Cyber Planet Interactive

[Bertoldo Beyer]

TheMuseum's Information Assurance Gallery was updated in July 2015 and dedicated to NSA's Information Assurance mission. A special centerpiece of the updated gallery is a Magic Planet interactive education display, sponsored by the NCMF, that highlights the history of communications in a compelling, visual and interactive medium.

In July 2015, the National Cryptologic Museum opened an updated Information Assurance Gallery 3 to highlight the equipment and stories, past and present, that detail how NSA protects written, spoken, military, space, and cyber communications. The gallery also exhibits NSA's intelligence support to space and feature some of NSA's success stories in defending the Nation's communications security. A Magic Planet interactive display serves as a centerpiece for the gallery and highlights the history of communications.

See the official NSA press release about the opening of the new Gallery 3.

The NCMF has sponsored a Magic Planet interactive display for the exhibit. The Magic Planet is a large globe is programmed with information on the importance of cybersecurity and the history of communications. The Magic Planet sparks a visitor's imagination and helps people to understand information in a global context.

The display helps tell stories in a compelling and interactive way that people find very enjoyable. The Magic Planet is especially effective for educational tours and presentations and helps to grab and hold the attention of students of all ages.

Executive Director Corin Stone explains how Gallery 3 demonstrates how NSA has continued the legacy of partnering with commercial interests to produce a wide range of military and civilian devices that have allowed policy makers and war fighters to communicate securely.

Information Assurance Director Curtis Dukes explained how the various devices on display in the new Gallery 3 show the vast improvements in "Protecting America's Secrets" in written, voice, space, and support to our military personnel in harm's way.

Associate Director for Strategic Communications Jonathan Freed expresses thanks to all those who worked to make Gallery 3 a state-of-the-art facility that will enable the museum to better tell the information assurance story.

Pollicy, an East African feminist collective working at the intersection of data, design and technology is one of such innovators. They have come up with an interactive fiction game dubbed Digital SafeTea that is championing the safety of African women online while offering guides on tackling cyber discrimination and bullying.

In 2020, Pollicy released a report on online violence based on a study from five African countries: Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia, South Africa and Uganda. Some of the findings showed that while tech companies have reporting mechanisms against online harms, users do not know how to find and use them. Again, when people face attacks online it is hard to report the cases to tech companies or local authorities and therefore, they resort to leaving online spaces.

Then there is the digital security training space, where a lot of focus is on cybersecurity, which is the security of the digital infrastructure, but not the people. The little material in the digital space about security for people is buried in jargon and is quite complicated for the ordinary person. It is also not targeted for women.

We also wanted to make it available in as many African languages as we could. We currently have it in Luganda, Swahili, English and French and are hoping to soon have it in Nigerian Pidgin. This was to make sure that we covered Anglophone and Francophone Africa

The scenarios are written in the back-end and encompass images and illustrations. We wanted to pay homage to the different African settings. For example, when playing the game as Dami, a Nigerian business owner, a player will see in the background a mural with the logo of Feminist Coalition (FemCo), a movement of Nigerian feminist who were at the forefront of the End SARS protests.

Then there is Dami. Her story highlights her journey as a business owner and the challenges associated with running a business in the digital age. What makes the game unique is the blend of languages and the visuals.

It was also hard to communicate the digital security subject in the local languages because they could not bring out the depth of the messages like international languages would. It was an uphill battle to make the game engaging in other languages.

Statistics from stakeholders have shown how there has not been enough focus from policymakers in addressing these issues with more attention, being on taxing the online platforms and how to prevent fake news, which in some cases is a way of controlling the narrative. There are no policy issues addressed or support offered. Gender issues in the digital space come as an afterthought. While other countries are legislating against online harm in a way that centres around users, in Africa it is more about profit, misinformation and disinformation.

Tech companies are doing more than governments in supporting entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs. For example, funding set aside by governments for youth and women entrepreneurs cannot compare in terms of reach to the one that is set up by tech companies. Yet tech companies continue to reach more of these entrepreneurs than governments.

The feedback we get from people that they enjoy using the tool and their enthusiasm to continue using it. Our ultimate goal has always been to impact as many women as possible and make it easier for them to use online spaces and introduce them to the concept of digital security.

Our ever-evolving digital world offers young people so much room to soar! Inspire middle school students to decode their everyday lives and hack into a better future for our planet using the basics of Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Empower the next generation of STEM stars with the help of interactive career profiles.

Uncover secrets and protect your information using super cyber stealth skills! Unlock the mysteries of cybersecurity with the keys of encryption, a crucial component of all security technologies. Cultivate a new generation of codebreakers to keep our online communities safe, using the magic of mathematics.

Music Appreciation B follows Music Appreciation A as the second semester of a year-long course that will introduce students to the origin, theory, cultural importance, and the power of music. This second semester course will focus on the origin, evolution, indigenous instruments, and cultural significance and effects of regional music from a variety of areas, including Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and North America. In addition, students will study how music can function as a catalyst for social change. In each Unit, students will demonstrate their understanding through watching videos, listening to musical samples, utilizing manipulative elements, reading, analyzing, writing, reflecting, and applying knowledge and skills in practical ways, along with being required to complete a performance task. Guiding questions and writing prompts will encourage students to relate the course content to their daily lives.

This course covers wellness; nutrition and healthy eating; individual physical and emotional growth and development; gender identity; family and relationship dynamics; domestic abuse; infectious and non-infectious diseases; drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and abuse; consumer and community health; safety and first aid; and environmental health. Note: Parental consent to take this course might be required by the school site.

American Literature A/B introducesstudents to various concepts of the study of language and presentsstrategies that will help students learn how to become successfulreaders, writers, and thinkers. Students develop their reading,language, analysis, and critical thinking skills through the study of avariety of perspectives and genres. Students read selected letters,American literature, poetry, historical literature from a variety ofdifferent cultures, drama, speeches, novels, nonfiction, technical andinformational texts, as well as material that addresses the researchprocess, rhetoric and oral communication, and the Writing Process. Students will also read full-length works like Breaking Through, by Francisco Jimnez. Through directed reading and writing, students focus on the mechanics of language, vocabulary development, and evaluate recurring patterns and connections within the literature presented. Students engage in several writing assignments and oral presentations that include narrative, expository, and persuasive essays which demonstrate proficiency in drafting, editing, revising, and research skills. Questions, activities, and performance-based learning projects are designed to engage higher order thinking processes in a collaborative environment and provide opportunities for practical applications of the concepts developed within the course.

American Literature A/B introducesstudents to various concepts of the study of language and presentsstrategies that will help students learn how to become successfulreaders, writers, and thinkers. Students develop their reading,language, analysis, and critical thinking skills through the study of avariety of perspectives and genres. Students read selected letters,American literature, poetry, historical literature from a variety ofdifferent cultures, drama, speeches, novels, nonfiction, technical andinformational texts, as well as material that addresses the researchprocess, rhetoric and oral communication, and the Writing Process. Students will also read full-length works like Hunger of Memory, by Richard Rodriguez. Through directed reading and writing, students focus on the mechanics of language, vocabulary development, and evaluate recurring patterns and connections within the literature presented. Students engage in several writing assignments and oral presentations that include narrative, expository, and persuasive essays which demonstrate proficiency in drafting, editing, revising, and research skills. Questions, activities, and performance-based learning projects are designed to engage higher order thinking processes in a collaborative environment and provide opportunities for practical applications of the concepts developed within the course.

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