4th GRADE
UNIT 1: Building the Galactic Government - Digital Literacy
CYBERSECURITY & ENCRYPTION
THE LESSON MISSION
Vader, Fire the Death Star's Cybersecurity Specialist!
Vader should have fired the Death Star's cybersecurity specialist! Cybersecurity is the protection of computers and systems from information theft or damage. Cybersecurity specialists are people who prevent cybersecurity breaches and investigate cybersecurity crimes. Anyone who has ever seen Star Wars knows that the Empire failed miserably at cybersecurity. It seemed that everyone knew how to hack into their computer mainframe for information! Vader's cybersecurity specialists must have failed cryptology class!
What is Cryptology?
Cryptology is the science of secure communication. It is the ability to write and translate coded and encrypted information. Cryptologists study two forms of secret communication, codes and ciphers. A code replaces words, phrases, or sentences with groups of letters or numbers. A cipher rearranges letters using an algorithm or substitutes letters with symbols to disguise the message. Cybersecurity specialists study cryptology so they know how to keep information secure online.
Cryptology existed long before the internet. It was often used to communicate over long distances and encrypt top secret messages in wars. Morse code was used in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was a series of dashes and dots used to communicate messages over long distances using a telegraph machine. Cryptology was heavily used in World War II. Navajo Code Talkers were Navajo Native Americans who created and communicated a code based on the complex, unwritten Navajo language. This helped America and our Allies to communicate top secret messages during the war. The ENIGMA machine was a cipher device created by the Germans in World War II to create and decode secret messages.
What is a Cybercrime?
Cybersecurity specialists help prevent cybercrimes and investigate cybercrimes. A cybercrime is a crime committed using a computer and a computer network. Some of these crimes include doxxing, hacking, copyright issues, cyberbullying and fraud. Some cyber crimes target networks or computers, like viruses, malware, and D-Dosing. Sometimes people use computers and networks to commit crimes like phishing, cyberbullying, and identity theft. There are a lot of words here you might not know. Please take a moment to look under the tool box to the right for any definitions you might need.
Let the Experts Explain
Let's watch this video about cybersecurity and cybercrimes so that you have a good understanding of them.
How Does Cybersecurity Work?
There are many aspects of cybersecurity. Internet cybersecurity is very important because we use our private information to do things like bank or buy things online. Private or secret information is sent over the internet using encryption.
Encryption is the process of scrambling or changing a message to make it secret using a cipher. It can only be opened with a private key. Only the person intended to get the information has the private key. Let's watch the video below so that you understand how encryption works. The video uses several words that you might not be familiar with. They are defined under the tool box to your right.
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Tool Box
cybersecurity: the protection of computers and systems from information theft or damage
cybersecurity specialist: person who prevents cybersecurity breaches and investigates cybersecurity crimes cryptology: the science of secure communications and the ability to write and translate coded and encrypted information cryptologists: people who study forms of secret communication like codes and ciphers code: secret communication where words, phrases, or sentences are replaced with groups of letters or numbers cipher: secret communication that rearranges letters using an algorithm or substitutes letters with other symbols to disguise a message Morse Code: a code used in the late 1800s and early 1900s made up of dots and dashes used to communicate messages over long distances via a telegraph Navajo Code Talkers: Navajo Native Americans who created and communicated a code based on the complex, unwritten Navajo language helping America and our Allies to communicate top secret messages during the war ENIGMA Machine: a cipher device created by the Germans in World War II to create and decode secret messages cybercrime: a crime committed using a computer and a computer network doxxing: another word for outing - or revealing sensitive or private information about someone without their consent in order to hurt, embarrass, or humiliate them hacking: breaking into computers, accounts, or systems without permission copyright: ownership of digital property that allows the owner to be in control of who is allowed to use it and how they use it virus: a portion of a program code that has been designed to secretly copy itself onto program codes or computer files to destroy data and programs or disrupt the functioning of computers and networks malware: any bad software that infects your computer like a virus, spyware, bot, adware or worm D-Dos: distributed denial of service - or flooding a server with internet traffic to prevent a person or group from getting online phishing: when a person sends a fake text, email, or pop-up message to get people to share their personal information, passwords, or financial information in order to commit identity theft, steal money, or commit some other crime identity theft: when someone steals your personal information and pretends to be you - usually done to steal bank account and credit card information encryption: the process of scrambling or changing a message to make it secret decryption: the process of unscrambling an encrypted or secret message, so that it can be read key: the number used in a cipher or the coded system used to encrypt a message symmetric encryption: when the sender and receiver share the same key to unscramble a message asymmetric keys: using a public key that can be exchanged with anybody and a private key that is not shared public key: a key used to encrypt data that can be used by anyone to create a secret message private key: a key that is used to unlock an encrypted message |
You Are A Rebellion Cybersecurity Specialist!
Now you are going to apply what you have learned to a Star Wars Live Action Role Play Game. In this LARP game, you are a cybersecurity specialist for the Rebellion. Rebellion spies have intercepted top secret Imperial messages from the Death Star to Darth Vader's compound on Mustafar. The messages are encrypted. You must decode the messages quickly so that the Rebellion can use the information against the Empire in the war. Each planet will receive an envelope. Inside is the encrypted message. Work with your partner to decode the message. Write the decoded message in the space underneath the encrypted message. Use the website below to give you ideas for how to decode the message. When you believe you have decoded the message, bring your answer to me. If it is correct, I will give you a second message that is encrypted in a different way. You will follow the same process to decode the message. The first team to decode three encrypted imperial messages, wins the Star Wars Encryption LARP Game!
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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
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You did it! You accomplished your mission
I can explain how encryption is used in internet cybersecurity.
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Original Lesson by April Smith
Constructed to meet state and national STEM standards:
Constructed to meet state and national STEM standards:
- AL DLCS - Citizen of a Digital Culture - Safety, Privacy, and Security Standard 8 - Demonstrate proper use and operation of security technologies.
- ITEEA STEL 4F - Describe the helpful and harmful effects of technology.
- ITEEA STEL 5D - Determine factors that influence changes in a society’s technological systems or infrastructure.
- ITEEA STEL 5F - Analyze how an invention or innovation was influenced by its historical context.
- ISTE 1.1.d - Technology Fundamentals - Students understand fundamental concepts of how technology works, demonstrate the ability to choose and use current technologies effectively, and are adept at thoughtfully exploring emerging technologies.
- ISTE 1.3.d - Explore Real World Issues - Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories, and pursuing answers and solutions.
- ISTE 1.7.d. - Local and Global Issues - Students explore local and global issues, and use collaborative technologies to work with others to investigate solutions.