- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Junior Cybersecurity Basics badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Cadette Cybersecurity Basics badge requirements.
Info Needed for badge requirements: For a secure password: Use the VTK Password Checklist by GSUSA. Never reuse passwords across accounts. Change your password if you think it’s been hacked. Hackers can crack passwords in two main ways: Dictionary Attack: Hackers use lists of common passwords to guess quickly. Brute Force Attack: Hackers try every possible combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Longer passwords with mixed characters take much more time to crack.
Items Needed
- VTK Password Checklist by GSUSA
- Two bins labeled “GOOD” and “BAD”
- Index cards or slips of paper with good and bad passwords prepared in advance
Instructions
- Distribute the Password Checklist handouts to scouts to introduce the concept of good and bad passwords.
- Explain that a password is something secret made of letters, numbers, and symbols, used to protect private information online. Discuss why strong passwords are important and what makes them good or bad.
- Bad passwords are too simple, easy to guess, or contain personal information like a name or birthdate.
- Good passwords are longer, include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols, and are changed regularly.
- Stack the prepared password index cards and set up the “GOOD” and “BAD” bins.
- Scouts line up, pick a password card from the pile, and decide whether it is good or bad. They drop the card into the appropriate bin and return to the line for their turn.
- Once all the cards have been sorted, split scouts into two teams to review the bins. Each team checks whether the cards in their bin are correctly placed. Incorrectly placed cards are pulled aside.
- Teams present the pulled cards to the group, explaining why they don’t belong in their bin.
Variations:
- Use a Password Generator (Like DinoPass password generator) and label the password given.
- Use the free Password Creation Worksheet on Teachers Pay Teachers by Teacher Zendo Creations and label the passwords each scout creates.
Sample List of Passwords
Good Passwords (strong and follow the checklist):
- T&mp4leP@ss23!
- 9LuNeRb$5678*
- W!NtrAvo1@&
- BrN!chXT@19#
- C@rZ9Pl!4&67
- ^VoLTmE9@2X!
- R@iN2s7&bL!T
- W@ves9FoX34#
- 8ShArK#W1nD9!
- L0tusP@ss987*
- P^th$4EVEr&T
- Gl!mm3rR@&12
- Cr0WN!N$2vL9
- D@mbo2RnF@rX
- Tw!nk7eF@ctB4
- Tr3kB0u1$7nX9
- P0rtS@!l1F0x!
- QW@rk9Pl!23vT
- H@z!L9PathX7#
- L@mP2h1dW@1tR
Bad Passwords (weak and violate the checklist):
- password123
- Daisy2020
- SoccerTeam5
- 12345678
- CatLover
- April05
- abc123
- Daisy2021
- Basketball5
- PuppyLover
- 987654321
- unicorn
- 123abc
- Summer2022
- Password1
- Rainbow5
- Hello123
- SchoolRocks
- MyName2023
- 11223344
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