All posts by mistermarmolejo

AP Cybersecurity

APCK Cyber: AP Cybersecurity – Topic 4.3 Let’s Make Secure Passwords!

Objectives:

  • Students will be able to configure login settings for users to require industry standard security practices.

Standards:

  • 4.3.A Describe managerial controls related to device security.
  • 4.3.D Configure login settings to make a device more secure.

Guiding Question:

How do we create strong passwords, and why do we need them?

Resources:

  • 4.3 Let’s Make Secure Passwords!.pptx, 4.3 Let’s Make Secure Passwords! Configuring Password Security Lab Guide and 4.3 Let’s Make Secure Passwords! Password Complexity Activity Guide available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read through the 4.3 Let’s Make Secure Passwords!.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Divide into groups of 2. You are going to try to crack various “employee passwords” based on information the employees have shared online in class today.
  3. Use the instructions and take notes in the 4.3 Let’s Make Secure Passwords! Password Complexity Activity Guide and answer the questions in the 4.3 Let’s Make Secure Passwords! Configuring Password Security Lab Guide. Work as a team to complete the lab by creating and cracking various types of passwords.

Assigned: March 5th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: March 6th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 1.1.5 – Methods of Authentication

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Define alternatives to passwords for authentication.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of various methods of authentication
  • Make a convincing argument as to what methods of authentication would best accomplish their assigned goal.

Standards:

CSTA Compatibility Standards

  • 3A-NI-06: Recommend security measures to address various scenarios based on factors such as efficiency, feasibility, and ethical impacts.
  • 3A-NI-07: Compare various security measures, considering tradeoffs between the usability and security of a computing system.
  • 3B-NI-04: Compare ways software developers protect devices and information from unauthorized access.

Guiding Question:

What are various methods of authentication?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides 1.1.5 – Methods of Authentication.pptx Presentation, Activity 1.1.5 – Which Authentication Activity available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the 1.1.5 – Methods of Authentication.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Activity 1.1.5 – Which Authentication Activity provided in Google Classroom. (50 pts)

Assigned: March 4th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: March 5th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 1.1.4 – Password Hashing

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Recognize authentication vocabulary terms.
  • Understand methods of secure password storage.
  • Define hashing as a method of one-way conversion.

Standards:

CSTA Compatibility Standards

  • 3A-NI-05 Give examples to illustrate how sensitive data can be affected by malware and other attacks.
  • 3B-NI-04 Compare ways software developers protect devices and information from unauthorized access.

Guiding Question:

How are passwords stored on a system and what is password hashing?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides Lesson 1.1.4 – Password Hashing.pptx Presentation, Activity 1.1.4 – Hashing+Salts with CyberChef Activity and Activity 1.1.4 – Our Rainbow Table Google Sheet available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 1.1.4 – Password Hashing.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Activity 1.1.4 – Hashing+Salts with CyberChef Activity using the Activity 1.1.4 – Our Rainbow Table Google Sheet provided in Google Classroom. (25 pts)

Assigned: March 3rd, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: March 4th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 1.1.3 – Authentication and Password Attacks

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Define database as a collection of data organized for efficient organization and retrieval.
  • Explain 3 password guessing attack methods that use database information.

Standards:

CSTA Compatibility Standards

  • 3A-NI-05: Give examples to illustrate how sensitive data can be affected by malware and other attacks.
  • 3B-NI-04: Compare ways software developers protect devices and information from unauthorized access.

Guiding Question:

How can databases be used in password guessing attacks?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides Lesson 1.1.3 – Authentication and Password Attacks.pptx and Lab 5.2.2 – ARP with Wireshark.pptx Presentations available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 1.1.3 – Authentication and Password Attacks.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Activity 1.1.3 – Are You at Risk Student Worksheet Lab Activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom. (25 pts)

Assigned: March 2nd, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: March 3rd, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 1.1.2 Authentication

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Identify primary methods of authentication.
  • Apply best practices for creating a safe password.

Standards:

CSTA Compatibility Standards

  • 3A-CS-02: Compare levels of abstraction and interactions between application software, system software, and hardware layers.
  • 3B-NI-04: Compare ways software developers protect devices and information from unauthorized access.

Guiding Question:

How do authentication and strong passwords help secure data?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides Lesson 1.1.2 – Authentication.pptx and Activity 1.1.2 – Creating a Safe Password.pptx Presentations available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 1.1.2 – Authentication.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Use the instructions in the Activity 1.1.2 – Creating a Safe Password.pptx presentation to complete the Activity 1.1.2 – Testing Password Strength document using the materials provided in Google Classroom. (25 pts)

Assigned: February 27th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: March 2nd, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 1.1.1 – Intro to Security Concepts

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Identify the key goals and frameworks of Cybersecurity
  • Identify the CIA triad as the characteristics of information
  • Identify the state of information as stored, transmission, and processing

Standards:

CSTA Compatibility Standards

  • 3A-NI-08: Explain tradeoffs when selecting and implementing cybersecurity recommendations.

Guiding Question:

How does the protection of the CIA triad lead to the security of data?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides 1.1.1 Intro to Security Concepts.pptx and Lab 5.2.2 – ARP with Wireshark.pptx Presentations available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 1.1.1 – Intro to Security Concepts.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Use the instructions in the Lesson 1.1.1 – Intro to Security Concepts.pptx presentation to complete the Activity 1.1.1 – CIA Triad Scenarios Worksheet using the materials provided in Google Classroom. (25 pts)

Assigned: February 26th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: February 27th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 5.3.2 – Packet Delivery and Protocols

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Establish differences between circuit switching and packet switching
  • Define protocols and TCP/IP suite
  • Explain how protocols use ports/well-known port numbers
  • Compare and contract TCP and UDP transport protocols
  • Examine how TCP uses the 3-way handshake
  • Perform network traffic analysis using the Wireshark tool

Standards:

CSTA Compatibility Standards

  • 3A-CS-01: Compare levels of abstraction and interactions between application software, system software, and hardware layers.
  • 3A-NI-07: Compare various security measures, considering tradeoffs between the usability and security of a computing system.

Guiding Question:

How are packets delivered across networks between devices?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides Lesson 5.3.2 – Packet Delivery and Protocols.pptx and Lab 5.2.2 – ARP with Wireshark.pptx Presentations available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 5.3.2 – Packet Delivery and Protocols.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Use the instructions in the Lab 5.3.2 – Instructor PPT Packet Analysis with Wireshark.pptx presentation to complete the Lab 5.3.2 – Packet Analysis with Wireshark Student Worksheet Lab Activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom. (50 pts)

Assigned: February 24th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: February 25th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – 5.3.1 – Communicating in a Network

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Understand analog method of message delivery as a single communication
  • Devise a delivery method for messages that are broken up into packets

Standards:

CSTA Compatibility Standards

  • 3A-CS-01: Compare levels of abstraction and interactions between application software, system software, and hardware layers.

Guiding Question:

How can students communicate in the mobster net activity?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides Lesson 5.3.1 – Communicating in a Network.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 5.3.1 – Communicating in a Network.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Gather in groups of three and use the instructions in the Lesson 5.3.1 – Communicating in a Network.pptx presentation to complete the Mobster Net in-class Lab Activity to understand how networks deliver messages. (50 pts)

Assigned: February 23rd, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: February 23rd, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 5.2.2 – Network Naming

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Define how naming and identifying are used in networking
  • Explore the Wireshark tool used to capture and analyze network packets

Standards:

CYBER.ORG Cybersecurity Learning Standards:

  • 6-8.CS.COMM.2 -Differentiate between a network device’s MAC and IP addresses.

Guiding Question:

How are devices on a network identified and what are some ways they can communicate?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides Lesson 5.2.2 – Network Naming.pptx and Lab 5.2.2 – ARP with Wireshark.pptx Presentations available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 5.2.2 – Network Naming.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Use the instructions in the Lesson 5.2.2 – Network Naming.pptx presentation to complete the Lab 5.2.2 – ARP with Wireshark.pptx Lab Activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom. (50 pts)

Assigned: February 20th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: February 23rd, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 5.2.1 – Network Components

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Define differences between LAN and WAN
  • Identify characteristics of central connection devices

Standards:

CompTIA Security+ Objectives:
2.5 Explain the purpose of mitigation techniques used to secure the enterprise.
• Segmentation

4.1 Given a scenario, apply common security techniques to computing resources.
• Hardening Targets
• Switches, Routers, Servers

Guiding Question:

What is the difference between a WAN and a LAN and what are some basic network components?

Resources:

  • Lesson Slides Lesson 5.2.1 – Network Components.pptx and Student Handout 2.1.2 – IoT Devices.pptx Presentations available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 5.2.1 – Network Components.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Use the instructions in the Lesson 5.2.1 – Network Components.pptx presentation to complete the Activity 5.2.1 – Network Puzzle Worksheet Check for Understanding activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom. (25 pts)

Assigned: February 9th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: February 10th, 2026