There’s plenty of talk about the importance of teaching students computer science skills. However, what is often missing from this discussion is the importance of teaching students cybersecurity skills. If we are honest, it may be because often the adults in our schools do not practice basic cybersecurity, which as any school that has been affected by a virus, understands and laments.

The criminals are getting smarter, and the technology is constantly changing. Therefore, we must stay on top of the latest trends in cybersecurity to protect our schools and our personal information. When we move from simply teaching teachers and students how to use technology to how to protect themselves online, we are creating digital leaders.

Why Teaching Cybersecurity is Critical

In addition to cybersecurity being important for protecting personal information, it is also becoming a major industry. For instance, most students spend a significant amount of time online each day and have access to digital technology. Plus, the National Cybersecurity Institute explains, “the field of cybersecurity is expected to grow by 37 percent in the next ten years. This means that when the children who are currently in elementary and middle school begin to look for careers, they will have a great opportunity to obtain jobs in information security.” This is just one of the reasons why experts are advocating for cybersecurity to be added to the curriculum.

Teach Students the Basics

Today’s students have grown up online, so they have been told the basics, such as creating strong passwords and protecting personal information. However, they may not understand why. By explaining how hackers obtain passwords and other information, it will help students understand the importance of this basic security skill.

Additionally, students should be taught how to deal with cyber bullies and how to avoid viruses, phishing schemes, and spyware. By going through the basics and showing real-life examples of how cyber crimes hurt, students will have a better grasp of cybersecurity.

Then, Teach Students to Hack

Proponents of cybersecurity curriculum also believe students should learn how to hack. While hacking sounds like a scary term in the classroom, cybersecurity careers require individuals to know how to hack to catch the real criminals. For instance, hackers (cyber professionals) are in demand. There are several valuable programs available, such as Hacker Highschool, designed to help today’s teenagers learn to hack for the right reasons. Hacker Highschool is a set of free, e-books for teens with supplemental lessons for teachers or parents that teaches security awareness and hacking.

When we teach students cybersecurity skills, we are not only protecting our schools, but we are also developing a more digitally secured future.