Girl ScoutsBrownieGrades 2-3

Cybersecurity 3: Investigator

Cyber detective: the missing hamster

Crack a secret code in CryptoLab to find the missing class hamster, spot fake photos, follow digital footprints, see how a computer virus spreads, and stop a cyber attack. Covers all five steps of the Brownie Cybersecurity 3: Investigator badge.

Time
About 75 minutes, in two or three short sittings
Steps
5 badge steps, 1 of them in CryptoLab
You need
A computer or Chromebook with a keyboard. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.
Unlock the kit, $5 I have a code

$5 for one scout: every step, the CryptoLab activities that check the work, the printable lesson, and the certificate with a page of the scout's own work.

A coded note, WKH KDPVWHU LV LQ WKH ERRN ERA, cracked with a shift cipher to read THE HAMSTER IS IN THE BOOK BOX.

Badge requirements: the 5 steps

  1. 1Crack a code to solve a problemIn CryptoLabOh no! The class hamster is missing. Someone left a note, but it is in secret code. Learn how the code works in CryptoLab, then crack the note.
  2. 2Investigate what's real and fake in photosInvestigatePhotos can be changed on a computer. A detective looks for clues before believing a picture.
  3. 3Find out about digital footprintsRead and quizWhen you walk in snow, you leave footprints. When you go online, you leave a different kind.
  4. 4Investigate how a computer virus can spreadRead and quizA computer virus is a sneaky program. Like a cold, it spreads from one place to the next.
  5. 5Explore a cyber attackInvestigateA cyber attack is when someone tries to break into a computer or an account. Investigate this one and stop it.
CryptoLab's Caesar Cipher panel: HELLO WORLD with shift 3 becomes KHOOR ZRUOG, and a two-ring letter wheel.
Each step shows how CryptoLab works, then opens it with a checklist that ticks as the work gets done.

Work on a computer. The apps need a keyboard and a bigger screen than a phone: a laptop, desktop or Chromebook. You can pay here and open the emailed link on the computer.

One scout

Unlock the kit, $5

  • All 5 steps, worked on screen, with a lesson you can print if you like paper
  • CryptoLab activities that check the work as it is done
  • A numbered certificate with a page of the scout's own work: your secret code, the hamster clue and your notes

We email a link that opens the kit on any computer. No account needed. We keep the email only to send the kit and certificate links: privacy.

Have a discount code?
Leaders: unlock it for the whole troop

One payment and one code. Each scout types the code to unlock the kit on their own computer, and gets their own certificate at the end. Your pack page shows who has started and finished.

See a sample certificate (PDF) · Already paid? Find your link

Questions

What are the requirements for the Girl Scout Brownie Cybersecurity 3: Investigator badge?

The badge has 5 steps: 1. Crack a code to solve a problem; 2. Investigate what's real and fake in photos; 3. Find out about digital footprints; 4. Investigate how a computer virus can spread; 5. Explore a cyber attack. This kit covers all 5, with activities that check the work as it is done.

Is there a printable version?

Yes. Once unlocked, the whole lesson prints, one step at a time, for a meeting or a table. Printing is optional: every step also works on screen, and a sample certificate PDF is on this page.

What does a scout need?

A computer or Chromebook with a keyboard. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed. About 75 minutes, in two or three short sittings.

Can a troop leader get it for the whole troop?

Yes. A troop pack is one payment and one code: up to 12 scouts for $20, or up to 30 scouts for $35. Each scout types the code on their own computer and gets their own certificate, and the leader's pack page shows who has started and finished.

Is this an official Girl Scouts product?

No. MYTEK Lab makes the kit, and Girl Scouts badge names and steps are used with permission of Girl Scouts of the USA. The troop leader awards the badge; the certificate shows the scout did the work, with a number the leader can check.

All badge kits · Find kits and certificates you bought

Girl Scouts badge names and steps are used with permission of Girl Scouts of the USA. This kit is made by MYTEK Lab; the badge is awarded by the troop.