Most online attacks don’t break into computers — they trick people. At Cyber Castle, Year 6 coders learn the tricks attackers use and the simple habits that keep accounts, devices and files safe.
What your child will learn
- Recognise phishing messages and other scams
- Know what malware is and how updates and antivirus software help
- Make strong passwords and understand two-step verification
- Know what encryption and backups are for
Stop, think, check
Phishing messages try to rush you: “Your account will be closed today!” Warning signs include odd spellings, a strange sender, a prize you never entered for, and any request for a password. Real companies never ask for your password by message.
Layers of defence
No single defence is perfect, so use several. A long password is hard to guess. Two-step verification stops someone who has guessed it. Updates close security holes. And a backup means that even if the worst happens, your files are safe.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. What should you do before clicking a link in a strange message?
- Stop and check — or don’t click at all
- Click it straight away
- Type in your password first
- Send it to everyone you know
Show answer
Answer: Stop and check — or don’t click at all. Links in unexpected messages can lead to fake sites.
2. What is malware?
- Software designed to harm a device or steal data
- A broken screen
- A slow internet connection
- A kind of mouse
Show answer
Answer: Software designed to harm a device or steal data. Malware is short for malicious software.
3. A message says you have won a prize and asks for your password. What should you do?
- Forward it to your friends
- Send your password quickly
- Click every link in it
- Don’t reply, and tell a trusted adult
Show answer
Answer: Don’t reply, and tell a trusted adult. Nobody honest needs your password to give you a prize.
Tips for grown-ups
- Make a passphrase from three or four random words and a number.
- Look at a suspicious message together and list every warning sign.
- Agree a family rule: when unsure, don’t click — ask.