DAYTON, Ohio — There’s nothing quite like the feeling of starting a long-term project and seeing it through.

That’s exactly the story for one Ohio professor who invented a cybersecurity game called ‘Sticker Heist’.

What You Need To Know

  • Sticker Heist is a cybersecurity learning game created by Sinclair Community College professor Dr. Mike Libassi

  • After receiving nearly $650,000 in grant funding in 2023, the game has expanded and is being distributed to nearly 20 schools in southwest Ohio

  • The game's box has advanced, and each teacher gets a kit with instructions to bring it back to their school

“We went from all the complex wiring to a nice simple circuit board. Things look way better now,” said Sinclair Community College professor Mike Libassi.

Spectrum News 1 first met Libassi in November 2023.

Since 2018 he had been fine-tuning a game called Sticker Heist.

It’s a fully self-contained network security system protecting a box of laptop stickers. Students hack into the box and get a prize while learning cybersecurity basics.

Last year the college received nearly $650,000 in grant funding from the National Science Foundation to help expand the game and research.

“We’re a year in, and we have this," Libassi said. "I can’t be more happy than that."

Instead of plastic, the box is now metal.

Libassi says the design is more reliable and gives it a professional look.

“It’s been going great," he said. "I’ve actually been using it in my class of course, and they love it. So far it’s lived up to all the expectations that I designed."

Advancing Sticker Heist wasn’t the only goal.

Thanks to the grant, nearly 20 local area schools will get a special kit.

Rusty Sink teaches 11th and 12th graders computer repair and tech support at Miami Valley Career Technology Center.

“Making something relatable that kids are really excited about doing makes learning so much better," Sink said. "Incorporating this into curriculum, I think kids are going to want to do this everyday if we can drag it out as long as possible, but I think the kids are really going to love it."

Sink has been teaching for 17 years and has seen technology change over time.

He’ll be able to get Sticker Heist into three different labs at his school.

Another goal of the three-year grant was to get more people in southwest Ohio qualified to do cyber security work.

“They’ll be able to apply this to their jobs wherever they go out to," Sink said. "Cybersecurity is everywhere, it’s in every job today knowing what and what not to do, so I think it’ll be a good opportunity for them."

The grant also gives these teachers access to labs and worksheets.

Sticker Heist is now incorporated into the Cyber Education Programs for high school students at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. 

“I’m very excited to get this into the hands of my fellow educators, that’s really what today is about," Libassi said. "I’m glad you’re here but it really was to get them in here and we spend half the day just going over how to use it and they can take it back with them."