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DeStalk Project

 

General Overview

 

The information security awareness course Cyber Violence and Stalkerware Online Course was developed on the basis of the Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform (K-ASAP) as part of the DeStalk programme. DeStalk is an international project aimed at reducing gender-based cyber violence, particularly against women. Stalking behaviour and the use of spyware are becoming increasingly widespread; sexual harassment, abuse, cyberstalking, and other forms of cyber violence against women and girls often go not only unpunished but even undetected. The DeStalk project raises awareness of these forms of violence and calls on public authorities and civil society organisations to take active measures against cybercrime.

The Cyber Violence and Stalkerware Online Course is a training programme consisting of the core topic “Cyber Violence and Stalkerware,” as well as three additional courses focused on working with victims of violence, perpetrators of cyber violence, and representatives of organisations specialising in this field.

The platform’s base language is English; it has also been translated into French, Spanish, German, and Italian. During localisation, cultural specifics of each region are taken into account (that is, not a literal translation but adaptation of content, including both text and visuals).

 

 

The core course consists of 20 lessons, divided into three levels of difficulty. Each lesson focuses on a specific subtopic and is presented as a set of interactive slides (informational, assessment-based, and others). Each additional course consists of a single lesson.

In addition to lessons, the platform includes final tests that users must pass upon completing each level, as well as a series of informational emails. The total volume of material presented in the project is approximately 30,000 words.

 

 

My Role in the Development of DeStalk

 

Template development and mentoring

The platform content was developed by my colleague, Kaspersky specialist Kristina Jankowski. As the head of the Kaspersky ASAP content team, I carried out preparatory work that enabled Kristina to create content fully aligned with the platform’s format:

  • conducted detailed training on the principles of structuring content within K-ASAP;

  • developed templates to facilitate efficient content creation;

  • provided ongoing консультации and support during content development;

  • supervised integration and localisation of the materials.

 

Educational Materials

 

Each lesson consists of 10–20 slides of various types: introductory, instructional, question-based, summary slides, and others.

Example of a lesson opening slide:

 

 

Examples of instructional slides:

 

 

Example of a question slide:

 

 

To confirm their competency, learners must complete a test consisting of 10–15 questions at the end of each level. After completing a level, learners receive a reminder email summarising the material covered during training. In addition, the system includes a number of interface emails for training managers and learners: welcome emails, course completion notifications, training statistics reports, certificates of completion, and others.