Tag Archives: CYBER.ORG

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 2.2.1 – Internal Computing Components

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Identify internal computing components.
  • Describe the purpose of internal computing components.
  • Explain how internal computing components compare to parts of the human body.

Standards:

CompTIA Tech+ FC0-U71 Objective:
2.2 – Explain the purpose of common internal computing components.

  • Motherboard/system board
  • Firmware/basic input/output system (BIOS)
  • Random-access memory (RAM)
  • Central processing unit (CPU)
  • Graphics processing unit (GPU)
  • Storage
  • Network interface card (NIC)
    • Wired vs. wireless
    • Onboard vs. expansion card

Guiding Question:

What are the internal components of computing devices and what are their purposes?

Resources:

  • 2.2.1 – Internal Computing Components.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson Slides 2.2.1 – Internal Computing Components.pptx Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow in today’s class.
  2. Work through the Lab Slides 2.2.1 – CSI Computer System Investigation.pptx Activity in class using the materials provided in Google Classroom.
  3. Use the information gathered in the Lab Slides 2.2.1 – CSI Computer System Investigation.pptx to complete the Student Handout 2.2.1 – Internal Computing Components Check for Understanding activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom. (50 pts)

Assigned: January 23rd, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 26th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 2.5.2 – Peripheral Devices

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Compare input and output interfaces for peripheral devices.
  • Analyze scenarios and determine which peripheral interface best meets the user’s needs.

Standards:

CompTIA Tech+ FC0-U71 Objective:
2.5 – Compare and contrast common types of input/output device interfaces.

  • Peripheral devices
    • USB (A/B/C)
    • Thunderbolt
    • Bluetooth
    • Radio frequency (RF)
    • Lightning

Guiding Question:

What are the different input and output interfaces for peripheral devices and how do they work?

Resources:

  • Lesson 2.5.2 – Peripheral Devices.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 2.5.2 – Peripheral Devices.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Student Handout 2.5.2 – Peripheral Devices Check for Understanding activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom.

Assigned: January 21st, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 22nd, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity Spring 2026 – 1.3.1 – Copper Cables & 1.3.1 Activity – Ethernet Cat5e Patch Cable Assembly

Objective

  • The student will be able to summarize the types of cables and connectors and explain which is the appropriate type for a solution.

Resources:

Standards:

CompTIA Tech+ FC0-U71 Objective:

2.5 – Compare and contrast common types of input/output device interfaces.See PowerPoint presentation: 1.3.1 – Copper Cables.pptx

  • Networking
    • Wired
      • Ethernet connector (RJ45)
    • Networking devices and tools

Guiding Question:

How are copper wire network cables constructed?

Links:

Topics Discussed:

  • Networking Basics
  • Networking Fundamentals
  • Ethernet
  • EIA/TIA
  • 568A & 568B Standards
  • Cat5, 5e & 6
  • Local Area Network
  • Cable Management

Assignment:

  1. Begin reading the 1.3.1 – Copper Cables.pptx presentation on the Google Classroom. This lesson will introduce you to different types of copper cables and their standard characteristics.
  2. Next, visit the How to Make a Network Cable: link at https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Network-Cable for instructions on how to build a Cat5e cable to the EIA/TIA 568A or 568B spec. Read through the instructions completely before proceeding. Pay particular notice to the difference between a “passthrough” cable and a “crossover” cable.
  3. Visit the rolling cart to pick up your tools and materials. You will need a arm’s length of Cat5e cable, two RJ-45 cable ends, and a crimper tool.
  4. Follow the instructions to build your passthrough patch cable.
  5. Once you have your passthrough cable built, test it using the provided cable tester. If your cable test is successful, you may proceed to build a “crossover” cable for additional practice.
  6. Use clear tape and a marker to label your cables with your name and what type of cable it is (passthrough or crossover), and place it in the wire basket on the front table in the room.
  7. Once they are graded, you are free to take your Cat5e cable home for your own use. Cables left behind will be deployed within the department.

Assigned: January 16th, 2026
Due Date: January 20th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 2.5.1 – Input Output Interfaces

Objective:

Students will be able to:

  • Distinguish between wired and wireless interfaces and explore the different options of each interface.
  • Identify different networking tools.
  • Apply their knowledge of wired and wireless interfaces to determine which best fits a user’s needs.

Standards:

CompTIA Tech+ FC0-U71 Objective:
2.5 – Compare and contrast common types of input/output device interfaces.

  • Networking
    • Wired
      • Ethernet connector (RJ45)
      • Fiber connector small form-factor pluggable (SFP)
    • Wireless
      • Bluetooth
      • Near-field communication (NFC)
      • 802.11X
    • Networking devices and tools
      • Crimpers
      • Cable testers

Guiding Question:

How do wired and wireless interfaces impact networking?

Resources:

  • Lesson 2.5.1 – Input Output Interfaces.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the 2.5.1 – Input Output Interfaces.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Student Handout 2.5.1 – Input Output Interfaces Check for Understanding activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom.

Assigned: January 9th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 12th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 4.9.1 – Logs

Objective:

  • Students will be able to analyze how logs can be used to support an investigation.

Standards:

CompTIA Security+ SYO-701 Objective:

4.9 – Given a scenario, use data sources to support an investigation

  • Log data
    • Firewall logs
    • Application logs
    • Endpoint logs
    • OS-specific security logs
    • IPS/IDS logs
    • Network logs
    • Metadata
  • Data sources
    • Vulnerability scans
    • Automated reports
    • Dashboards
    • Packet captures

Guiding Question:

How can logs be used to support an investigation?

Resources:

  • Lesson 4.8.1 – Incident Response.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 4.9.1 – Logs.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Unit 3 – Logs Check for Understanding activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom.
  3. Complete the Lab – Metadata.pptx Activity in class using the materials provided in Google Classroom.
  4. To confirm completion the lab activity, upload a screenshot displaying the metadata displayed when using exiftool on the target image file to today’s Google Classroom post.

Assigned: January 13th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 14th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 4.8.1 – Incident Response

Objective:

  • Students will be able to investigate common incident response activities.

Standards:

CompTIA Security+ SYO-701 Objective:

4.8 – Explain appropriate incident response activities

  • Process
    • Preparation
    • Detection
    • Analysis
    • Containment
    • Eradication
    • Recovery
    • Lessons learned
  • Training
  • Testing
    • Tabletop exercise
    • Simulation
  • Root cause analysis
  • Threat hunting
  • Digital forensics
    • Legal hold
    • Chain of custody
  • Acquisition
  • Reporting
  • Preservation
  • E-discovery

Guiding Question:

What are some common incident response activities?

Resources:

  • Lesson 4.8.1 – Incident Response.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 4.8.1 – Incident Response.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Unit 3 – Incident Response Check for Understanding activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom.
  3. Complete the Lab – Cuckoo.pptx Activity in class using the materials provided in Google Classroom.
  4. To confirm completion the lab activity, upload a screenshot displaying the results of your Cuckoo analysis identifying the malware file to today’s Google Classroom post.

Assigned: January 12th, 2026
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 13th, 2026

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 2.5.1 – Mitigation Techniques

Objective:

  • Students will be able to explain the purpose of mitigation techniques used to secure the enterprise.

Standards:

CompTIA Security+ SYO-701 Objective:

2.5 – Explain the purpose of mitigation techniques used to secure the enterprise

  • Segmentation
  • Access control
    • Access control list (ACL)
    • Permissions
  • Application allow list
  • Isolation
  • Patching
  • Encryption
  • Monitoring
  • Least privilege
  • Configuration enforcement
  • Decommissioning

Guiding Question:

What are common mitigation techniques that can be used to secure the enterprise?

Resources:

  • Lesson 2.5.1 – Mitigation Techniques.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 2.5.1 – Mitigation Techniques.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Unit 3 – Mitigation Techniques activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom.

Assigned: January 5th, 2025
Teacher Pacing Due Date: January 6th, 2025

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 3.2.2 – Network Appliances

Objective:

  • Students will be able to implement secure network designs.

Standards:

CompTIA Security+ SYO-701 Objective:

3.2 – Given a scenario, apply security principles to secure enterprise infrastructure

  • Infrastructure considerations
    • Network Appliances
      • Jump Server
      • Proxy Server
      • Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)/Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
      • Load balancer
      • Sensors

Guiding Question:

How are network appliances secured?

Resources:

  • Lesson 3.2.2 – Network Appliances.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 3.2.2 – Network Appliances.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Unit 3 – Network Appliances activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom.

Assigned: December 12th, 2025
Teacher Pacing Due Date: December 15th, 2025

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 4.5.3 – Endpoint – Firewall, IDS/IPS & Web Filter

Objective:

  • Students will investigate common methods to enhance enterprise security with Firewalls, IDS/IPS devices and Web Filtering.

Standards:

CompTIA Security+ SYO-701 Objective:
4.5 – Given a scenario, modify enterprise capabilities to enhance security

  • Firewalls
    • Rules
    • Access lists
    • Ports/protocols
    • Screened subnets
  • IDS/IPS
    • Trends
    • Signatures
  • Web filter
    • Agent-based
    • Centralized proxy
    • Universal Resource Locator (URL) scanning
    • Content categorization
    • Block rules
    • Reputation

Guiding Question:

What is the best way to secure an organization’s infrastructure?

Resources:

  • Lesson 4.5.3 – Endpoint – Firewall, IDS/IPS & Web Filter.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 4.5.3 – Endpoint – Firewall, IDS/IPS & Web Filter.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Unit 3 – Endpoint Firewall, IDS, and Web Filter activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom.

Assigned: December 11th, 2025
Teacher Pacing Due Date: December 12th, 2025

AP Cybersecurity

CYBER.ORG: AP Cybersecurity – Lesson 3.2.1 – Infrastructure Considerations

Objective:

  • Students will compare various types of infrastructure security systems.

Standards:

CompTIA Security+ SYO-701 Objective:
3.2 – Given a scenario, apply security principles to secure enterprise infrastructure

  • Infrastructure considerations
    • Device placement
    • Security zones
    • Attack surface
    • Connectivity
    • Failure modes
      • Fail-open
      • Fail-closed
    • Device attribute
      • Active vs passive
      • Inline vs tap/monitor
    • Port security
      • 802.1X
      • Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
    • Firewall types
      • Web application firewall (WAF)
      • Unified threat management (UTM)
      • Next-generation firewall (NGFW)
      • Layer 4/Layer 7

Guiding Question:

What is the best way to secure an organization’s infrastructure?

Resources:

  • Lesson 3.2.1 – Infrastructure Considerations.pptx Presentation available on Google Classroom

Assignment:

  1. Read the Lesson 3.2.1 – Infrastructure Considerations.pptx presentation in today’s class.
  2. Complete the Unit 3 – Infrastructure Considerations activity using the materials provided in Google Classroom.

Assigned: December 10th, 2025
Teacher Pacing Due Date: December 11th, 2025