We're thrilled that you are reading this, because it means you're taking a step toward equipping your students to protect themselves and the people around them, while they work on the web. We put together this README to let you know what's in the curriculum, how it all fits together, …
This module begins with a short discussion about information hidden in files, and the potential risks tied to file metadata. It follows with a short exercise to have students find the file metadata embedded in a photo, followed by discussion of risk minimization.PrerequisitesThreat modeling(Good to know) Malware …
Note that you will not use this module if you are not conducting an extended course on this topic.This (optional) conversation may be used to introduce the broader course. It will begin by examining the importance of the topic, additional prompting about what topics are covered, and will include …
This module opens by walking through examples of targeted harassment, followed by a self-doxxing activity, an activity to opt-out of a data broker service, and discussion time. Because some students may have personal experience with harassment and doxxing on the web, if this class environment feels safe enough to do …
This section is intended to quickly introduce chat safety considerations through some examples of tip channels currently supported by newsrooms, followed by discussion time, and finally, hands-on installation of the Signal app. Students may need time to troubleshoot, so we encourage pairing students, and being prepared to help students if …
This module briefly opens with an introduction to the lack of end-to-end encryption in standard cloud and backup services, and closes with an activity to send the instructor a password-protected file over Tresorit Send, an end-to-end encrypted service.Note the Keybase homework assignment will require instructors to sign up for …
This module opens with an introduction to the need for location obfuscation techniques, and what a VPN does. Instructors may then talk through basics of IP addresses, Virtual Private Networks, and the Tor network. Students will be asked to install Tor and navigate to the New York Times SecureDrop .onion …
This module will not provide an exhaustive look at this topic, but will instead provide the starting point for students to know how to investigate their digital security questions as needed.This lecture and activities will briefly introduce several foundational topics on digital security, including the basics of threat modeling, …
This module opens with an introduction to common attacks on online accounts, and the need for two-factor authentication. It then moves on to a few activities having students investigate the security of their own passwords, and where they might set up two-factor authentication for their primary email provider. It closes …
This section on surveillance tools used by law enforcement is discussion focused, and intends to get students to think critically about the relationship between surveillance, privacy, and transparency. It begins with lecture canvassing a variety of law enforcement surveillance technology, based on research from from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Afterward, …
This section is intended to be presentation-heavy. It opens with a short video explaining the foreign intelligence surveillance court, followed by another introducing NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The legal material can be somewhat dry, so it's especially important to focus on the surveillance capabilities outlined, followed secondarily by the authorities …
This short module opens with a short introduction to malware with a video, followed by slides with a few examples of malware targeting journalists, and finally, opening up to a discussion of how students understand the likelihood of this happening in their work, and what they should do in response. …
Because this is a challenging topic, we strongly recommend the prerequisite modules before getting started. Likewise, it may be most appropriate for students who plan on pursuing journalism professionally.This module opens with a presentation outlining publicly documented examples of compromised sources, and then moves onto an activity requiring students …
This short module opens with a video of a social engineering professional showing off her skills, then moving on to some psychological principles and tactics underlying social engineering approaches. Next, it includes a brief activity asking students to a consider how a social engineer might get their credit card number. …
Threat modeling is foundational to thinking through security broadly, and we therefore introduce it before several other more technical topics. We first encourage the use of physical metaphors (e.g., choosing how and where to lock a bicycle) before introducing digital applications to help beginners understand how they may already create …
This module should be short, introducing the problem with a video, and open a discussion with students about full disk encryption and strong password protection.PrerequisitesThreat modelingEstimated time20 minutesObjectivesUpon successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to analyze the risks associated with device …
Because the behavior of telecommunications networks and the internet is so foundational to realistic threat modeling, this section should be used before any subsequent discussion of chat tools designed to protect network-level communication like Signal, or tools that encrypt and tunnel traffic, such as VPNs, or Tor. This section opens …
This short module opens with an introduction to the problem space (password reuse), followed by introducing password managers, and optionally having students install one and sign up for an email with a randomized password.PrerequisitesThreat modeling(Good to know) Authentication - Part 1Estimated time20-25 minutes (35-40 minutes …
This module begins with a walkthrough of a few examples of legal requests that have affected news organizations' communications, with emphasis on the underlying authorities and how they might apply more broadly. In the latter half of the lecture, instructors may ask students to investigate a transparency report for a …
Also available in Spanish.
At the close of 2019 in Wuhan, China, local doctor Li Wenliang began to notice an uptick in patients experiencing flu-like symptoms, many reportedly feeling ill after visiting the Huanan seafood market. Concerned about the possibility of a SARS-like outbreak, he shared his observations with his medical school alumni group …
BitLocker To Go is part of the larger BitLocker suite of encryption tools available in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Unfortunately, it is not available on Windows 11 Home edition, which is the version most Windows computers ship with. However, it is possible to pay for an upgrade to a version that does support it, like Windows 11 Pro. Although BitLocker itself can be used to encrypt your computer’s entire hard drive, you can also use the BitLocker To Go feature to encrypt separate external drives with a strong passphrase, which we’ll cover in this guide.
Photos and how we share them can present risks to the people and sensitive information that’s been captured in the process. In this guide, we discuss how to safely redact them
Nearly everyone’s sent private photos at some point. But who else is able to see them, beyond your conversational partner? When sent over text messages and apps, who else gets a copy?If you send a photo over text message, the service provider (e.g., Verizon) can usually read the message …
Also available in Spanish.Passwords are the brittle wall that keeps unwanted visitors out of your accounts. When it comes to account protection, two-factor authentication is one of the most effective defenses available.Two-factor authentication, or 2FA for short, strengthens login security by requiring a second piece of information …
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