Number of Classes
3
Session Duration
45 Minutes
School Subjects Alignment
Course Description:
The cybersecurity module teaches students essential skills to protect themselves in an increasingly digital world, from creating strong passwords and spotting scams to understanding how cyberattacks actually work. Students will gain practical, real-world knowledge taught by a college cybersecurity student, making the content relatable and immediately applicable to their daily online activities. Beyond personal safety, this course builds critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and introduces students to one of the fastest-growing career fields in technology.
Curriculum Outline
Session 1: Cybersecurity & Basic Practices Students will learn the fundamentals of cybersecurity and why basic security practices are important in everyday life. This includes understanding common threats, and understanding why protecting yourself online matters, and exploring ways on how to stay safe online as well.
Session 2: Reconnaissance & How Attacks Begin Students will learn about reconnaissance (which is the process of gathering information to find weaknesses) and why it is the most crucial step in cyberattacks. This course will explain how reconnaissance is used by attackers and how these techniques can also help defenders figure out and fix security problems.
Session 3: Personal Cybersecurity & Daily Protection Students will learn about and how to maintain a strong cybersecurity posture in their daily lives. This also includes the creation of strong passwords, figuring out scams, and keeping devices up to date, and use personal security tools to protect their personal systems.
Core Massachusetts State Standards
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education — Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) Standards
Computing & Society (Grades 9–12)
9–12.CS.3 – Analyze security issues and implement practices that protect personal data and digital identity.
9–12.CS.4 – Evaluate the impact of cybersecurity threats and ethical considerations in computing.
9–12.CS.5 – Demonstrate responsible use of technology and understand consequences of digital actions.
Networks & the Internet (Grades 9–12)
9–12.NI.3 – Explain how data is transmitted and how network vulnerabilities can be exploited.
9–12.NI.4 – Evaluate strategies for protecting devices and networks from unauthorized access.
About the Instructor
This course will be taught by Ranier Corales, a senior Cybersecurity student from Franklin Cummings Tech, working under the direction of cybersecurity expert Dr. Fathima James. A Boston native, Rainier is passionate about cybersecurity because he likes knowing how to keep himself and others safe while using computers.