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Computers & Digital Literacy · Grade 11

Networks and Defensive Security

Learners act as the volunteer IT team for the fictional Cedar Valley Public Library. They split a flat network into guest, staff, device and server segments, apply toy firewall rule tables where the first matching rule wins and everything else is denied, read fictional sign-in logs for warning signs such as bursts of failed logins, and harden systems through secure configuration, patch management, least privilege and the zero-trust idea. Everything is defensive: recognizing, preventing, detecting and responding.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 110 minutes
  • Check what you learned: 10 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, put code in order, highlight a text, match pairs and type a number
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What learners will discover

  • Explain defense in depth and network segmentation, and place users and devices into suitable segments such as guest, staff, devices and servers.
  • Apply a toy firewall rule table in which the first matching rule wins and unmatched traffic is denied, and order rules so that they implement a stated policy.
  • Read fictional authentication logs for warning signs such as bursts of failed logins, distinguish them from normal patterns, and choose a proportionate defensive response.
  • Apply secure configuration, patch management and least privilege, and explain the zero-trust idea of verifying every request rather than trusting network location.

Lessons

  1. Layers and segments 6 steps3 practiceabout 25 min
  2. Firewall rules: first match wins 7 steps4 practiceabout 30 min
  3. Reading logs for warning signs 6 steps4 practiceabout 27 min
  4. Hardening: configuration, patches, privilege and zero trust 7 steps4 practiceabout 28 min
  5. Check what you learned 10 questions at the end

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