HackShield Wins Anti-Fraud Award 2025 for Pioneering Use of Gamification to Boost Digital Resilience

Dutch cybersecurity initiative HackShield has been awarded the Anti-Fraud Award 2025 at the Anti-Fraud Film Festival, held at the iconic Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam. From a longlist of fourteen initiatives, three finalists were selected, with their films screened during the festival. After deliberation, the jury crowned HackShield the winner. The award was presented by Gerda Quak on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Finance.

Announcing the winner, the festival stated: “The jury is impressed by Emily’s pioneering work in gamification and digital education. As co-founder of HackShield Future Cyber Heroes and the Hero Center, she uses play and storytelling to drive social impact. HackShield empowers children to protect themselves against cybercrime – an innovative, proactive and preventive initiative that strengthens the resilience of the next generation.”

A Preventive Approach That Starts with Children

The jury highlighted HackShield’s distinctive preventive strategy: focusing on children, where behavioural awareness and digital literacy can be shaped most effectively. Through a playful, story-driven learning experience, children are trained as “Cyber Agents”, learning to identify and respond to cyber threats, all without commercial child marketing or data collection.

A Broad Coalition Behind the Success

HackShield works with an extensive network of partners, including the Dutch Police, municipalities, schools, parents and private-sector partners who volunteer to deliver guest lessons. Thanks to this collaborative approach, more than 600,000 children have already participated in the programme.

The Anti-Fraud Award recognises the collective efforts of professionals, volunteers and partner organisations committed to building a digitally resilient society.

More Than Applause: A Call for Continued Action

Co-founder Emily Jacometti views the award as encouragement to go further:
“Criminals come up with new tricks every day. We work with passion to help children stay safe in an increasingly complex digital world. We aim to expand our approach – from AI to vulnerable groups and even grandparents. Digital safety must be accessible to everyone.”

Award Ceremony at Tuschinski Theatre

The three nominated films were screened in front of an audience of fraud, security and cybersecurity professionals. The ceremony in the historic Tuschinski Theatre added extra significance to the recognition.

About HackShield

HackShield is a Dutch educational cybersecurity platform that uses gamification and storytelling to strengthen children’s digital resilience. The programme is free to access, contains no child-targeted marketing, and does not collect commercial data. HackShield collaborates with municipalities, schools and partners across both the public and private sectors.

The organisations involved were:

• Anti-Fraud Film Festival

• Dutch Ministry of Finance

• Dutch Police

• Municipalities across the Netherlands

• Schools, parents and youth professionals

• IT and cybersecurity partners

• Volunteer guest teachers