Explain Cybersecurity Using a Castle Analogy

Demystify cybersecurity by connecting technical defences to a medieval castle analogy.

Teaching Context:
Great for Year 7 to Year 9 Digital Technologies when introducing cybersecurity basics.

Basic AI Prompt:
Explain cybersecurity as a castle.

Enhanced AI Prompt:
You are learning how computers protect themselves from cyber threats. Ask AI to explain key cybersecurity concepts like firewalls, passwords, and antivirus software using a medieval castle analogy. For example, what part of a castle is like a firewall? Ask AI to describe how different security layers work together to protect information. Then, ask AI to list three common cyber threats (e.g. phishing, malware) and how your “castle” defends against them.

Spice it Up (Optional Extension):
Create a short animated story of a castle defending against cyber attackers.

Lesson Implementation:
Introduce the concept of cybersecurity layers with a real-world example (e.g. school Wi-Fi login). Students work in pairs to use AI to build their castle analogy, filling out a table: Cybersecurity Tool | Castle Feature | Purpose.

Have students sketch their castle and explain each defensive layer. For deeper learning, role-play an attack scenario where one group acts as cyber attackers and another explains how their castle defends against each attack.

Wrap up with a reflection on how students can protect themselves online. This lesson creates memorable links between abstract technology and familiar images.

Got ideas on different ways to use this prompt? Share them with the class in the comments below!

Also, if you liked this, you'll love the thousands of subject-specific AI prompts in our books section!