What your child will learn
Distinguish public Wi-Fi from private networks and explain why the distinction matters for safety
Recognize HTTPS as a baseline safety signal in URL bars and know what the padlock does and does not guarantee
Explain how attackers sniff traffic on open networks and why a VPN mitigates that risk
Apply the "never on public Wi-Fi" rule to banking and password resets — use cellular or wait
How this mission works
Open Wi-Fi is everywhere — cafes, airports, schools, libraries, hotels. Each one is a different network with different risks. Five decision scenarios a grades 6–8 student actually faces: pick the legitimate coffee shop network (and ignore a suspiciously-named neighbor hotspot), audit a shared library computer before touching it, spot an evil-twin fake hotspot before it captures your login, refuse to do banking on an open cafe network, and decide when a VPN is the right move vs when regular HTTPS already covers you. Pass 4 of 5 to earn the Public Wi-Fi Guardian badge and 200 XP.
What students actually encounter
Four Wi-Fi networks at a coffee shop — one is real, one is an evil-twin trap, and no signage tells you which is which. How do you find the legit one before logging in?
A captive portal on a "free conference Wi-Fi" asks for your email PASSWORD for "verification" — what does that tell you about the network?
Cipher is with them the whole way
When a student gets stuck on Public Wi-Fi Safety, Cipher appears with a mission-specific nudge — no spoilers, just a hint toward the right thinking. Make a wrong choice, and Cipher explains the real-world consequence. Finish the mission, and Cipher generates a personalized performance debrief based on exactly how the student played it.
ISTE alignment
Students manage their personal data and digital privacy when connecting to public networks, applying safe practices including VPN use, HTTPS verification in URL bars, and mobile-hotspot fallback for sensitive tasks like banking or password resets.