Senses of Security
Please find below the Senses of Security five-page comic book.
It follows our journalist protagonist, J, as she undertakes an investigation that makes her question her instincts… and opens her eyes to the sinister world of Internet of Things threats.
Dr. Anjuli R. K. Shere wrote this comic based on her PhD research. The art is by Kame, and the lettering is by Isabel Impink. Read the full comic below and then check out the toolkit to learn how to apply these scenarios to your own work.
This comic was part of “Newbie-ginnings: A Cyber Security Comics Anthology”, published in 2024 by Green Archer Comics.
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Senses of Security is about waking up to hidden dangers lurking in the seemingly mundane, where your light bulb might be tattling on you and your watch could turn traitor.
The first strip is called Seeing Red. Typically, this idiom means someone is furious. But the irony here is that J isn't angry at all, yet she doesn't realise the red lights around her, a visual cue for Internet of Things surveillance, signal that all these devices are silently watching, recording and analysing. The title's joke is that it's the only time in the entire comic book when J's not seeing red because she hasn't yet seen the real threat.
Then for strip two, Sounds Like a Plan. I liked that it was a cheeky pun! This is, of course, referring to the fact that J and her allies are formulating a plan, and all the while the Adversary is listening in. So yes, it sounds like a plan because it's being overheard.
For the third strip, I went with A Bitter Taste. I thought that this title was appropriate, since J is left with a literal and figurative bad taste in her mouth. This panel is about more than dodgy milk. It's about the sour realisation that even one's own possessions can become tools of the Adversary.
The fourth strip, Touch and Go usually means a situation is dangerous or precarious, which I felt was a perfect title for a scene in which the team tries to outsmart the Adversary and rid themselves of compromised devices. It's also a nod to how physically embedded Internet of Things devices are, and their threats — in our homes, on our bodies, everywhere.
The final strip ends on a satisfying note, The Sweet Smell of Success. J works with other journalists to break her story, as well as stories that expose other parts of the complex ecosystem of Internet of Things risks. The title plays on another well known idiom, but there's also a second layer of meaning. In journalism, a story that "passes the smell test" is one that feels credible.
I wanted the comic to end with a symbol of hope for anyone who feels overwhelmed by all these threats, anyone can make a difference against these shadowy adversaries, and we stand the best chance if we take action together for the good of us all.
Thank you for taking the time to engage with this research. We hope it's useful to you, and if not, we'd love to hear how it could be improved. -