With reports on data breaches at Target, the White House, and celebrities' stolen photos on the Internet, cybersecurity and online privacy could be a big topic in classrooms.

A lesson plan provided by the New York Times teaches students "about the extent of cyberattacks just in the past year and the risks they pose for companies, governments and individuals," according to the article.

"They also will learn about the steps individuals and organizations can take to better protect their data online, and will reflect on their own digital security practices," the article said.

The lesson plan offers a warm up plan that will "initiate a quick brainstorm about computer security with your students, as a way to assess their level of understanding," said the New York Times.

"Ask questions such as: What have you heard in the news recently about people harming companies or other organizations by gaining unauthorized access to their computer systems?" the article said. "How do these people break into the computers, and what steps can we take to keep this from happening in the future?"

Then, students can watch a NOVA Labs video "Cybersecurity 101," and the article encourages students to stop the video at 3:05.

"Have a short conversation about the main points raised in the video," the article said. "What is the Internet, and how did connecting computers into networks introduce the vulnerabilities that criminals take advantage of today? What are some of the ways in which networked computers can be compromised, and why is it difficult to prevent these kinds of attacks?"

See the video below:

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor