Online Safety, Privacy Settings and Strong Account Security for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: Third Term
Week: 6
Age: Approximately 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Digital Technologies
Curriculum Theme: Online Safety
Focal competence: Identifying cyber threats and appropriate actions to take against them
Key competencies/values: Creativity and Innovation; Information Literacy; Innovation
Skills:

• Applying privacy and security settings on apps and devices to protect digital identity

Previous Lesson: Cyber Threats, Examples and Online Safety Measures
Topic: Cyber Threat, Safety And Security Measures: Safety Tips And Guidelines
Subject Matter: Safety tips and guidelines, Privacy setting

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify common cyber threats.
• Explain safety tips and guidelines for various cyber threats.
• Define key privacy settings such as blocking, strong passwords, and two-way authentication.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of online safety and privacy.
• Value responsible online behaviour.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate how to turn GPS location on and off on a device.
• Apply privacy settings like creating strong passwords and enabling two-way authentication on user accounts.
• Demonstrate the use of content filtering settings.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Internet Connectivity
• Computer Systems with up-to-date operating system
• Internet-enabled mobile devices
• Social media accounts
• Software for filtering online contents and websites
• Projector (optional)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because it equips students with the knowledge and practical skills to navigate the digital world safely. Understanding cyber threats and applying appropriate security measures protects their personal information and devices. This knowledge fosters responsible digital citizenship and prevents potential harm from online risks.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have basic knowledge of using computers and mobile devices, accessing the internet, and creating online accounts.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Cyber Threat, Safety And Security Measures: Safety Tips And Guidelines

Understanding Cyber Threats

Cyber threats are dangers that can harm digital systems, networks, and data. They often involve malicious activities carried out by individuals or groups to steal information, disrupt services, or cause damage. Protecting oneself online requires understanding these threats and implementing appropriate safety measures.

Safety Tips and Guidelines

To ensure online safety, users should follow specific tips and guidelines:

1. Fact-Checking: Always verify information found online, especially news, offers, or requests that seem too good to be true. Use multiple reliable sources to confirm facts before believing or sharing them. This helps prevent the spread of misinformation and protects against scams.
2. Managing GPS Location: Global Positioning System (GPS) on devices can reveal your physical location.
   1. When to turn GPS on: It is useful for navigation, ride-sharing apps, emergency services, and location-based games.
   2. When to turn GPS off: It should be turned off when not actively needed, especially for social media apps that can share your precise location with others, or when you want to maintain privacy. Regularly review app permissions to see which apps have access to your location.
3. Being Wary of Phishing and Scams: Be cautious of suspicious emails, messages, or websites that ask for personal information. Always check the sender’s address and the legitimacy of links before clicking.
4. Using Antivirus Software: Install and regularly update reputable antivirus and anti-malware software on all devices to protect against malicious programs.
5. Regular Data Backup: Periodically back up important data to an external drive or cloud storage to prevent loss in case of a cyber attack or device failure.

Privacy Settings

Privacy settings are controls available on websites, apps, and devices that allow users to manage who can see their information and how their data is used. Properly configuring these settings is crucial for online security.

1. Blocking: This feature allows users to prevent specific individuals or accounts from contacting them, viewing their profile, or interacting with their content on social media platforms, messaging apps, and email services. Blocking helps to avoid unwanted communication, harassment, or exposure to inappropriate content.
2. User Accounts: Creating secure user accounts is the first step to online safety.
   1. Unique Usernames: Avoid using easily guessable usernames that contain personal information.
   2. Account Security: Always log out of accounts on public computers and devices.
   3. Regular Review: Periodically review the privacy settings of all online accounts (social media, email, banking) to ensure they align with your privacy preferences.
3. Strong Passwords: A strong password is a critical defence against unauthorised access to online accounts.
   1. Characteristics: It should be long (at least 12 characters), complex (a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols), and unique for each account.
   2. Avoidance: Do not use easily guessable information like birthdays, names, or common words.
   3. Password Managers: Consider using a password manager to securely store and generate complex passwords.
4. Filtering of Inappropriate Contents and Websites: Content filtering tools and settings help restrict access to websites or content deemed unsuitable, especially for younger users.
   1. Parental Controls: Operating systems, browsers, and internet service providers often offer parental control features to filter content.
   2. Browser Settings: Web browsers have security settings that can block pop-ups, track third-party cookies, and warn about malicious websites.
   3. Software: Dedicated content filtering software can be installed on devices or networks.
5. Two-Way Authentication (Two-Factor Authentication – 2FA): This is an extra layer of security that requires two different methods of verification to confirm your identity when logging into an account.
   1. How it works: After entering your password, you might be asked for a code sent to your phone (OTP – One-Time Password), a fingerprint scan, or a confirmation from an authenticator app.
   2. Importance: Even if someone steals your password, they cannot access your account without the second verification factor, significantly enhancing security.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Practical Activity, Internet Search.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them about their online activities, such as using social media, searching the internet, or playing online games. The teacher then asks if they have ever encountered any online problems or heard about cyber threats.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions, sharing their online experiences and any knowledge of cyber threats.

Learning Point: Online activity awareness

Step 2: Exploring Cyber Threats and Safety Tips

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Internet Search

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students to use available internet-enabled devices to search for common cyber threats (e.g., phishing, malware, online scams, cyberbullying) and discuss safety tips for each. The teacher facilitates the discussion, ensuring students identify relevant threats and corresponding safety measures like fact-checking.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils search the internet, identify various cyber threats, and discuss safety tips in small groups or as a class.

Learning Point: Identifying cyber threats

Step 3: Discussing GPS Location Management

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the concept of GPS location on mobile devices and its privacy implications. The teacher then demonstrates how to turn the GPS location button on and off on a mobile device, explaining when it is appropriate to do so.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration and ask questions about managing GPS location on their devices.

Learning Point: GPS location management

Step 4: Introduction to Privacy Settings

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the concept of privacy settings and their importance. The teacher explains privacy features like blocking, user accounts, and strong passwords, providing real-world examples of their application on social media or email platforms.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, take notes, and participate in discussions about the importance of privacy settings.

Learning Point: Understanding privacy settings

Step 5: Demonstrating Privacy Setting Tools (Part 1)

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students to demonstrate the use of different privacy setting tools. This includes showing how to block a user on a social media platform, how to create a new user account with basic security, and how to set a strong password, emphasizing complexity and uniqueness.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils follow the teacher’s guidance, practicing blocking users, creating user accounts, and setting strong passwords on available devices or simulated interfaces.

Learning Point: Applying basic privacy settings

Step 6: Demonstrating Privacy Setting Tools (Part 2)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher further demonstrates how to filter inappropriate content and websites using browser settings or parental control features. The teacher also explains and demonstrates the concept of two-way authentication (2FA) and how to enable it on an account.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe and practice enabling content filtering and two-way authentication on their devices or provided examples.

Learning Point: Advanced privacy settings

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. Mention two common cyber threats.
2. State two safety tips for online activities.
3. How can you ensure a strong password?
4. What is the purpose of two-way authentication?
5. Demonstrate how to turn off GPS location on a mobile device.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Online safety assessment

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on cyber threats, safety tips, and privacy settings into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson content

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the key points of the lesson, reminding students that online safety is a continuous process requiring vigilance and regular updates of security practices. The teacher encourages them to apply these skills in their daily online interactions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and ask any final clarifying questions.

Learning Point: Consolidating online safety

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework/Practice Exercise

Instruction: Answer the following questions and perform the practical task:

1. Explain the importance of fact-checking before sharing information online.
2. List three characteristics of a strong password.
3. Research and write a short paragraph on one recent cyber threat that was not discussed in class.
4. On your mobile device, locate the privacy settings for a social media app you use. Take a screenshot (or describe) how you would block a user and how you would review location permissions for that app.

Lesson Keywords

• Cyber Threat – Dangers that can harm digital systems, networks, and data.
• Fact-Checking – Verifying information from multiple reliable sources.
• GPS Location – Global Positioning System, used to determine geographical position.
• Privacy Settings – Controls that manage who can see user information and how data is used.
• Blocking – Preventing specific users from contacting or interacting with one’s online profile.
• Strong Password – A long, complex, and unique combination of characters used for account security.
• Content Filtering – Tools or settings that restrict access to inappropriate online content.
• Two-Way Authentication (2FA) – An extra security layer requiring two verification methods to log in.

Differentiation

For students who grasp concepts quickly, encourage them to research advanced security measures like VPNs or encryption. For students needing more support, provide simplified step-by-step guides for applying privacy settings and offer one-on-one assistance during practical demonstrations.

Suggested Lesson Videos

YouTube search for “online safety privacy settings SS1 nigeria”