Computer Science
Grade 9
20 min
Being Safe Online
Being Safe Online
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define digital citizenship and its core principles.
Identify different types of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and analyze the risks of sharing them online.
Evaluate the permanence of a digital footprint and its potential long-term consequences for academic and professional opportunities.
Differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate online communication in various contexts, such as forums and collaborative coding platforms.
Apply the THINK framework to create respectful and constructive online posts and comments.
Recognize common online threats like phishing and describe basic defense mechanisms.
Ever posted something online you later regretted? 🤔 Let's explore how your digital actions create a permanent record that can impact your...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Digital CitizenshipThe continuously developing norms of appropriate, responsible, and empowered technology use. It's about being a good, ethical, and safe citizen in the digital world.When you find a useful code snippet on Stack Overflow for your project, you give credit to the original author in your code's comments. This is practicing ethical digital citizenship.
Digital FootprintThe trail of data, both active and passive, that you create while using the Internet. It includes websites you visit, social media posts, and information you submit to online services.A photo you post on Instagram, a comment on a YouTube video, and a search query in Google all contribute to your permanent digital footprint.
PII (Personally Identifiable Information)Any data that c...
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Core Syntax & Patterns
The THINK Framework
Before you post, ask: Is it True? Is it Helpful? Is it Inspiring? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind?
This is a mental algorithm to run before posting, commenting, or sharing online. It helps ensure your communication is positive and constructive, protecting both your reputation and the community.
The Principle of Least Privilege (for Data Sharing)
Share only the minimum amount of personal information necessary to accomplish a task or use a service.
When signing up for a new app or service, question why it needs certain data. If a simple calculator app asks for your contact list, it's likely overreaching. Applying this principle is a core practice for protecting your PII.
The 'Future Employer' Rule
Don't post anything online that you wo...
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Challenging
You want to install a new mobile game. During installation, it requests permission to access your phone's camera, microphone, contacts list, and location data. Synthesizing the 'Principle of Least Privilege' and your knowledge of PII, what is the most critical evaluation of this request?
A.These permissions are probably for future features, so it's safe to grant them all now.
B.You should grant all permissions, but remember to turn them off after you finish playing each time.
C.game is unlikely to need access to your camera, microphone, and contacts to function; this is an excessive collection of PII and should be denied.
D.The location data is for finding nearby players, and the contacts list is for inviting friends, so they are necessary.
Challenging
On a collaborative coding platform, a team member deletes your branch of code and writes a rude comment in the project log. Which response best demonstrates strong digital citizenship by combining Netiquette, the THINK framework, and the goal of a collaborative environment?
A.Immediately restore your branch and post a public comment calling out their unprofessional behavior.
B.Privately message the team member, state calmly that your work was deleted, and ask for a time to talk so you can understand what happened and find a solution together.
C.Report the user to the platform administrators without talking to them first.
D.Create a new project and do all the work by yourself to avoid further conflict.
Challenging
You receive a very convincing phishing email. The sender's address is not misspelled, it uses your real name, and it references a recent online purchase you actually made. It asks you to click a link to resolve a 'shipping issue'. What is the most secure and comprehensive defense strategy?
A.Do not click the link. Instead, open a new browser window, manually navigate to the official website of the store, log in, and check your order status there.
B.Reply to the email and ask for more specific details about the shipping issue to see if they are legitimate.
C.Since it has so many correct details, it is safe to click the link and see what the issue is.
D.Forward the email to a friend who is good with computers and ask them to check the link for you.
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