Empowering teachers with the tools and resources they need to successfully educate the next generation of cybersecurity professionals is critical to ensuring a more secure nation. Additionally, introducing students – as young as five years old – to cybersecurity concepts and principles will have lasting effects. Not only does the student develop a strong foundation for good cyber hygiene and take that knowledge home to their families (thus improving home and business security), but teachers can plant a seed by building awareness of the cybersecurity career opportunities in this growing field.
That’s why the CIAS-ISAO has developed an interactive K-12 Cybersecurity Program to support classrooms nationwide. Since 2015, the CIAS at the University of Texas at San Antonio has been working with K-12 classrooms to provide no-cost tools and resources that support cyber education.
The CIAS K-12 Cybersecurity Program currently consists of the following educational tools: 1) Cyber Threat Defender: the Collectible Card Game; 2) Cyber Threat Defender Digital; 3) Cyber Threat Protector; 4) Cyber Threat Guardian.
A two-player card game, for grades K-2, that introduces young learners to technology and cybersecurity terms and concepts. The goal is to build a network quickly and protect it from your opponent. The game setup varies for three different age groups: Grades K-1, Grades 1-2, and Second Grade and up.
A two-player card game, for grades 3-5, that builds upon lessons learned in Cyber Threat Guardian and introduces players to cybersecurity terms, a network infrastructure, real world challenges and the relationships between cyber-attacks and defensive counter measures.
Free, electronic toolbox that includes multiple electronic games for all grade levels, including the cryptography game, Project Cipher, and Cyber Threat Defender: Digital.
It can be downloaded to a PC or MAC desktop.
Cyber Threat Defender: The Collectible Card Game:
A two-player card game, for grades 6-12, students learn basic and complex cybersecurity concepts, reinforce understandings of a network infrastructure, learn about the relationships between cyber-attacks and defensive counter measures, real-world challenges, facts and historical information connected to cybersecurity. It is available in English and Spanish.
Targeting grades K-5, these 80+ activity sheets are free to download and complement classroom learning objectives while introducing technology and cybersecurity concepts.
K-12 teachers can receive complementary classroom boxes of the Cyber Threat trilogy of games by emailing the CIAS-ISAO at cias@utsa.edu.
Other free educational resources can be found through:
- Cyber.org
An organization that provides K-12 teachers with resources, training and curriculum needed to deliver cyber content to students. These materials are provided at no cost to teachers. - CyberPatriot
The National Youth Cyber Education Program that inspires K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other STEM disciplines. Specifically, this program is designed as a series of online competition rounds, where middle and high school teams are given a set of virtual operating systems and are tasked with finding and fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities while maintaining critical services. Any school can participate and free training is available as well as a mentor program for schools needing additional help learning about cybersecurity. - National Cryptologic Foundation
Provides virtual discussions about careers in cybersecurity, a booklet titled “Outsmart Cyberthreats” to understand cyber terminology and high school cybersecurity curriculum guidelines and courses.
Creating a whole-community cybersecurity program begins with the community’s youngest citizens, so why not help connect schools to these resources? If you have any questions about these resources, please contact us today!
