Curriculum

CyberSmart! Posters

Download our free cartoon posters reminding your students of the CyberSmart! lessons
(Each poster design prints easily in color on 8 1/2 by 11-inch paper.)

Malware can be used for identity theft.

Identity theft occurs when someone finds or steals another person's private identity information and pretends to be that person in order to get money or buy things or services for themselves. Identity thieves steal money out of bank accounts, purchase goods on credit cards, and may even borrow money from a bank using the stolen identity. Discuss with students how to avoid inadvertently placing malware on the computers they use by

not opening, replying to, or clicking on links or attachments in spam messages
never downloading free screen savers, games, animations, and other electronic files unless they are from a highly trusted site
not opening or forwarding chain e-mails, as they may contain hidden malware
being very cautious about using P2P file sharing, as one can leave private files vulnerable to access by others
using antivirus and other security software

Use the following lesson plans and Student Activity Sheets from the free CyberSmart! Student Curriculum to teach your students more about identity theft and malware.

Know the kinds of malware.

There many kinds of malware—malicious software—but most can be classified into a few categories depending on how they spread. Viruses, worms, and Trojans are described in the cartoon. Another kind of malware is called bots—short for Web robots. Bots are software that do repetitive tasks automatically and can be used for good and bad purposes. Good bots automatically scan the Internet to keep track of Web pages for search engines. Bad bots are used to spread spam, collect e-mail addresses and phone numbers, buy up online concert tickets, and launch automated distributed denial of service attacks. Despite their often cute names, students should understand that malware is no laughing matter. Point out that it can also affect cell phones and other mobile devices. Discuss with students ways to prevent malware from being installed on their computers, including

using antivirus and other security software and updating this software regularly
updating operating systems and browsers on a regular basis

Use the following lesson plans and Student Activity Sheets from the free CyberSmart! Student Curriculum to teach your students more about malware.

How good is your password?

The cartoon is funny, but it's also sad. So many people use the most obvious, and therefore weak, passwords—even people who should know better. It may take a couple of minutes to create a secure password, but it is worth the effort to keep pranksters and criminals from accessing personal files and accounts. Remind students of these simple rules for creating strong passwords and keeping them secure.

Never use any private identity information in your password.
Don't use a word in the dictionary as a password.
Create passwords with at least eight characters.
Use combinations of upper- and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
Change your password regularly—at least every six months.

Use the following lesson plans and Student Activity Sheets from the free CyberSmart! Student Curriculum to teach your students more about managing passwords.

Strong passwords protect networks.

Were you ever in such a rush to install new software or set up new hardware that you didn't take the time to make it secure? Fiddling with security features may seem bothersome, time-consuming, or intimidating, but it's worth the effort to prevent damage to your files and computer, and theft of your private information. As the cartoon explains, wireless routers—which are used to set up home networks—come with a factory default user name and password. If you don't change the password, a snoop outside your home can change the settings on your router and even prevent you from using it. Because kids and teens are often the "tech support" in their families, they should think about ways to help keep their family data secure. Use the following lesson plans and Student Activity Sheets from the free CyberSmart! Student Curriculum to explore more about online security.

How well are you protecting your computer?

While some students may say the computers in their home belong to their parents, they too should feel responsible for keeping family computers and the data they contain secure. Suggest to students that they share a copy of this poster with their family and talk about security improvements the whole family can make. Use the following lesson plans and Student Activity Sheets from the free CyberSmart! Student Curriculum to teach your students more about computer security.

A computer virus ate my homework.

It's a high-tech twist on the old excuse. But if it really happens, a computer virus may damage more than a homework file. Use this poster as the basis for a classroom discussion about how to avoid spreading a virus to school and home computers. Make sure your students know

never to open e-mail from strangers
if they do open an e-mail by mistake, not to click on links or download files that came with it
never to pass along funny e-mails or chain letters—they may contain viruses

Use the following lesson plans and Student Activity Sheets from the free CyberSmart! Student Curriculum to teach your students more about e-mail safety and responsibility.

Welcome to my web site.

Children are attracted to some Web sites time after time by exciting games, contests, and the chance to talk online to others with similar interests. Commercial Web builders actually call such sites "sticky." Discuss with students how to choose to visit only those sites that can be trusted to protect their privacy by

checking for a clearly posted privacy policy that explains how it protects children under 13
making sure these sites don't ask children for more information than is needed to use the site
telling students to ask for their teacher's or their parents' permission before submitting ANY private identity information to a Web site

Try the following lesson plans and Student Activity Sheets from the free CyberSmart! Student Curriculum to teach your students more about online privacy.

On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.

Children may want to make pals in cyberspace in order to share common interests. Before they do, make sure they understand that it is easy for people in cyberspace to pretend to be what they are not. Discuss with your students how

students can share their thoughts about a common interest with someone they meet online but cannot know that person as well as a face-to-face friend
no one can know for sure if what a cyberpal (someone they met online) says is true
students should get their teacher's or parent's permission before sharing private identity information (full name, photo, address, telephone number, school name, and so on) with anyone online

Try the following lesson plans and Student Activity Sheets from the free CyberSmart! Student Curriculum to teach your students more about cyberpals and chat safety.