Girl ScoutsCadetteGrades 6-8

Cybersecurity 1: Basics

Think like a hacker, defend like a pro

Crack codes and hack a password in CryptoLab, see why two-step login stops a stolen password, sit in the middle of a fake cafe Wi-Fi and read what it catches, and spot the tricks social engineers use. Covers all five steps of the Cadette Cybersecurity 1: Basics badge.

Time
About 2 hours, in two sittings
Steps
5 badge steps, 2 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.

Code and password challenges ticked off one by one: Crack the Caesar Code, Find the Shift, Secret Instruction, Hash Detective and Password Cracker.

Badge requirements: the 5 steps

  1. 1Crack a codeIn CryptoLabCodes hide messages from anyone without the key. Crack three in CryptoLab, then make one of your own and see why a shift cipher would not protect anything today.
  2. 2Hack a passwordIn CryptoLabThink like an attacker to learn how to defend. Websites store a scrambled fingerprint of your password, called a hash. Attackers try common passwords until a fingerprint matches.
  3. 3Explore two-factor authenticationRead and investigateA password is one lock. Two-factor authentication adds a second, so a stolen password alone is not enough.
  4. 4Launch a Man-in-the-Middle attackTry it hereIn a man-in-the-middle attack, someone gets between you and the site you are talking to and reads or changes the messages. Play it out in a cafe on the network below.
  5. 5Explore social engineeringInvestigateSocial engineering means hacking people instead of computers: tricking someone into handing over a password, a code or access.
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, your password rules, your notes on the attack, and your warning sign

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 Cadette Cybersecurity 1: Basics badge?

The badge has 5 steps: 1. Crack a code; 2. Hack a password; 3. Explore two-factor authentication; 4. Launch a Man-in-the-Middle attack; 5. Explore social engineering. 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 2 hours, in two 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.