Semester Course

High School Cybersecurity Course

A comprehensive 18-week semester course designed to prepare high school students for college-level cybersecurity programs and entry-level industry certifications. Combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on labs and real-world applications.

18 Weeks

Full semester program

30+ Labs

Hands-on exercises

3 Credits

Dual enrollment eligible

Career Ready

Industry-aligned skills

Complete Semester Curriculum

Unit 1

Foundations of Cybersecurity

Weeks 1-3

Topics Covered:

  • ✓ History and evolution of cyber threats
  • ✓ CIA Triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
  • ✓ Types of hackers and their motivations
  • ✓ Legal and ethical considerations

Capstone Project:

Create a personal security audit

Unit 2

Network Security & Architecture

Weeks 4-6

Topics Covered:

  • ✓ How the internet works (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS)
  • ✓ Network vulnerabilities and attack vectors
  • ✓ Firewalls, VPNs, and secure connections
  • ✓ Wireless security and public WiFi risks

Capstone Project:

Design a secure home network

Unit 3

Cryptography & Data Protection

Weeks 7-9

Topics Covered:

  • ✓ Encryption basics and types
  • ✓ Password security and management
  • ✓ Two-factor authentication implementation
  • ✓ Secure communication tools

Capstone Project:

Build a password manager system

Unit 4

Web Security & Privacy

Weeks 10-12

Topics Covered:

  • ✓ OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities
  • ✓ Cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection
  • ✓ Browser security and privacy settings
  • ✓ Digital footprints and data brokers

Capstone Project:

Conduct a web application security assessment

Unit 5

Social Engineering & Human Factors

Weeks 13-15

Topics Covered:

  • ✓ Phishing, vishing, and smishing attacks
  • ✓ Social media intelligence gathering
  • ✓ Identity theft prevention
  • ✓ Security awareness training

Capstone Project:

Design an anti-phishing campaign

Unit 6

Career Paths & Industry Certifications

Weeks 16-18

Topics Covered:

  • ✓ Cybersecurity career pathways
  • ✓ Industry certifications overview
  • ✓ College programs and scholarships
  • ✓ Building a professional portfolio

Capstone Project:

Create a cybersecurity career plan

Hands-On Lab Experiences

Virtual Lab Environment

  • • Kali Linux workstation
  • • Vulnerable VMs for practice
  • • Network simulation tools
  • • Cloud security sandbox

Security Tools Training

  • • Wireshark packet analysis
  • • Nmap network scanning
  • • Metasploit framework
  • • Burp Suite web testing

CTF Competitions

  • • Weekly mini challenges
  • • PicoCTF participation
  • • CyberPatriot prep
  • • Team competitions

Cybersecurity Career Pathways

Security Analyst

$65,000 - $95,000

Key Skills:

Network monitoring Incident response Log analysis

Certifications:

CompTIA Security+ CySA+

Penetration Tester

$80,000 - $130,000

Key Skills:

Ethical hacking Vulnerability assessment Report writing

Certifications:

CEH OSCP GPEN

Security Engineer

$95,000 - $140,000

Key Skills:

System design Security architecture Cloud security

Certifications:

CISSP CCSP AWS Security

Incident Responder

$70,000 - $110,000

Key Skills:

Forensics Malware analysis Crisis management

Certifications:

GCIH GNFA GREM

College & Scholarship Opportunities

College Credit Options

  • • Dual enrollment eligibility
  • • AP Computer Science credit
  • • Industry certification credits
  • • Portfolio for admissions

Scholarship Programs

  • • CyberPatriot scholarships
  • • NSA GenCyber grants
  • • SANS Cyber Retraining
  • • ISC² scholarships

Internship Pipeline

  • • Local business partnerships
  • • Summer programs
  • • Mentorship matching
  • • Job shadowing days

Complete Course Package Includes

Teacher Resources

  • • 90 lesson plans (5 days/week)
  • • Lab setup guides
  • • Assessment rubrics
  • • Quiz/test bank
  • • Professional development
  • • Guest speaker toolkit

Student Materials

  • • Digital textbook access
  • • Lab workbooks
  • • Practice exam questions
  • • Career planning guide
  • • CTF training materials
  • • Certification prep resources

Industry Connections

  • • Guest speaker database
  • • Field trip opportunities
  • • Mentorship program guide
  • • Internship templates
  • • Industry advisory board
  • • Career fair resources

Expected Student Outcomes

Technical Skills Gained:

  • • Configure and secure networks
  • • Identify and mitigate vulnerabilities
  • • Implement encryption and authentication
  • • Conduct security assessments
  • • Respond to security incidents

Career Readiness:

  • • Professional portfolio development
  • • Industry certification preparation
  • • Technical interview skills
  • • Professional networking
  • • College application advantages

Download Curriculum Resources

Get the complete curriculum package including all lesson plans, lab guides, assessments, and resources needed to start a successful high school cybersecurity program.

Lesson Plan (PDF) Assessment (PDF) Back to Resources

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