AP Cybersecurity › PLTW Unit 1

Unit 1 Personal Security

Ethics, passwords, malware, browser security. Build the personal foundation before you secure anything else. Ends with the A Dangerous Situation cyber case.

📋 PLTW Unit 1 · Tri 1🕐 ~4 weeks📺 9 Activities + Projects🎯 Problem: 1.3.1📝 AP Topics: 1.1–1.3 · 4.2–4.3 · 5.1–5.2

Activities · Projects · Problem — Unit 1

You leave your laptop alone in the cafeteria for a minute. When you come back, everything looks fine. But the next time you open it... Read the full case →
Activity — builds the skill
Project — applies it in a lab
Problem — capstone cyber case (do last)
1.1 — Introduction to Cybersecurity
Activity1.1.1

Cybersecurity and Code of Conduct

Why do people attack systems — and when does it cross an ethical line? Establish the adversary mindset, attack phases, and the code of conduct that governs this field.

Adversary typesAttack phasesCode of conductAP 1.1.AAP 2.1.A–D
🕐 2–3 class daysOpen Activity →
Activity1.1.2

Password Protection and Authentication

From plaintext to hashing to MFA. Learn all four password attack types — and why only three of them leave evidence in authentication logs.

Password hashingBrute forceSprayingStuffingMFAAP 4.2.A–D
🕐 2–3 class daysOpen Activity →
Activity1.1.3

Email and Social Media Security Risks

Phishing, spear phishing, vishing, smishing. Adversaries engineer the click — learn to recognize the tells before your students do it wrong.

PhishingSpear phishingVishingSmishingPretextingAP 1.1.A–C
🕐 2 class daysOpen Activity →
Project1.1.4

Save the Day

Project: Apply social engineering, authentication, and adversary knowledge to a real scenario. AP Scenario 1B (suspicious login log review) can be embedded here.

AP 1.1–1.3AP Skill 1Suspicious login reviewEvidence → conclusion
🕐 2–3 class daysOpen Project →
1.2 — Security and the Internet
Activity1.2.1

Firewalls and Malware

Virus, worm, trojan, ransomware, spyware, rootkit, logic bomb. Signature detection vs. behavioral detection. Know all the names — MCQs will use them specifically.

Malware taxonomySignature vs. behavioralHost firewallAP 4.1.BAP 4.3.A–D
🕐 2–3 class daysOpen Activity →
Activity1.2.2

File Management

Linux file permissions. chmod, chown, directory access rights. RBAC vs. DAC vs. MAC — know which model to choose and how to justify it in writing.

chmod / chownRBACDACMACAP 5.2.C–DAP Scenario 5A
🕐 2–3 class daysOpen Activity →
Activity1.2.3

Process Management

User processes vs. system processes. How to spot a malicious process by behavior — and what evidence it leaves behind for log analysis later.

Process monitoringMalicious process IDAP 4.3.CAP 4.4.A–BIOC preview
🕐 2 class daysOpen Activity →
Activity1.2.4

Securing Your Browser

Evil twin attacks, public Wi-Fi risks, VPN basics, HTTPS enforcement. Personal security in a world where the network should be treated as hostile.

Evil twinVPNHTTPSBrowser hardeningAP 1.3.B–CAP 5.1.A
🕐 2 class daysOpen Activity →
Project1.2.5

It's a Trap!

Project: Web-based attack scenarios. Secure by design and input sanitization introduced as design principles — not just definitions. Students start thinking like attackers.

AP 1.3AP 5.1Secure by designInput sanitizationAP 5.5.A
🕐 2–3 class daysOpen Project →
1.3 — Protect Your Data
⚡ Problem1.3.1

A Dangerous Situation

The Unit 1 capstone cyber case. Students apply risk analysis, authentication, malware knowledge, and personal security to a real scenario. Requires all nine preceding activities and projects.

AP Skills 1 & 2Risk assessmentAP 1.1–1.3AP 4.2–4.3FRQ format
🕐 3–4 class daysOpen Case →
⛔ Problem 1.3.1 — Dependency Warning
All 9 activities and projects (1.1.1 → 1.2.5) must be complete before attempting the capstone cyber case. Do not skip steps.
Open Case →
🎓 AP Classroom — Progress Check
Unit 1 covers AP Topics 1.1–1.3 and portions of 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, and 5.2. Complete the AP Classroom progress check after Problem 1.3.1.
AP Classroom →
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