Georgia Foundations of Secure Information Systems

In this lesson, students will learn about the essential internal components that make up a computer. Component categories include the motherboard (system board), firmware (BIOS), CPU (processor), GPU (graphics processor), storage, cooling, and NIC (network adapter).

In this lesson, students will learn about the different storage options including local storage, network storage, and cloud storage.

In this lesson, students will learn about different networking devices that allow devices to connect to other devices as well as the Internet. They will also learn different networking connection methods such as using dialup, DSL, coax cables, and fiber optic cables.

In this lesson, students will learn about the different network types and options that are available. This will include wireless networking standards and protocols.

In this lesson, students will learn about different ports and protocols and how they can be protected using a firewall. They will explore port scans and how to set firewall rules.

In this lesson, students will learn about the basic functions and types of operating systems. Students will also explore the process for upgrading and installing Windows and Mac operating systems.

In this lesson, students learn about the different types of software. Through interactive exercises, students explore how different software can be used in the workplace and our every day lives. Students also learn about single and cross-platform software.

In this lesson, students will learn about the importance of application security and what they can do to protect applications once they have been installed on a device.

In this lesson, students learn how to use user accounts and permissions to secure a device. Students also learn about system hardening and how to strengthen the security of a network by setting up and implementing host security.

In this lesson, students will explore at a high-level what the internet is and how the internet works.

In this lesson, students will explore the hardware that makes up the internet and the characteristics of that hardware that define our experience on the internet.

In this lesson, students will explore how internet hardware communicates using Internet Addresses and the Internet Protocol.

In this lesson, students will explore the DNS system and how it maps human readable domain names into actual accessible IP addresses.

In this lesson, students explore how messages get from one address on the internet to another.

In this lesson, students learn about the last piece of the puzzle for how the Internet works: Packets and Protocols. All information sent over the internet is broken down into small groups of bits called packets. The format for creating and reading packets is defined by open protocols so that all devices can read packets from all other devices.

In this lesson, students are presented with different ways that the Internet impacts their lives. The Internet affects the way that people communicate (emails, social media, video chat) and collaborate to solve problems. It has revolutionized the way that people can learn and even buy things. Because the Internet is present in almost every facet of people’s lives, there are severe ethical and legal concerns that derive from the Internet.

In this lesson, students explore what a network administrator career entails.

In this lesson, students complete a summative assessment of the unit’s learning objectives.

In this lesson, students will learn what is meant by cybersecurity and explore a few news worthy cyber attacks. They will also discuss the Internet of Things and the increase in connected devices.

Cybersecurity is the protection of computer systems, networks, and data from digital attacks. Increased connectivity via the Internet of Things and reliance on computer devices to send and store data makes users more vulnerable to cyber attacks.

In this lesson, students will learn and examine recent cyber attacks. Cyber attacks result in financial loss, lowered trust, disruption of important services, and more. There is a growing need for cybersecurity experts, and careers in the field are lucrative with high-impact.

In this lesson, students will explore and discuss the ethics and legality around hacking. A security hacker is someone who seeks to break through defenses and exploit weaknesses in a computer system or network. There are white hat hackers, who help companies find and protect exploits in their systems, and black hat hackers who hack maliciously.

In this lesson, students will learn about The CIA Triad. The CIA Triad is a widely-accepted security measure that should be guaranteed in every secure system. It stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.

• Confidentiality is the protection of information from people who are not authorized to view it.
• Integrity aims at ensuring that information is protected from unauthorized or unintentional alteration.
• Availability is the assurance that systems and data are accessible by authorized users when and where needed.

In this lesson, students will discuss and examine policies regarding privacy and security. Using best practices like setting strong passwords, reading privacy policies, and using https can help in staying safe online.

In this lesson, students will learn how basic encryption and decryption works. There is a need for secrecy when sending and receiving personal information. Encryption and decryption are used to protect personal information.

In this lesson, students will learn and use hashing functions. They will look at what hashing is, requirements of a good hashing algorithm, how hashing is used, what the ideal hash function does, collisions in hashing, and how hackers try to crack a hashing algorithm.

In this lesson, students will learn about and discuss cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to harass or target someone. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else.

In this lesson, students will learn what copyright laws are and how to avoid copyright infringement. They will explore why copyright laws are important and how they protect the creators.

Now that students have learned about digital citizenship and cyber hygiene, they will take what they have learned and create a PSA to inform members in the community about a topic!