Computing Systems and Security

Computing systems and security includes the broad categories of hardware, software, troubleshooting, networks, and cybersecurity, as well as the idea that systems have multiple levels or layers that impact each other. The increased interconnectedness of large systems and their impact on safety and security underscore the importance of this Topic Area.

FOUNDATIONAL CONTENT

Level	Learning Outcome
Remember	CS.1 – Identify various types of hardware (including components) and software (including operating systems)
Remember	CS.2 – List security practices (e.g., safe passwords, two-factor authentication)
Understand	CS.3 – Explain what networks (including the Internet) are and how they work
	CS.4 – Explain how an operating system, other software, and hardware work together
	CS.5 – Describe why cybersecurity is important
Apply	CS.6 – Optimize operating systems and other software settings to achieve goals
	CS.7 – Apply knowledge of the structure and function of various technologies (e.g., sensors, global positioning system (GPS), embedded/IoT, phones/tablets, medical devices, VR, robotics) to their use (e.g., explain why GPS can be used without Internet access)
	CS.8 – Use documentation and other resources to guide tasks such as installation and troubleshooting
	CS.9 – Apply principles of inclusive collaboration to a project involving computing systems and/or security^IC
Analyze	CS.10 – Describe vulnerabilities in networks
	CS.11 – Analyze a problem to determine appropriate troubleshooting strategies
	CS.12 – Use computational thinking principles to analyze a computing system^CT (e.g., automate a security assessment)
Evaluate	CS.13 – Assess societal impacts of networks and related ethical issues (e.g., digital divide)^IE
Create	CS.14 – Design projects that combine hardware and software that collect and exchange data
Create	CS.15 – Design a computing system or security protocol using principles of human-centered design^HCD

In the topic area tables, we use a system of superscripts to indicate which Pillars relate to which learning outcome:

Computational Thinking → CT
Human-Centered Design → HCD
Inclusive Collaboration → IC
Impacts and Ethics → IE

EXAMPLES OF INTEGRATING THE PILLARS AND DISPOSITIONS

Impacts and Ethics	Inclusive Collaboration	Computational Thinking	Human-Centered Design	Dispositions
Discuss issues of privacy related to networks Explore debates related to networks (e.g., Internet as a public utility, net neutrality)	Write a press release in response to a data breach Work as a team to conduct a security audit	Troubleshoot a network Use decomposition to understand how a system’s components work	Understand the psychological aspects of threat reduction Explore the trade-offs between security and usability	Leverage curiosity to approach problems from different perspectives Be resourceful in solving networking challenges (e.g., reference documentation)

Computing Systems and Security

FOUNDATIONAL CONTENT

EXAMPLES OF INTEGRATING THE PILLARS AND DISPOSITIONS

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