Introduction to Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking*
Grades 10-12
.5 credit
Moving beyond its early definition as a form of criminal or contrarian behavior, these days “hacking” connotes the more analytical exercise of probing for strengths, weaknesses, and efficiencies. The phrase “ethical hacking” describes the work of rendering cyber systems secure. In this sense, “to hack” is to discover the strongest security, be it a network, an email, a password, a website, etc… Ethical hacking is what “white hats” do; they seek to create the most secure environments for technology. This course exposes students to the tools and techniques required to learn the foundations of cybersecurity and other critical Internet skills. Students are challenged to be resourceful and creative, using hacking as a method for discovering how things work and how system vulnerabilities can be remedied. Hands-on lessons cover a broad range of topics, including safe Internet use, networking basics, web privacy, network security, and hacking ethics and laws.
*Prerequisite: Solving Problems with Technology or permission of the department|
Not offered 2022-23