Computer Security — Year 12 Student Notes
An independent two-week course: four 60-minute sessions and two hours of homework each week. No programming experience is required.
Start here
Read the sessions in order. Keep a separate answer document, attempt activities before checking the answers, and correct mistakes in a different colour. Each session includes explanations, a diagram, a worked example, practice and feedback.
| Week | Student notes | Class time | Homework |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. Security goals and risk | 60 min | — |
| 1 | 2. Malware and social engineering | 60 min | — |
| 1 | 3. Accounts and access control | 60 min | — |
| 1 | 4. Encryption and hashing | 60 min | 120 min |
| 2 | 5. Networks and layered protection | 60 min | — |
| 2 | 6. Backups and incident response | 60 min | — |
| 2 | 7. Design a security plan | 60 min | — |
| 2 | 8. Assessment and revision | 60 min | 120 min |
| Total | 8 hours | 4 hours |
Videos and diagrams
Each session has two or three direct YouTube links and a question to guide viewing. The named core viewing window fits inside the lesson timetable; stop when it ends. Remaining viewing is optional, not extra compulsory homework. Videos are supplements: the notes contain the information needed for the activities even if YouTube is blocked at school.
Video titles and links were checked against web-indexed video pages or publisher references on 8 September 2026; playback and regional/school availability were not tested. Some videos are older: use the written notes for current password and cryptography cautions, and do not memorise historical statistics. Review sessions deliberately reuse earlier videos with new questions.
Diagrams are included as editable Mermaid code blocks. A Markdown viewer with Mermaid support will display them as diagrams. Each has an accompanying plain-language explanation, so the notes also work in a basic text editor.
Our continuing case study
The Harbour School Robotics Club has 80 members, two student treasurers and a teacher supervisor. It stores contact details and payment records. Its laptop is sometimes taken home. Initially, members share one password, everyone can edit the records, and the only copy is on the laptop. Your job is to improve this arrangement without making the club difficult to run.
Use fictional information and disposable files for practical work. Do not try attacks on accounts or networks. Never put a real password into a course answer or online password checker.
Assessment status
The previously mentioned past papers were not accessible when these notes were prepared. This is therefore a general Year 12 course, not a verified match to a specific qualification or exam board. All practice questions and marking guides are original. The final assessment is a learning check, not an official grade predictor.
What to submit to yourself
- Completed activities and a glossary.
- Week 1 homework, including a harmless file-recovery exercise.
- A justified security plan from Session 7.
- The marked 30-mark assessment, corrections and Week 2 transfer task.
Move on when you can explain each session's exit question without copying. If you cannot, revisit the worked example and rewrite your explanation.