Flow of Activities
Activity Authorisation
What security measures are used to protect digital systems from unauthorised use?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
What's this about?
Students should develop an understanding of how digital systems can be restricted to authorised use. Authorisation is a key aspect of information security.
Learning tasks
- Explore approaches such as passwords, tokens, fingerprint readers, voice recognition, facial recognition and security passcards used to enter buildings with restricted access.
- Use mobile devices to explore the concept of biometric security – fingerprints used for most mobile phones or facial recognition with Windows Surface Pro-type devices. Voice identification is used by the ATO to authorise users. Why might this form of authorisation be used? Compare and contrast this with other security measures.
- Discuss why organisations might use email validation when setting up an online account.
- Brainstorm reasons for internet security and ways the internet is made safer and how we should protect ourselves online.
- Students could explore RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) emitters and readers to create a secure entry system with an Arduino electronics kit.
Supporting Resources
Arduino: Security Access Using RFID Reader
A tutorial for programming Arduino kits with RFID chips as security devices.
NOVA Labs: Cyber security
These cyber security short animated videos each have a quick quiz to complete. The videos cover a basic intro into cyber security, hacking and privacy and cyber codes, and there is a game too for students to apply their understandings.
'Cybersecurity 101'
The internet is fundamentally insecure. However, there are simple things you can do to protect yourself and your information. Learn what they are in NOVA's Cybersecurity Lab.
Introduction to Cybersecurity
Enrol in CISCO's free course.
Cyber Security
A series of challenges that give students a feel for the skills used in the day of many cyber security professionals.
Lesson Ideas
Network Security
This lesson plan for Network Security, focuses on authentication, encryption, firewalls and Mac address filtering.
Cyber Security Threats
This lesson covers the fundamentals of cyber security: methods to detect and prevent cyber-security threats
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Presentation or demonstration, Adapted worksheet, Artefact analysis, Labelling diagram, Text, Digital capture, Design plan.
Assessment Resources
Activity Encryption
How does encryption make the internet safer?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Digital Systems (ACTDIK034)
- Collecting, managing and analysing data (ACTDIP036)
- Evaluating (ACTDIP042)
What's this about?
Security is a key concern on the internet, especially when sending and receiving sensitive information. A common way of providing information security over the internet is through encryption. Information is encoded and with the relevant 'key' the computer decodes the message.
Historical examples are often given to help explain encryption. One such example is the Enigma code, a type of enciphering used by the German armed forces. Alan Turing famously cracked the code.
Learning tasks
- Provide examples of encryption and the use of public and private keys to decode.
- Relate information security threats to people's everyday use of the internet to bank, shop, and access social security, taxation and other personal information. Describe ways encryption and authentication are applied together to create a secure environment.
Supporting Resources
Kid krypto—Public-key encryption
A fairly challenging activity to represent encryption using the sending and receiving a secret message as the analogy.
'Cyber Codes'
Learn how trustworthy online communication actually is and how encryption can protect your privacy.
Journey into cryptography
An extensive online course on cryptography developed by Khan Academy.
CS Unplugged: Field guide: Coding – Encryption
An online resource for teaching computer science to students, this chapter focusses on coding – encryption.
The Internet: Encryption & Public Keys
Schools Cyber Security Challenges
The Schools Cyber Security Challenges are designed to provide high school teachers with resources to support the teaching of cyber security concepts, and to inform students of career opportunities in the field. Note schools need to register and create a log-in.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Presentation or demonstration, Adapted worksheet, Artefact analysis, Labelling diagram, Text, Digital capture, Design plan.
Activity Malicious code
How can cyber criminals threaten internet users?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
What's this about?
Cybercriminals use malicious code such as computer viruses, malware, adware, Trojans and spyware to commit cyber-attacks.
Learning tasks
- Introduce common types of cybercrime including viruses, malware, DDOS (Denial-of-service) attacks and phishing scams. List some of the ways cyber attackers trick users into divulging personal information or enabling them to infect their computers with malicious code.
- In collaborative groups, students define a cybersecurity threat and describe approaches to protect against this type of threat. They could create an advertisement, an infographic with relevant data, or create a new product idea and create a video to market it on Kickstarter.
- Research some of the emerging careers that are related to cyber security.
Supporting Resources
Malicious Code
This lesson looks at the fundamentals of cyber security and malicious code that includes computer viruses, malware, adware, Trojans and spyware.
'The Internet: Cybersecurity & Crime'
This video describes common types of cybercrime including viruses, malware, DDOS attacks and phishing scams.
'How not to get hacked'
Great video to discuss hacking and ways to protect yourself from these attacks.
Day of STEM
Cyber Security resources
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Presentation or demonstration, Adapted worksheet, Artefact analysis, Labelling diagram, Text, Digital capture, Design plan.
Activity Hackers and hacking
What is hacking?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Digital Systems (ACTDIK034)
- Collecting, managing and analysing data (ACTDIP036)
- Collaborating and managing (ACTDIP044)
What's this about?
Hackers, those that are involved in cybercrime, generally learn how computer systems and networks operate and then use this knowledge to gain unauthorised access to computer systems.
Learning tasks
- Set up the challenge of designing a secure digital system. For example, a business is setting up an online purchasing system. What approaches might be used to ensure customer safety of personal information as well as protecting the organisation against security threats.
Supporting Resources
'The secret lives of Hackers'
Learn the true meaning of hacking and some of the many reasons that hackers hack
When children are breached – inside the massive VTech hack
This article provides a useful discussion starter about protecting personal information and potential security issues from data breaches.
Schools Cyber Security Challenges
The Schools Cyber Security Challenges are designed to provide high school teachers with resources to support the teaching of cyber security concepts, and to inform students of career opportunities in the field. Note schools need to register and create a log-in.
Cyber Security
A series of challenges that give students a feel for the skills used in the day of many cyber security professionals.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Presentation or demonstration, Adapted worksheet, Artefact analysis, Labelling diagram, Text, Digital capture, Design plan.