Learn about different types of hackers with this video from the NOVA Cybersecurity Lab. Hacking is solving problems in creative or unexpected ways. Hacks have been used for everything from Galileo’s telescope to Apollo 13. Similarly, there are many reasons that people hack computers. Some are just curious about how systems work, others hack to find and fix security flaws before they are exploited by criminals. Some hackers have bad intentions fueled by greed, attention, or rebellion. There are some hackers who have good intentions, but use questionable methods of getting information. “Hacking” isn’t good or bad – it depends on how and why people hack. This video comes with discussion questions. This video can be played during a lesson discussing the ethical ramifications of malicious hacking and its impact on society.
In this video excerpt from NOVA scienceNOW, explore how advances in information technology are making cars increasingly susceptible to cyber attacks. Modern cars are highly dependent on computers to control many features including lights, braking, steering, door locks, and GPS. A team of security experts demonstrates how it is possible to hack into a car and gain control of it from a remote location by taking advantage of its built-in cell phone system. This video comes with discussion questions.
With recent reports of high profile data breaches, ransomware attacks, and the prevalence of online trackers, it’s hard to know how best to protect your privacy online. In this Above the Noise video, we met up with the cybersecurity experts at Electronic Frontier Foundation to learn more about who’s snooping on us online and what we can do to protect ourselves. This video comes with a student handout that helps guide the discussion of this activity.
Companies routinely track our activities online -- what we search, what we buy, what videos we watch, and what we post to social media. And while most of the time this tracking is used for targeted ads, our information can be bought and used by people in order to influence our opinions about issues or political candidates through not-so-scrupulous methods. In this Lowdown lesson, students will analyze cybersecurity risks, how information about their online activity is monitored and used, and ways they can protect their privacy online.
PBS's Off Book asks if hacking is inherently good or bad, or if is it an ethical area we have yet to define. Looking beyond the media hype and scare tactics, it is clear that "hacking" is a term that should be up for debate, and that some hackers could actually be heroes and not villains.
Not all hackers are malicious cybercriminals intent on stealing your data (these people are known as Black Hats). There are also White Hats, who hunt for bugs, close security holes, and perform security evaluations for companies. And there are a lot of different motivations for hackers.
Creating an identity on the Internet or impersonating somebody else is often just a matter of a few clicks. Currently, there is no foolproof way to match a real person with their online identity. This means that you can never be sure with whom you are communicating and that someone could steal your online identity and impersonate you!
The lesson elements in this module teach students about the privacy principle: “Identity is not guaranteed on the Internet”. They are designed to be independent and flexible, so you can incorporate them into any size lesson plan. Student resources are available at https://teachingprivacy.org/identity-isnt-guaranteed/.
Summary of Learning Objectives: Students can explain why it is difficult to be sure who one is communicating with online; students can investigate and evaluate the legitimacy of services that want their personal information.
Target Age: High school, college undergraduate.
Learning Objectives:
Students learn about various types of cybercrimes and the cybersecurity measures that can help prevent them. Then students perform a Rapid Research project investigating a particular cybercrime event with a focus on the data that was lost or stolen and the concerns that arise as a result. The Rapid Research activity features vocabulary, concepts, and skills that should help prepare them for the AP Explore PT, and also serves as a capstone for the sequence of lessons on encryption and security.
Students will be able to:- explain the characteristics of a phishing attack.- explain how a DDoS attack works.- describe how one computer virus works.- research and describe a cyber attack found in the news.- reason about the threats posed by, and methods of recourse for, various types of cyber attacks.- describe plausible storage, security, or privacy concerns for particular pieces of data.
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