School Skills
Cyber safety for students
Passwords, privacy, cyberbullying, online games, scams and fake news, and who to tell when something goes wrong.
Suits: School students and their parents
Duration, fees and batch timings are quoted by the head office or your centre.
The study book of this course
- Cyber Safety for Students
- Lessons
- 10
- Practice questions
- 40
- Free ebooks
- 0
About the course
What the cyber safety course is about
Young people live much of their lives online, and the risks are different from those faced by adults: oversharing, bullying, strangers, pressure to spend in games and fake offers. This course speaks to that world directly.
It covers passwords and screen locks, what is safe to share, social media settings, cyberbullying, scams, checking news before forwarding it and keeping screen time healthy, always ending with who to tell and where to report.
What you will practise
Drawn from the lessons of the study books below.
- 01
Create strong passwords and lock devices
- 02
Decide what not to share and adjust privacy settings
- 03
Recognise cyberbullying and respond safely
- 04
Spot scams, fake offers and risky messages
- 05
Check a news item before forwarding it
- 06
Know who to tell and where to report a problem
What you will learn
10 lessons, 20 exercises
Every lesson of the study book that comes with this course in the student portal, with the key points of each lesson and exercises to try. Your centre gives you the syllabus, the duration and the fee.
Study book
Cyber Safety for Students
Learn to stay safe, kind and in control online: strong passwords, privacy, social media, cyberbullying, games, strangers, scams, screen time, fake news and where to get help in India.
1Your digital world and your digital footprint3 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Everything you post, like or search forms your digital footprint.
- Online content can be copied and may stay for years.
- Use the grandparent test before you post.
- You can always say no, block and tell a trusted adult.
Try this
- List five things you did online yesterday. For each, write whether it left an active or passive footprint.
- Search for your own first name and school in a search engine with a parent present, and note what appears.
2Passwords and screen locks4 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Long, unique passphrases are stronger than short complicated ones.
- Never share passwords with friends; share only with a parent if asked.
- Two-step verification adds a second proof after the password.
- Lock devices and log out of shared computers.
Try this
- Make up a four-word passphrase that you have never used and write how you will remember it. Do not write the real password on paper you keep.
- With a parent, check your phone lock: is it at least six digits and set to lock automatically?
3Privacy: what not to share4 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Keep your address, phone number, routine, school details and financial information private.
- Photos can reveal location and school; turn off location tagging.
- Set profiles to private and accept only people you know.
- If someone asks for too much, say no and tell an adult.
Try this
- Make a table of ten items. Mark each as "safe to share", "ask an adult" or "never share".
- Open the privacy settings of one app with a parent and note three settings you could improve.
4Social media and messaging safely4 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Check an app's minimum age rules and do not lie about your age.
- Use private accounts, careful usernames and accept only known people.
- Know how to block, mute and report on every app you use.
- Do not forward rumours or share photos of others without permission.
Try this
- Review one of your accounts and tick off the six set-up points from this lesson.
- Practise using the block and report buttons on a practice account or by reading the app's help page with a parent.
5Cyberbullying: what it is and what to do4 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Cyberbullying is hurtful behaviour through digital devices, and it is never the victim's fault.
- Do not reply in anger; save evidence, block, report and tell an adult.
- Bystanders can help by not joining in and by supporting the target.
- If threats or private photos are involved, tell an adult immediately.
Try this
- Write a short, kind message you could send to a friend who has been teased online.
- Role-play with a classmate: one shows a mean message, the other practises saying "I will not reply, I will save this and tell a teacher".
6Online games, in-app purchases and strangers4 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- In-app purchases and loot boxes can cost real money; ask a parent before spending.
- Limit chat to friends and never share personal details with strangers.
- Secrecy, gifts and requests for photos are warning signs of grooming.
- If something feels wrong, stop, save evidence, block, report and tell an adult.
Try this
- Open a game you play and with a parent find where chat and purchase settings are located. Change them to the safest setting.
- Write the five warning signs of grooming in your own words on a card to keep.
7Scams, fake offers and safe downloading4 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Scams promise prizes, free credit or easy money and rush you to act.
- Never share an OTP, PIN or card details.
- Download apps only from the official store and check the permissions.
- For financial fraud, tell a parent at once; the 1930 helpline and the national cybercrime reporting portal exist for this.
Try this
- Look at three messages or adverts you or your family have received and mark the red flags in each.
- Check the permissions of two apps on your phone with a parent. Is there any permission they do not really need?
8Screen time and digital wellbeing3 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Screens are useful tools, but balance matters for sleep, health and mood.
- No screens during meals and before bed; keep devices out of the bedroom at night.
- Use the 20-20-20 rule to rest your eyes.
- If screens make you feel worse, take a break and talk to someone you trust.
Try this
- Track your screen time for three days. Write which activities used the most time and one change you will make.
- Make a family agreement with three screen rules and put it on the fridge.
9Fake news, rumours and checking what you see4 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Misinformation spreads because it is shocking and easy to forward.
- Check the source, date, other reports and evidence before believing or sharing.
- Old photos are often shared as new events; use reverse image search.
- If you cannot check it, do not forward it.
Try this
- Take a forwarded message from a family chat and check it using the five steps. Write what you found.
- Pick one news photo and use a reverse image search to see where else it appeared.
10Getting help in India and being a kind digital citizen4 min read · 4 key points · 2 exercises
Key points
- Always tell a trusted adult about serious problems online.
- In India, the national cybercrime reporting portal and the 1930 helpline for financial fraud are official routes; a parent can use them.
- Check the current helpline numbers because they can change.
- Kind digital citizens respect others, protect privacy and give credit.
Try this
- Write your own online safety pledge in five lines and share it with a family member.
- With a parent, write the names of three trusted adults you can talk to about online problems.
Glossary: 26 key terms of Cyber Safety for Students
- Digital footprint
- The trail of information you leave online through posts, searches and activity.
- Password
- A secret word or phrase used to prove it is you when you log in.
- Passphrase
- A long password made of several words or a sentence.
- Two-step verification
- An extra check, such as a code on your phone, after you enter your password.
- OTP
- A one-time password sent to your phone or email that must never be shared.
- Privacy settings
- Controls that decide who can see your profile, posts and location.
- Personal information
- Details that identify you, such as address, phone number or school.
- Location tagging
- Adding the place where a photo or post was made.
- Cyberbullying
- Using phones or the internet to hurt, scare or embarrass someone.
- Upstander
- A person who speaks up or helps when someone is being bullied.
- Block
- A setting that stops someone from contacting you.
- Report
- Telling an app or authority about harmful content or behaviour.
- Screenshot
- A picture of what is on your screen, used to save evidence.
- Grooming
- When a person builds trust with a child in order to harm them.
- In-app purchase
- Money spent inside a game or app for coins, items or extras.
- Loot box
- A paid item in a game where you do not know what you will get.
- Scam
- A trick to cheat people out of money or information.
- Phishing
- A fake message or website designed to steal your information.
- Malware
- Harmful software such as a virus that damages devices or steals data.
- App permissions
- The access an app asks for, such as camera, contacts or location.
- Screen time
- The amount of time spent using devices with screens.
- Misinformation
- False or misleading information, often shared without checking.
- Reverse image search
- A tool that finds where else a picture has appeared online.
- Digital citizen
- A person who uses technology responsibly and respectfully.
- Copyright
- The legal right of a creator to control how their work is used.
- Helpline
- A phone service that gives help and advice.
Practice and study material
Study books and timed practice tests in the student portal
Students sign in to read the study books lesson by lesson, print them, mark lessons as done and test themselves with timed practice tests, every answer explained.
- 1study book
- 10lessons
- 40practice questions
- 26glossary terms
How the practice tests work
- Fresh questions each time
Up to 20 questions are picked at random from the subject’s question bank.
- One minute per question
A timer counts down. When it reaches zero, your answers are sent automatically.
- Move around freely
Skip a question, flag it, and come back to change your answer before you submit.
- Learn from every answer
At the end you see the right answer and an explanation for each question.
- Read, print and keep track
Each study book has its lessons, key points, exercises and a glossary. Print a lesson, or mark it as done.
Your centre gives you your login when you enrol.
Try 3 practice questions
Real questions from this course’s question banks. Pick an answer to see the explanation.
What is your digital footprint?
Show the answer
Answer: B. The trail of information you leave online
Posts, searches, likes and activity together make your digital footprint.
What can a bystander do about cyberbullying?
Show the answer
Answer: D. Support the target and report it
Upstanders make a difference by not joining in and by helping.
Where is it best to keep a phone at night?
Show the answer
Answer: C. Outside the bedroom or away from the bed
Keeping the phone away helps you get proper sleep.
Careers
Careers this course leads towards
The kind of work these skills are used for. Each guide explains what the job involves, the skills it asks for and how to get started.
Cyber security
Keeping accounts, devices and networks safe: passwords, updates, backups, and spotting fraud and malware.
How admission works
From your first question to your certificate.
The usual steps, at the head office in Delhi or at an authorised member centre.
- Who can join
- School students and their parents
- Where
- The Delhi head office and authorised member centres.
- Fees and timings
- On WhatsApp at +91 97116 99511, or by phone on 011 2721 1512.
- 1
Ask about the course
Call or WhatsApp the head office, or visit your nearest member centre. Ask for the duration, the fee and the batch timings in writing.
- 2
Fill the admission form
Admission forms are supplied by the head office to every centre.
- 3
Learn in class
Attend your batch at the centre, with the course material and study notes, and sign in to the student portal for the study books and practice tests.
- 4
Take the exam
The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher.
- 5
Receive your certificate
Students who pass get a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet. Employers can verify it with the head office.
Who can join the cyber safety course?
School students and their parents. Ask the head office or your nearest member centre which group your child should join, and what they already know will help them start in the right place.
How long is the course and what is the fee?
Duration, fees and batch timings depend on the course and the centre. Ask the head office or your nearest member centre, and get the details in writing before you pay.
Where are the classes?
At the head office in Delhi (A-10, Chief Commissioner Colony, opposite Rana Pratap Bagh) and at authorised member centres. Call or WhatsApp the head office to find the nearest centre.
What do I need to use the study books and practice tests?
A phone or a computer with an internet connection, and the login your centre gives you at enrolment. The student portal opens in an ordinary web browser, so there is nothing to install. Student login.
How do the practice tests work?
Sign in to the student portal and choose a subject. Each test picks up to 20 questions at random from that subject’s question bank and gives you one minute per question, with a timer that sends your answers automatically when it reaches zero. You can skip a question, flag it and come back before you submit, and at the end you see the right answer and an explanation for every question. This course has 40 practice questions across 1 subject, and you can take the tests as often as you like.
Is there an exam and a certificate?
Yes. The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher. Students who pass receive a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet.
How is a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate verified?
On the verify certificate page, anyone can enter a certificate number and check it against the institute’s online register, which covers certificates issued through the portal. For older certificates, or if there is any doubt, send a copy to the head office by email or WhatsApp; the reply comes within 2 working days.
Ready to start the cyber safety course?
Ask the head office for the duration, the fee, the batch timings and your nearest member centre.