Understanding Phishing Emails

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title (as applicable): Digital Media Technology

  Course Title: Digital Information Technology

  Course Number: 8207310

  Career Cluster: Information Technology

  CIP Number: 0609070201

  Course Type: Career Preparatory

  CTE Standard(s) or benchmarks

  08.03 Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical issues associated with electronic correspondences (e.g., employer’s ownership of email, public access of government email, appropriate uses in the workplace, phishing attacks, permanence of electronic communications on the internet).

  03.02 Identify security needs within a network environment (e.g., antivirus software, passwords

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “The Repercussions of Inappropriate Uses of Technology.” See CPALMS resource ID# 209583.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This lesson helps students develop career-building skills by identifying how to operate in the workforce with team communication appropriately. This lesson focuses on the connection between understanding security risks and how they could ultimately impact the way they work.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Identify the difference between phishing and safe emails.
  • Create a digital infographic on identifying unsafe online communication and steps to resolve it.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • Components of safe business emails
  • Actions to take when receiving a suspicious email.
  • The difference between social media and professional email.
  • Important components of a formal email.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What ethical issues are involved in electronic correspondence in a business setting?
  • What should you look for to identify phishing emails?
  • How can you identify security needs in a network?

• Procedure

  
  

  1. To introduce the lesson, refer to the case study, “The Repercussions of Inappropriate Uses of Technology,” (see CPALMS resource ID# 209583)

  2. Pose the following discussion questions after the case study is read.

  • What would make you question whether an email is valid?
  • How can you further understand the repercussions of engaging with a phishing email?
  • If you were a manager for a tech company, how could you inform your employees about what to do if they were to engage with a phishing email?

  3. Display the two different emails (see attachment Tech Emails) . One is a safe email, the other is an unsafe email. Have students identify the different green flags and red flags that they see in both emails. This discussion should answer the question of, “What are the green and red flags of business emails?”

  • Explain that there is a difference between business correspondence and sending emails to family and friends.
  • See the Teacher Notes for potential green and red flag options on both emails.
  • Students should be able to identify at least 5 green flags on the first email and 5 red flags on the second email.
  • Students should be able to explain why these are green or red flags.
  • Students should reference previous notes and textbooks to supplement and reinforce their answers.
  • As students are wrapping up these answers, have them go ahead and write down any additional red or green flags that they should be looking for when looking at business emails.

  4. Allow students time to work with a partner and compare the additional answers that they came up with. They should be able to identify both safe and unsafe issues that can come into play when looking through an email.

  5. Once they have compared information, instruct students that they will be creating an infographic on the red and green flags that they could potentially see in business email correspondence. Each infographic should also include tips on keeping email correspondence secure and what to do if someone receives a suspicious email.

  6. To close the lesson, have students digitally share their infographics. Have students perform a virtual gallery walk and identify one tip or piece of information from peers that they did not add to their own infographic.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Potential green and red flag options on both emails.
    • Green flags
      • Expected email.
      • Correct sender.
      • Little or no grammatical errors.
      • Appropriate salutation.
      • No requests for money or to do something.
      • No links, and if there are, they come directly from the company, and they’re embedded into the email.
    • Red flags
      • Unexpected email.
      • Odd sender – meaning that the sender’s email looks strange.
      • Lots of grammatical errors.
      • Odd salutation.
      • Weird requests – such as a request to send money.
      • A link that looks unfamiliar asking you to click on it.

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • Hand out the email ask them to circle five red or green flags and identify why those are one of the flags.

  Accommodation Suggestions:

  • Identify one of the red flags and one of the green flags to get them started.

  Extension Ideas:

  • Students can create their own "safe" email and their own "unsafe" email.