to recognize the risks of weak or reused passwords, apply strategies for creating and managing strong passwords, understand the purpose of Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and how to enable it, and identify the dangers of public Wi-Fi while explaining how VPNs provide protection. The secondary objectives are to help learners develop greater awareness of their own online security habits, to promote a sense of proactive responsibility toward cybersecurity, and to encourage long-term interest in safe digital practices.

Plan Phase

Ideation:

Since the content needs to be educational, the first thing that came to mind was a mistake I made myself—one I consider significant yet easily avoidable. Cybersecurity immediately came to mind because I’ve personally experienced identity theft. My email account was compromised due to overly simple passwords, and around the same time, my credit card was fraudulently charged. While I lack definitive proof linking the two events, I doubt it was mere coincidence. That’s why I chose this topic—it’s closely tied to everyone’s daily life, easy to grasp, and straightforward to explain.

Script:

Panel 1

Text: “Meet Tony. He loves playing games online.”

Image: Tony happily sitting at a computer, gaming.

Panel 2

Text: “But Tony uses the same password for everything…”

Image: Login screen showing password123.

Panel 3

Text: “Uh-oh! A hacker is watching!”

Image: Shady hacker in a hoodie, smirking in the corner.

Panel 4

Text: “The hacker breaks into Tony’s account easily.”

Image: Hacker’s screen flashing “Hacked!”.

Panel 5

Text: “Passwords are like keys. A weak key can be copied easily.”

Image: A flimsy paper key breaking in half.

Panel 6

Text: “Strong passwords mix letters, numbers, and symbols.”

Image: A glowing golden key with “A, 7, @, %” carved on it.

Panel 7

Text: “Never reuse the same password everywhere.”

Image: One weak key opening multiple doors (bank, email, gaming).

Panel 8

Text: “Instead, use unique passwords for each account.”

Image: Different strong keys unlocking different doors.

Panel 9

Text: “And don’t forget Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)!”

Image: Tony’s phone showing a text message with a security code.

Panel 10

Text: “It’s like adding a lock AND an alarm.”

Image: A giant safe with both a keyhole and an alarm light.

Panel 11

Text: “But what about when Tony uses public Wi-Fi?”

Image: Tony at a café with a “Free Wi-Fi” sign, hacker watching nearby.

Panel 12

Text: “Hackers can spy on unprotected connections.”

Image: Hacker’s laptop screen showing Tony’s private messages/data.

Panel 13

Text: “A VPN creates a secure tunnel for your data.”

Image: Cartoon data packets travelling safely through a glowing tunnel, hacker blocked outside.

Panel 14

Text: “With a VPN, even on public Wi-Fi, Tony is protected.”

Image: Tony smiling in the café, hacker frustrated as his screen shows scrambled code.

Panel 15

Text: “Tony updates his passwords, turns on 2FA, and uses a VPN.”

Image: Checklist with check marks: Strong Passwords, 2FA, VPN.

Panel 16

Text: “The hacker tries again…”

Image: Hacker typing furiously on his keyboard.

Panel 17

Text: “Access Denied!”

Image: Hacker’s screen shows big red letters: “DENIED”.

Panel 18

Text: “Stay safe online: Strong passwords + 2FA + VPN = Smart Protection.”

Image: Tony as a superhero holding a glowing shield labelled “Internet Safety”.

Principles Applied:

The Coherence Principle is addressed by including only essential text and visuals, reducing extraneous information that could cause overload. The Contiguity Principle is applied by pairing text and images within each panel, so learners can process them together. The Segmenting Principle ensures the content is broken down into 18 small, digestible steps, making the learning process more manageable. The Personalization Principle is reflected in the use of a conversational style, such as “Meet Tony…,” which helps engage readers more directly. Finally, the Modality Principle is incorporated by combining text for the verbal channel with illustrations for the visual channel, encouraging dual processing and deeper learning.

Peer Feedback:

Two peer reviewers provided constructive responses to the prototype Hack-Proof in 18 Panels. Both emphasized that the topic of internet safety is highly relevant and useful for a student audience, and they agreed that the storyboard effectively applies design principles while keeping the message engaging. Reviewers highlighted that the narrative structure, centred on Tony’s story, and the use of metaphors such as the flimsy paper key versus the golden secure key, helped simplify complex cybersecurity concepts without relying on technical terms.

The first reviewer noted that the comic successfully breaks down cybersecurity into 18 easy to understand panels, making the subject approachable and memorable. This reviewer said the integration of immediate, feasible solutions into the narrative but suggested strengthening the impact with a real-world statistic (for example, the percentage of people who reuse passwords) and ending with a direct call to action like “Check your own accounts today” to increase personal reflection.

The second reviewer highlighted the clarity of the storyboard and praised the use of personalization and modality principles. However, this reviewer expressed concern that including three different practices—strong passwords, 2FA, and VPNs—might overwhelm readers who are not familiar with technology. They suggested reducing unnecessary load by focusing on one or two of the practices more deeply. At the same time, the reviewer said that for audiences with some prior understanding, the broader coverage could be an advantage. They also appreciated the visual design choice of showing the hacker present throughout the story, which added simplicity to the narrative.

Reflect and Refine

Reflection:

The prototype shows how comics can simplify complex topics such as cybersecurity by combining narrative and visual elements. Using Tony as a relatable character, along with metaphor such as weak keys, helped translate technical security practices into everyday concepts. Breaking the content into 18 small steps further supported clarity and ensured the material remained easy to follow rather than overwhelming for learners.

Peer feedback showed that the narrative and visual metaphors were effective for engagement and comprehension. Both reviewers emphasized the accessibility of the comic but suggested refinements: adding a real-world statistic to highlight the prevalence of password reuse, including a stronger call to action at the end, and considering whether the coverage of three practices—passwords, 2FA, and VPNs—might be too broad for some audiences. Although revisions were not implemented prior to submission, these comments highlight opportunities for improvement in future iterations.

This feedback aligns with broader research on cybersecurity awareness. Studies have found that young adults often neglect practices such as creating strong passwords or enabling two-factor authentication despite being frequent technology users (Mahipal & Mahipal, 2025). Similarly, adults in general express interest in cybersecurity education but often lack the time or willingness to engage deeply with formal training (Ricci et al., 2019). Including a real-world statistic in the comic would reinforce its relevance and credibility, while a clear call to action could serve as a low-barrier entry point for learners who might otherwise postpone adopting safer practices.

Finally, the design process reflects key principles of Cognitive Load Theory. By segmenting information and avoiding irrelevant details, the project aimed to minimize extraneous load and support meaningful learning (Kalyuga, 2011). Comics as a medium are strong for engagement and dual coding, but they risk oversimplification if too much content is included in one panel. A balanced approach like pairing concise text with explanatory images—ensures that the medium helps instead of limiting comprehension. This project demonstrates both the benefits and the challenges of using comics as a tool for digital literacy education.

References

Ricci, J., Breitinger, F., & Baggili, I. (2019). Survey results on adults and cybersecurity education. Education and Information Technologies, 24(1), 231–249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-018-9765-8

Mahipal, M., Shivananjappa, N., & Creutzburg, R. (2025). Cybersecurity awareness among young adults: An analytical study. In Electronic Imaging 2025 Conference Proceedings (pp. 312-1–312-9). Society for Imaging Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.2352/EI.2025.37.3.MOBMU-312

Kalyuga, S. (2011). Cognitive Load Theory: How Many Types of Load Does It Really Need? Educational Psychology Review, 23(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-010-9150-7

Completed Comic

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rXhWIlpwNYhghREEJ6pTHRKl26X8xUei/view?usp=sharing