Motivation

Secure information technology is important in all areas of society - but while many support services such as consulting and training are now aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, industry and the administration, citizens and here in particular schoolchildren and their parents are often forgotten. Yet young people, and therefore inevitably their parents, are sometimes real power users: they buy and use the latest technical devices, download the latest apps and services, and explore them together with their friends. And they do this not infrequently with a rather poorly developed sensitivity to potential cyber dangers, IT security issues and data protection. When something goes wrong, the damage is extensive and difficult to repair due to a lack of know-how. 

Goals and Procedure

The IT Security and Media Expertise in Schools (ISuMiS) project aims to close this gap and provide students and their parents with practical know-how in IT security and data protection. In order to really reach young people with this topic, we are building the ISuMiS box". With it, IT and data protection dangers can be experienced in a very practical way, uncontrolled data outflows become visible and abstract security gaps become vivid. In order to be able to use the ISuMiS box in the classroom, we are developing curricula, educational material and exercises for teachers. 

Innovations and Perspectives

The ISuMiS box and the associated educational and accompanying materials make it possible to make IT security and data protection dangers arising from everyday devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers visible and tangible. This is important because it is often difficult to correctly assess the scope of digital dangers. Such a technical solution accompanied by didactic materials for the target group of pupils does not exist on the market. The ISuMiS box and the curricula are intended to have an impact beyond the duration of the project and to become established in the school context. Therefore, the teaching materials will be published in a free CC BY SA 4.0 license, so that teachers can use and develop them freely. It is feasible that after the successful completion of the project, the ISuMiS-Box will be further developed by external partners or the foundation of a spin-off for additional target groups and markets and will establish itself on the market as a complete product including services.

Reports of data leaks and misuse of personal data reduce the trust of citizens in digital applications to a problematic extent. In many cases, weak or reused passwords or unmaintained user software also contribute to these problems. This makes it clear that citizens need more support with private IT security. As part of the German government's IT security research framework program »Digital.Sicher.Souverän.« the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding research into and development of methods and tools to help citizens implement their private IT security and protect their private data.