Embedded Files
9-10-26
Objective: Students will be able to identify how adversaries use AI-powered tools to augment cyberattacks and explain how AI makes attacks more effective, convincing, or difficult to detect.
For every scenario, students answer the same questions:
Cyberattack Analysis
Cyberattack Analysis
1. What is the attacker trying to accomplish?
2. How could this attack happen WITHOUT AI?
3. What limitation would the attacker have without AI?
4. Which AI Power-Up(s) are being used?
5. What new capability does AI give the attacker?
6. How does AI make the attack more effective?
7. What could the victim or organization do to recognize or defend against this attack?
Link to Red Team Blue Team Game
9-8-26
Objective: Student will be able to identify confidentiality, integrity, and availability risks in an organizational cybersecurity incident and justify an appropriate response.
9-3-26 continued
Objective: Student will be able to continue working on Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges. These engaging interactive cybersecurity challenges are designed to help learners apply technical skills in realistic problem-solving environments.
Link to Student Activity Packet
https://myap.collegeboard.org/login
8-31-26
Objective: Students will apply foundational cybersecurity principles—including risk management, cryptography, network security, and incident response—to analyze real-world technical scenarios and select the most effective security controls.
Here is the direct formula: ALE = SLE X ARO
ALE: Annualized Loss Expectancy
SLE: Single Loss Expectancy
ARO: Annualized Rate of Occurrence
https://forms.gle/FUMCiEYTQePnm7kT6
8-25-26 Continued
Objective: Students will be able to use basic Linux commands to navigate directories, create and examine files, search security records, and identify evidence of suspicious login activity in a simulated cybersecurity investigation.
8-24-26
Objective: Students will be able to explain how password hashing works, demonstrate how precomputed tables can be used to identify weak passwords, and describe how salting and modern password-hashing methods help protect stored credentials.
This is a good introductory Mac Terminal mini-lab, especially because these commands should not require administrator privileges when students are working inside their own home folders.
Here’s a sequence students can actually type.
1. Go to the Desktop
1. Go to the Desktop
cd ~/Desktop
Check where you are:
pwd
They should see something similar to:
/Users/studentname/Desktop
2. Create a directory
2. Create a directory
mkdir CyberLab
See that it was created:
ls
Then enter the directory:
cd CyberLab
3. Create a file
3. Create a file
touch secret.txt
Check:
ls
They should see:
secret.txt
4. Put information inside the file
4. Put information inside the file
Here's where it starts feeling more like a cybersecurity lab:
echo "This is my first cybersecurity file." > secret.txt
Display the contents:
cat secret.txt
Expected output:
This is my first cybersecurity file.
Add another line without erasing the first one:
echo "Unauthorized access prohibited." >> secret.txt
Then:
cat secret.txt
5. Create a SHA-256 hash of the file
5. Create a SHA-256 hash of the file
This is a great cybersecurity connection:
shasum -a 256 secret.txt
They'll get something like:
3f8a7c... secret.txt
Explain that the long value is the file's digital fingerprint. Change the file:
echo "The file has been modified." >> secret.txt
Hash it again:
shasum -a 256 secret.txt
The hash will be completely different. This gives you an easy introduction to file integrity.
6. Make a copy of the evidence
6. Make a copy of the evidence
cp secret.txt evidence.txt
Then:
ls
Now they'll have:
evidence.txt
secret.txt
Compare the files:
diff secret.txt evidence.txt
If nothing appears, the files are identical.
Now alter one:
echo "Evidence changed!" >> evidence.txt
Run:
diff secret.txt evidence.txt
Now Terminal identifies the difference.
7. Search a file like an investigator
7. Search a file like an investigator
grep "modified" secret.txt
Or:
grep "Evidence" evidence.txt
This introduces students to searching logs and other text-based evidence.
8. Create a hidden file
8. Create a hidden file
This one usually gets students' attention:
touch .hidden_file
Then:
ls
They won't see it.
Now:
ls -a
And suddenly:
.hidden_file
appears. This lets you explain that filenames beginning with . are normally hidden on Unix-like systems such as macOS.
9. A fun command — make the Mac talk
9. A fun command — make the Mac talk
On macOS:
say "Welcome to cybersecurity class"
Or:
say "Access granted"
That's usually an immediate hit in a classroom.
10. Finish by displaying everything
10. Finish by displaying everything
ls -la
This shows the files, hidden files, permissions, ownership, sizes, and other information.
You could turn this into a 30–40 minute Terminal Cybersecurity Lab where students have to complete each command, write down what happened, explain cd, mkdir, touch, echo, cat, cp, grep, shasum, and ls -la, and then answer a short section about hashing, hidden files, file integrity, and basic digital forensics.
That would move it beyond simply teaching Terminal commands and make it fit naturally into your cybersecurity instruction.
8-19-26 Continued
Objective: Students will be able to understand what social engineering is and recognize how attackers manipulate people rather than simply attacking technology.
8-17-26
Objective: Students will be able to understand what social engineering is and recognize how attackers manipulate people rather than simply attacking technology.
Bell Ringer - Read the intro to Cyber slides
An attacker manipulates a person into doing something that helps the attacker—revealing information, providing credentials, clicking a malicious link, downloading a malicious file, or otherwise granting access.
Concepts:
Social engineering — manipulating people to compromise security.
Phishing — fraudulent messages designed to make the victim click, download, log in, pay, or reveal information.
Elicitation — getting someone to reveal information, sometimes without realizing its importance.
Urgency — creating pressure such as “Act immediately” or “Your account will be closed.”
Intimidation/fear — threatening negative consequences to force action.
Impersonation/trust — pretending to be a teacher, administrator, IT technician, bank, company, friend, etc.
Suspicious links and attachments — understanding why clicking/downloading can compromise a device or credentials.
Credential harvesting — directing victims to fake login pages.
Sensitive information — passwords, authentication codes, personal information, security-question information, etc.
Consequences — account takeover, malware, impersonation, information theft, financial loss, and unauthorized access.
Defense — stop and verify independently rather than trusting the message itself.
8-13-26
Objective: Students will be able to identify common signs of a password attack.
Sign in https://centra.paradigmcyberventures.com/auth/sign-in
Directions
Write the letter of the correct description on the line beside each term. Use each letter once.
1. _____Nation-State Actors
2. _____Cyber Mercenaries
3. _____Organized Crime
4. _____Hacktivists
5. _____Script Kiddies
6. _____Corporate Competitor
7. _____Insider Threat
8. _____Cyber Pickpockets
9. _____Thrill-seekers
10. _____Cyber Terrorist
Descriptions
A. Individuals who use existing hacking tools or scripts, often with limited technical knowledge.
B. Attackers sponsored or directed by a government to conduct cyber operations against another nation, organization, or target.
C. A person inside an organization who may intentionally or accidentally misuse authorized access.
D. Criminal groups that use cyberattacks primarily to make money through fraud, theft, extortion, or other illegal activity.
E. Attackers motivated by a political, social, or ideological cause who use cyber activity to promote or defend that cause.
F. Highly skilled hackers or groups who perform cyber operations for paying clients.
G. An individual or organization seeking business advantage by stealing information, trade secrets, plans, or other competitive data.
H. Attackers who seek excitement, challenge, recognition, or entertainment rather than a major financial or political goal.
I. Attackers who steal small amounts of digital information, credentials, or financial data from individuals for personal gain.
J. Attackers who use cyberattacks to create fear, disruption, or serious harm in support of extremist or ideological objectives.
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