- Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Brownie Cybersecurity Investigator badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Cadette Cybersecurity Safeguards badge requirements.
Info Needed for badge requirements: Just like footprints show where we’ve walked, digital footprints are the trail of information we leave behind when we’re online. Hackers can use these digital footprints—such as your browsing history, the links you click, and public information—to manipulate you through social engineering. They might send fake ads or emails based on your preferences to trick you into sharing personal data. For example, a hacker could pretend to offer a discount on shoes you like, but clicking the link might secretly download harmful malware onto your device.
Items Needed
- Large sheets of paper or poster boards (one for each scout)
- Markers
- (Optional) Stickers or clip art to cut and paste
Instructions
- Explain that a digital footprint is the trail of information left behind when someone goes online. This could include the websites they visit, photos they post, messages they send, or searches they make.
- Give each scout a large sheet of paper or poster board.
- Scouts use markers to draw or write things they might do online that could leave a digital footprint (e.g., visiting a game website, sending an email, posting a photo) Encourage creativity! Scouts can add stickers or decorate their digital footprints to make them personal.
- Lay down the posters on the floor in a line or loop, creating a “trail” in the room.
- Scouts walk along the trail, stopping at each digital footprint to look at what was drawn or written.
- Discuss how each action leaves a mark online that others might see later (e.g., visiting a website adds to your digital footprint, posting a photo leaves a trace that stays online). Talk about how digital footprints stay online for a long time and how they can be seen by other people, like friends, family, or strangers. Highlight the importance of being careful with what they do online because their footprint represents them!
Note to Leaders – You can learn more about Digital Footprints with a mini lesson.
The Badge Archive 