Chapter 1 — Starting at Harborview
Lesson map
Lesson 01 published. Map, example, EX001.
flowchart TD
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["1.1 The student"]
N2["1.2 The workplace"]
N3["1.3 How the course runs"]
N4["1.4 Safe habits"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4
N4 --> EX["Worked example"]
EX --> Q["Exercise EX001"]
Logical drawing
flowchart LR
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["1.1 The student"]
N2["1.2 The workplace"]
N3["1.3 How the course runs"]
N4["1.4 Safe habits"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4 --> Q["EX001"]
[Learning outcomes]
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v
[1.1 The student]
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v
[1.2 The workplace]
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v
[1.3 How the course runs]
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v
[1.4 Safe habits]
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v
[Worked example] --> [Exercise EX001]
Learning outcomes
You will (1) describe what a technical course in information security covers; (2) meet the running case; (3) set up safe study habits.
1.1 The student
Chloe Martin starts an eighteen-month technical course in information security at the fictional Harborview Technical College. Her tutor is Mr. Kwesi Appiah, who spent years supporting computers in shops and offices before teaching. He explains that the course prepares students for support roles where they help keep devices, accounts and information safe every day. The work is practical: setting up devices, helping users, spotting problems and reporting them clearly to the right person. Chloe chose the course because she enjoys fixing computers for her family.
1.2 The workplace
Chloe's placement partner is the fictional Westfield Garden Centres, a family business with five garden centres and about 120 staff. It uses 22 till computers, 18 laptops and 24 tablets for stock checks, plus an online shop and a loyalty scheme holding customer names, emails and purchase histories. Westfield has one IT lead, Mr. Sam Doyle, who looks after everything with help from a support company. Mr. Appiah notes that many small businesses look like this, so the skills transfer widely. The support company visits monthly and answers calls.
1.3 How the course runs
The first six chapters cover the business, devices, accounts, passwords, simple Python checks and security basics. The next six cover updates, phishing, personal data, keeping data secure, wireless networks and backups. The last six cover reporting problems, documentation, working with the IT lead, a workplace placement, a practical assessment and a review. Each chapter links what Chloe learns to a task she can do at Westfield, so she can see the purpose of each skill. She copies the chapter list into her notebook and marks each with a Westfield task.
1.4 Safe habits
Mr. Appiah sets three rules for the course. Practise only on college equipment or with written permission. Use synthetic data in exercises, never real customer details. Write down what you do, so you or someone else can check it later. Chloe starts a notebook with the date, task and result of each practical session. She notes that these habits protect her as well as the organisations she will work for, because careless actions can cause harm even when well meant. Mr. Appiah checks notebooks monthly.
Worked example
Chloe starts the course, meets Westfield's five centres and single IT lead, maps the eighteen months and adopts three safe habits.
Synthetic case. Harborview, Westfield and all people are synthetic.
Errors and limits
Practising on real systems without permission can cause harm and may be illegal.
Exercises
- EX001 — Course length. How long is Chloe's course? Rubric: 3 = eighteen months;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = wrong;; 0 = none.
- EX002 — Device counts. How many tablets does Westfield use? Rubric: 3 = 24;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = wrong;; 0 = none.
- EX003 — IT lead. Who is Westfield's IT lead? Rubric: 3 = Mr. Sam Doyle;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = other;; 0 = none.
- EX004 — Safe habit. Name one of Mr. Appiah's three rules. Rubric: 3 = practise only with permission;; 2 = one;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
Continue studying — lesson 01 (chapter 01 of 18)
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