From the author’s desk.

It is intriguing to reflect on the journey of creating these fairytales with a twist of cybersecurity. I can hardly remember the precise moment, but it was possibly somewhere in the early 2020, amidst the early days of the pandemic.

There definitely is a dark web out there and the travelers in this cyberspace are, though unbelievable it may sound, kids as young as two years old(!), making cybersafety awareness crucial. Already engaged in educating children about cybersafety, I found the traditional methods somewhat lacking. The posters and lectures often felt preachy, leaving me with a nagging feeling that something more was needed. However, pinpointing what that something was, remained elusive.

Simultaneously, an avid reader myself, I couldn’t help but be troubled by the reports lamenting the decline of childrens’ reading habits. It seemed inconceivable to me and I used to make concerted efforts for the same through my storytelling sessions. During one such storytelling session, while reading aloud ‘the Little Red Riding Hood’, the word ‘imposter’ caught my attention in context of the fox. It struck me that this term was often used in cybersecurity sessions and posters. Building upon this revelation, I started envisioning this story in the digital world and it surprisingly aligned seamlessly! Thus began the quest for identifying more classic fairy tales suitable for this innovative approach. Despite initial doubts of feasibility of the idea, encouragement from friends- Daisy, Natasha and Ilavenil spurred me on. But this book would have never seen light had it not been for Sushumna, who offered the platform support through Justwrite!

It wasn’t until mid 2021, that I finalized the stories that were best fit for the concept. Then commenced the arduous task of weaving them together. Personal challenges caused this project to be temporarily shelved but in 2023, I resumed work on it. There were numerous iterations in the format, structure and the narrative elements of the stories, but eventually, they began to take shape.

During this phase, I also explored the generative AI tools for image creation and story development. This technology assistance was valuable indeed for bringing in the tales of the cyberland to life in rich, vivid details.

It was during this phase, I realized the importance of crafting these stories in a manner that would pique the curiosity of the children who had not encountered the original fairy tales. Ideally, this curiosity would prompt them to ask their parents about them, fostering deeper engagement.

Thus, I present to you “ONCE UPON AN ONLINE TIME”, an adventure meant to be read aloud and shared with children. I invite you to reimagine these beloved characters in a digital landscape.For those, old enough to read independently, I urge you to take your time with these tales and revisit the originals as well for a nostalgic journey.