Cybersecurity into everyday school life

Learn the basics of cybersecurity

 Teaching cybersecurity can be difficult if the topic is unfamiliar. That’s why we offer free training materials that help you learn the basics of cybersecurity.

Use the following materials:

Start with short videos

Scams, Blink and You’ll Miss Them video helps you get equipped with the knowledge and tips to protect yourself from the number one online threat today: scams.

Dare to Care What You Share Online shows why you should dare to care about what you’re sharing online, and make sure you know how to keep your personal life private.

Cyber Health Hacks shows 5 easy ways to help you keep your cyber health in check.

Build your skills with the handbook

Build your skills with the handbook The Cybersecurity for Everyday Life handbook brings together the fundamentals of cybersecurity. It explains what cybersecurity is and why it matters. It also describes the most common online scams and gives clear instructions on how to protect yourself online.

You can find the handbook here: secport.org/cybersecurity-for-everyday-life-handbook 

Go deeper with a course

The Cybersecurity Essentials course helps you gain a deeper understanding of what cybersecurity is about. In the course, you’ll learn to recognize the most common online threats and to protect your devices and personal data. The course is free and takes about 1–2 hours.

Access the course here: secport.org/cclh-courses/cybersecurity-essentials-course

Learn cybersecurity by playing

Cyber skills can also be practiced through games. One example is the free Cyber City Tycoon mobile game. In it, the player observes how online scammers operate and the methods they use to deceive people. It’s easier to recognize similar situations in your own everyday life after first encountering them through the game.

Find the Cyber City Tycoon game here: secport.org/cyber-city-tycoon

Use the cybersecurity glossary

This glossary explains 86 key cybersecurity-related terms in clear, easy-to-understand language. It enables you to learn about cybersecurity without technical jargon and helps you explain terms to others.

Find the glossary here: secport.org/materials/glossary

Make cybersecurity part of everyday school life and teaching

Once you’ve mastered the basics of cybersecurity yourself, the next step is to consider how to bring cybersecurity into students’ daily lives. All students have an equal right to learn to use the internet safely, recognize scams, and understand what kinds of traces their actions leave online. It is the teacher’s role to support the development of these skills in age-appropriate ways.

Make use of ready-made lesson materials

The materials produced by Cyber Citizen help you implement the previously presented goals in your lessons. You have ready-made lesson materials and exercises for grades 3–6 that are easy to integrate into your teaching as-is or adapted.

The materials are built on a learning model. The learning model is based on the DigComp and ESCO frameworks, which describe at the EU level the digital competences people need in everyday life and at work.

Below you’ll find links to the lesson pages. On the lesson pages, you’ll find the teaching materials and exercises. Explore the lessons, download the content, and deliver the lesson!

Materials for grades 3–4

Lesson: Dangers lurking online
This lesson focuses on recognizing scams on the internet. The objectives are to 1) get to know the most common online scams, 2) understand why scams exist, and 3) explore the topic using the Cyber City Tycoon mobile game.

Explore the lesson

Materials for grades 5–6

Lesson: Critical thinking
This lesson examines how we are influenced online and how to recognize persuasion. The objectives are to 1) understand what mis-, dis-, and malinformation mean, 2) practice source checking, and 3) consider the consequences of spreading misleading information.

Explore the lesson
Lesson: Emotional skills
This lesson explores how online scams use emotions and everyday reactions to trick people. The objectives are to 1) recognize how cybercriminals take advantage of common human traits, 2) reflect on the kinds of online scams students may have encountered, and 3) learn to identify and discuss the behaviours and reactions behind them.

Explore the lesson
Lesson: Rights and responsibilities online
This lesson looks at what is appropriate behavior online and how to act in difficult situations. The objectives are to 1) learn to distinguish whether an action is appropriate or even illegal, 2) know your rights online, and 3) understand your responsibilities.

Explore the lesson
Lesson: Safe use of technology
In this lesson, students complete a station-based activity on the safe use of technology. The objectives are for students to 1) create strong passwords and secure their accounts, 2) understand how to share information safely, and 3) check whether their data has leaked online.

Explore the lesson
Lesson: Understanding value

In this lesson, students learn which personal information should not be shared online and why privacy matters. The objectives are to 1) identify which information about oneself is valuable and 2) reflect on one’s own social media behavior.

Explore the lesson