High school cybersecurity curriculum

Cybersecurity Fundamentals is a course that equips students with the knowledge and practical skills to stay safe online, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for a career in cybersecurity.

The image shows a small group of students sitting around a table and talking together. Two students in the center—a boy wearing a gray hoodie and a girl with braided hair wearing a tan sweater—are facing each other and appear engaged in discussion. Papers, notebooks, and colorful markers are spread across the table. Other students are partially visible around them, suggesting a collaborative group activity or study session in a classroom or learning space.

High school cybersecurity curriculum

Cybersecurity Fundamentals is a course that equips students with the knowledge and practical skills to stay safe online, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for a career in cybersecurity.

The image shows a small group of students sitting around a table and talking together. Two students in the center—a boy wearing a gray hoodie and a girl with braided hair wearing a tan sweater—are facing each other and appear engaged in discussion. Papers, notebooks, and colorful markers are spread across the table. Other students are partially visible around them, suggesting a collaborative group activity or study session in a classroom or learning space.

High school cybersecurity curriculum

Cybersecurity Fundamentals is a course that equips students with the knowledge and practical skills to stay safe online, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for a career in cybersecurity.

The image shows a small group of students sitting around a table and talking together. Two students in the center—a boy wearing a gray hoodie and a girl with braided hair wearing a tan sweater—are facing each other and appear engaged in discussion. Papers, notebooks, and colorful markers are spread across the table. Other students are partially visible around them, suggesting a collaborative group activity or study session in a classroom or learning space.

Course outline

Exploring the foundational skills in cybersecurity.

Course outline

Exploring the foundational skills in cybersecurity.

Course outline

Exploring the foundational skills in cybersecurity.

11 units

58 lessons

English & Spanish

Unit 1 · 7 Lessons

  1. Protection

Fundamental principles of cybersecurity, especially as they pertain to the esports and gaming industry. Students will learn about the impact of cybersecurity breaches on esports players and explore best practices for online safety, authentication, and the protection of personally identifiable information.

Objectives

  • Understand essential online safety practices

  • Learn how to protect personally identifiable information

  • Explore various authentication methods

  • Create incident response and business continuity plan

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Unit 2 · 5 Lessons

  1. Cyber Crimes

This unit is aimed at gamers looking to understand and guard against potential online threats. Students learn how to identify the nature of cyber-attacks and the tactics used by cybercriminals, as well as protecting themself against cyberbullying.

Objectives

  • Identify various forms of cyberattacks

  • Learn what methods cybercriminals use

  • Understand cyberbullying and its effects

  • Perform cybersecurity self-audit

  • Learn how to prevent costly consequences of cyberattacks

Unit 3 · 6 Lessons

  1. Accounts and Identity Theft

Methodologies to guard personal information and have a safe online presence. Students explore key concepts such as creating and managing strong passwords, understanding the risks associated with oversharing on social media, and awareness of identity theft.

Objectives

  • Identify weak vs strong passwords

  • Learn how to manage passwords securely

  • Understand the risks of oversharing information on social media

  • Explore best practices for access control

  • Protect against identity theft

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Unit 4 · 5 Lessons

  1. Wares, Viruses, and Attacks

Understanding and combating malware. Students learn about what precautions they could take to avoid malware, how to identify types of malware attacks, and how to recover their devices from malware.

Objectives

  • Identify different types of malware and attacks

  • Understand how malware can affect systems

  • Use best practices to prevent breaches

  • Learn how to recover from malware attacks

Unit 5 · 6 Lessons

  1. WiFi and Networks

This unit covers the technical aspects of networks, such as components, addressing methods, and the OSI Model, to build foundational knowledge crucial for gamers and esports professionals. It also covers the importance of secure connections and risks of public WiFi.

Objectives

  • Understand the benefits of WiFi vs Ethernet

  • Identify the risks of connecting to public WiFi

  • Use VPN to protect personal information

  • Explore the main components in networks

  • Learn how cloud computing is used in gaming

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Unit 6 · 6 Lessons

  1. Social Engineering

Understanding and combatting social engineering and false information in the digital world. Students learn about the tactics used by cyber villains, including AI, deepfakes, and different types of scams. Students review strategies to protect themselves and understand how false information spreads online.

Objectives

  • Explore common social engineering techniques

  • Learn how to defend agains social engineering attacks

  • Identify signs of a video being deepfake

  • Understand the difference between misinformation and disinformation

  • Practice techniques to detect false information

Unit 7 · 4 Lessons

  1. Mobile Security

The unit is aimed at equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to secure their mobile devices effectively. It covers issues like SIM hijacking, app safety, data backup techniques, and mobile device authentication and encryption strategies.

Objectives

  • Understand vulnerabilities of mobile devices

  • Use best practices to secure smartphone

  • Set up data backup on important devices

  • Explore various aspects of app safety

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Unit 8 · 5 Lessons

  1. Safe Browsing

Internet Safety and Cybersecurity. Students learn to browse the internet safely, identify secure and dangerous websites, and understand the implications of internet cookies on privacy. With practical exercises like evaluating website security and navigating terms and conditions, they learn how to protect their online presence.


Objectives

  • Understand the importance of HTTPS, digital certificates, and encryption

  • Identify dangerous websites

  • Learn what cookies are used for and their implications on privacy

  • Explore different types of cryptography

Unit 9 · 4 Lessons

  1. Hardware Exploits

Protecting physical infrastructure in a gaming environment. Students learn about how common devices using USB can be used for attacks and how the Internet of Things impacts the security of networks and systems.

Objectives

  • Identify the risks associated with USB devices

  • Learn how to protect physical infrastructure

  • Explore vulnerabilities of IoT systems

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Unit 10 · 5 Lessons

  1. Privacy Essentials

Digital privacy, security, and information management. Students learn to navigate the complexities of digital data privacy, its ethical considerations, and the implications of digital footprints and tracking on personal and organizational levels.

Objectives

  • Explore the ethical dilemma of anonymity vs accountability

  • Understand the benefits and risks associated with metadata related to digital files

  • Learn about digital footprints and tracking

  • Protect sensitive data and explore destruction methods

Capstone Project · 3 Lessons

  1. Capstone and Assessment

A capstone project where students apply their accumulated skills and knowledge in a comprehensive presentation, demonstrating their proficiency in cybersecurity principles. The course rounds off with a practice exam for the ISC2 CC certificate and a reflective session where students assess their growth, identify areas for improvement, and plan for their future in the cybersecurity field.

Objectives

  • Review major topics covered in the course

  • Work on capstone project to apply skills

  • Prepare for ISC2 CC certification

  • Reflect on course outcomes and career goals

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Download full course outline

Fill in your email and receive the full outline, for free.

Download full course outline

Fill in your email and receive the full outline, for free.

Download full course outline

Fill in your email and receive the full outline, for free.

The image shows a clean, minimalist badge-style logo. In the center are the letters “CC” with a small “SM” mark next to them. The letters are enclosed within a rounded square outline made of two colored segments—light blue on the top/left and green on the bottom/right. In the upper-right corner, a small black circle contains the text “ISC2.”  The design appears to represent the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) credential badge, indicating certification in cybersecurity fundamentals.

Industry certification

The course is aligned to ISC2® CC (Certified in Cybersecurity) Certification. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for the ISC2 CC examination.

The image shows a clean, minimalist badge-style logo. In the center are the letters “CC” with a small “SM” mark next to them. The letters are enclosed within a rounded square outline made of two colored segments—light blue on the top/left and green on the bottom/right. In the upper-right corner, a small black circle contains the text “ISC2.”  The design appears to represent the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) credential badge, indicating certification in cybersecurity fundamentals.

Industry certification

The course is aligned to ISC2® CC (Certified in Cybersecurity) Certification. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for the ISC2 CC examination.

The image shows a clean, minimalist badge-style logo. In the center are the letters “CC” with a small “SM” mark next to them. The letters are enclosed within a rounded square outline made of two colored segments—light blue on the top/left and green on the bottom/right. In the upper-right corner, a small black circle contains the text “ISC2.”  The design appears to represent the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) credential badge, indicating certification in cybersecurity fundamentals.

Industry certification

The course is aligned to ISC2® CC (Certified in Cybersecurity) Certification. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for the ISC2 CC examination.

Devices

Devices

Devices

PC

Chromebook

See how this course can be used in your district or school

Flexible, scalable, and made to fit. Let’s show you how.

15-30 min

Online meeting

See how this course can be used in your district or school

Flexible, scalable, and made to fit. Let’s show you how.

15-30 min

Online meeting

See how this course can be used in your district or school

Flexible, scalable, and made to fit. Let’s show you how.

15-30 min

Online meeting