The evolution of the flip-it game in cybersecurity: Insights from the past to the future

Cybercrime statistics highlight the severe and growing impact of digital threats on individuals and organizations, with financial losses escalating rapidly. As cybersecurity becomes a central challenge, several modern cyber defense strategies prove insufficient for effectively countering the threats posed by sophisticated attackers. Despite advancements in cybersecurity, many existing frameworks often lack the capacity to address the evolving tactics of adept adversaries. With cyber threats growing in sophistication and diversity, there is a growing acknowledgment of the shortcomings within current defense strategies, underscoring the need for more robust and innovative solutions. To develop resilient cyber defense strategies, it remains essential to simulate the dynamic interaction between sophisticated attackers and system defenders. Such simulations enable organizations to anticipate and effectively counter emerging threats. The Flip-It game is recognized as an intelligent simulation game for capturing the dynamic interplay between sophisticated attackers and system defenders. It provides the capability to emulate intricate cyber scenarios, allowing organizations to assess their defensive capabilities against evolving threats, analyze vulnerabilities, and improve their response strategies by simulating real-world cyber scenarios. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the Flip-It game in the context of cybersecurity, tracing its development from inception to future prospects. It highlights significant contributions and identifies potential future research avenues for scholars in the field. This study aims to deliver a thorough understanding of the Flip-It game’s progression, serving as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners involved in cybersecurity strategy and defense mechanisms.