We present a detailed description of a Cryptography and Computer Security course that has been offered at Knox College for the last 15 years. While the course is roughly divided into two sections, Cryptology and Computer Security, our emphasis here is on the Cryptology section. The course puts the cryptologic material into its historical context…

Cybersecurity remains a critical concern for school systems nationwide, showing a consistent increase in publicly disclosed K-12 cyber incidents over the past 5 years. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment underscores this trend, predicting ongoing targeting of K-12 school networks by cyber actors who will…

Having a clear teaching strategy is vital when it comes to improving students' retention and preserving their knowledge. Various general teaching approaches have been incorporated into the classrooms as ways of improving teaching and student learning. Some of these approaches proved to be effective and some are ineffective. In this study, I…

Despite advancements in pedagogy and technology, students often yearn for more applied opportunities in information security education. Further, small businesses are likely to have inadequate information security postures due to limited budgets and expertise. To address both issues, an advanced course in ethical hacking was developed which allows…

Although the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was enacted 20 years ago, the recently updated General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has renewed public interest in privacy policies. Under both COPPA and GDPR, companies must abide by strict regulations protecting children's personal data. Lengthy and oftentimes ambiguous policies…

Many entrepreneurs and small business owners lack disaster recovery plans, which minimize business disruptions caused by failures of critical technical systems. Typically, technology is not the main focus for a small business owner, as most of their time is spent focused on business operations. This case study demonstrates that when a business…

This guide is designed to provide important resources and recommendations to support teacher implementation of digital learning. Digital learning is defined as "any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student's learning experience and encompasses a wide spectrum of tools and practices." This guide will…

Stop.Think.Connect. is a national public awareness campaign aimed at increasing the understanding of cyber threats and empowering the American public to be safer and more secure online. The Campaign's main objective is to help individuals become more aware of growing cyber threats and arm them with the tools to protect themselves, their families,…

We have developed a tool called Secure WEb dEvelopment Teaching (SWEET) to introduce security concepts and practices for web application development. This tool provides introductory tutorials, teaching modules utilizing virtualized hands-on exercises, and project ideas in web application security. In addition, the tool provides pre-configured…

Schools should be proactive rather than reactive to issues of technology safety, and this requires careful planning and policy implementation. In this article, the authors provide information and recommendations that will help middle grades educators, students, and parents to safely and successfully manage the many technologies they encounter and…

An inexpensive device to assist in teaching the main ideas of Public Key encryption and its use in class to illustrate the operation of public key encryption is described. It illustrates that there are two keys, and is particularly useful for illustrating that privacy is achieved by using the public key. Initial data from in class use seem to…

This is a must-have resource for all K-12 teachers and administrators who want to really make the best use of available technologies. Written by Doug Johnson, an expert in educational technology, "The Classroom Teacher's Technology Survival Guide" is replete with practical tips teachers can easily use to engage their students and make their…

This article investigates teaching the application of technical ideas by non-technical means, especially by using puzzles to engage students. After discussing the need to teach students to evaluate contexts in which decisions about computer security must be made, we suggest questions and scenarios drawn from political science, history, as well as…

Once, targets of bullying had to endure it only at school. Now, with the increasing prevalence of cyberbullying it can follow them home and go on 24 hours a day. For students who have been exposed to cyberbullying themselves, for parents who have either been exposed to it or are seeing their child experience it, and for educators who have either…

As computers become a larger part of the curriculum, educators everywhere are being asked to take a stand for cyber ethics, the right and wrong of computer and Internet use. Teachers cannot always depend on parents to instill cyber ethics. Parents may not know or follow the rules, either. Once students understand cyber ethics, they may have a…