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ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Networked Systems and Access Control

How hardware and software control and secure access to data across a network.

Modules (149)

1 Computer network 2 Internet vs World Wide Web 3 Client and server 4 LAN and WAN 5 Network interface (wired and wireless adapter) 6 Network switch 7 Router 8 Wireless access point 9 Modem 10 Operating system 11 Device drivers 12 Star network topology 13 Drawing a network diagram 14 What a MAC address is 15 MAC address format 16 IP address 17 IPv4 address format 18 Spotting an invalid IPv4 address 19 IPv6 address format 20 Static IP address 21 Dynamic IP address 22 DHCP 23 Differences between a MAC address and an IP address 24 Private and public IP addresses 25 Subnet mask 26 Checking whether two devices are on the same network 27 Default gateway 28 Why domain names are used instead of IP addresses 29 Splitting a URL into its parts 30 Domain name server (DNS) 31 A DNS lookup step by step 32 Domain table (name-to-address table) 33 The ping command 34 The nslookup command 35 Why data is broken down into packets 36 The three parts of a packet 37 Packet header 38 Packet number in a packet header 39 Packet switching 40 A router controls each packet's route 41 Routing table and next hop 42 Why packets can take different routes 43 Packets arriving out of order 44 Reordering packets at the destination 45 Hops and time to live (TTL) 46 The traceroute command 47 Tracing data across a network 48 Building a small network in a network simulator 49 Network protocols 50 The TCP/IP four-layer model 51 Internet Protocol (IP) 52 Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) 53 User Datagram Protocol (UDP) 54 Port numbers 55 Email protocols: SMTP and IMAP 56 Purpose of HTTP 57 HTTP request and response 58 From URL to web page: the full sequence 59 Why data is checked after transmission 60 Interference as the cause of transmission errors 61 Identifying loss, gain and change in an example 62 Error detection versus error correction 63 Parity bit 64 Checksum 65 Calculating a checksum 66 Echo check 67 Automatic repeat query (ARQ) 68 Positive acknowledgement 69 Negative acknowledgement 70 Timeout 71 The ARQ process step by step 72 Hashing functions 73 Using hashes to check data integrity 74 Interception of data on a network 75 Man-in-the-middle attacks 76 Risks of unsecured public Wi-Fi 77 Encryption and decryption 78 Plaintext 79 Ciphertext 80 Encryption key 81 Symmetric encryption 82 Asymmetric encryption 83 Public key 84 Private key 85 Sending a secure message with asymmetric encryption 86 Comparing symmetric and asymmetric keys 87 HTTP compared with HTTPS 88 Secure socket layer (SSL) protocol 89 SSL certificates and the handshake 90 HTTPS and the padlock 91 Protecting data in transit 92 Protecting data at rest 93 Virtual private networks (VPNs) 94 Securing a Wi-Fi network 95 Confidentiality 96 Integrity 97 Availability 98 Authentication vs authorisation 99 Username and password 100 Strong passwords 101 Weak passwords 102 Brute-force and dictionary attacks 103 Why passwords are stored as hashes 104 Salting a password hash 105 Password manager 106 Authentication factors 107 Multi-factor authentication 108 Types of MFA 109 Biometric authentication 110 Adaptive (risk-based) authentication 111 Limits of MFA 112 OS function: managing user accounts 113 OS function: providing system security 114 Access levels 115 User permissions: read, write and execute 116 Reading a permission string like rwxr-x--- 117 The principle of least privilege 118 Role-based access control 119 Access control lists 120 Access logs and audit trails 121 Firewalls 122 Firewall software 123 Network (hardware) firewall 124 Firewall rule: allow or deny by port 125 Firewall rule: allow or deny by IP address 126 Firewall rule order and default deny 127 MAC address filtering 128 What a proxy server is 129 How a proxy server keeps data safe 130 ISM guideline: segmentation and segregation 131 ISM guideline: network access controls 132 Intrusion detection systems (IDS) 133 Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) 134 Antivirus software 135 Operating system updates 136 Asset 137 Threat 138 Vulnerability 139 Risk as likelihood and impact 140 Unauthorised network access 141 Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack 142 Phishing 143 Trust boundaries 144 STRIDE threat categories 145 Writing a threat model table 146 Choosing a solution to counter a threat 147 Australian Privacy Principle 11 148 Choosing access controls for a scenario 149 Explaining how hardware and software control access to data in a network

Smaller journeys, one per content description

The same modules, split up so a class can take just the content description it's working on.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Network hardware and how networks connect — AC9TDI10K01 Students learn what networks, clients, servers and network devices are, how the operating system and drivers support them, and how to draw a star network diagram.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Network addressing and domain names — AC9TDI10K01 Students learn how MAC addresses, IP addresses, DHCP, subnet masks, gateways and DNS identify devices and locate them, and use ping and nslookup to test them.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Packets and routing — AC9TDI10K01 Students learn how data is split into packets, routed hop by hop using routing tables and TTL, reordered at the destination, and traced and simulated across a network.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Network protocols and reliable data transmission — AC9TDI10K01 Students learn how the TCP/IP layers, ports and protocols such as HTTP and email carry data, and how error checking, ARQ and hashing confirm that it arrived intact.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Encryption and securing data in transit — AC9TDI10K01, AC9TDI10P13 Students learn how data can be intercepted on a network and how encryption, HTTPS, TLS, VPNs and secured Wi-Fi protect it.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Authentication and proving identity — AC9TDI10K01, AC9TDI10P13 Students learn the confidentiality, integrity and availability goals and how passwords, hashing, multi-factor and biometric authentication check who a user is.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Controlling access with permissions — AC9TDI10K01 Students learn how operating system accounts, access levels, permissions, least privilege, role-based access control, access control lists and logs decide what each user can do.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Firewalls and network defences — AC9TDI10K01 Students learn how firewalls, firewall rules, MAC filtering, proxies, segmentation, intrusion detection and prevention, antivirus and updates defend a network.

ACARA 9-10 Digital Technologies: Threat modelling and securing a networked system — AC9TDI10K01, AC9TDI10P13 Students learn to identify assets, threats and vulnerabilities, build a threat model, choose controls to counter threats, and explain how hardware and software control access to data.

Printables for this journey

Every module above has its own free printable worksheet with an answer key. These crosswords and word searches cover the same terms:

VCE Cyber Security Crossword: Emerging trends in cyber security to Antivirus software (Modules 1–10) 10 clues · Emerging trends in cyber security, Regulatory compliance, Zero Trust Architecture, Routers and more

VCE Cyber Security Crossword: AI-based network security software and more (Modules 11–20) 10 clues · AI-based network security software, Intrusion detection systems (IDS), Intrusion prevention systems (IPS), Wired communications technology and more

VCE Cyber Security Crossword: Local Area Networks (LANs) to Viruses (Modules 21–30) 10 clues · Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), Global exposure to cyber security threats and more

VCE Cyber Security Crossword: Worms to Operating system updates (Modules 31–40) 10 clues · Worms, Ransomware, Denial of service attacks, Improper credential management and more

VCE Cyber Security Crossword: Software malware updates to RSA (Modules 41–50) 10 clues · Software malware updates, Staff procedures, Encryption and decryption, Caesar cipher and more

VCE Cyber Security Crossword: ECDH to ISM guideline: network access controls (Modules 51–60) 10 clues · ECDH, ECDSA, Machine learning analysis of network traffic, Real-time monitoring and notification and more

VCE Cyber Security Crossword: ISM guideline: confidentiality and integrity of wireless traffic and more (Modules 61–74) 10 clues · ISM guideline: confidentiality and integrity of wireless traffic, ISM guideline: wireless network footprint, Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth), Australian Privacy Principle 1 and more

VCE Cyber Security Word Search: Emerging trends in cyber security and more (Modules 1–20) 20 words to find · Emerging trends in cyber security, Regulatory compliance, Zero Trust Architecture, Routers and more

VCE Cyber Security Word Search: Local Area Networks (LANs) to Operating system updates (Modules 21–40) 20 words to find · Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), Global exposure to cyber security threats and more

VCE Cyber Security Word Search: Software malware updates to Information Privacy Principle 5 (Modules 41–74) 22 words to find · Software malware updates, Staff procedures, Encryption and decryption, Caesar cipher and more

Issues in Technology Crossword: Is AI using too much power? and more (Part 1 of 2) 10 clues · Is AI using too much power?, How does an AI actually work?, Compression - losing quality or saving space?, Why file size matters and more

Issues in Technology Word Search: Is AI using too much power? to What is RADCAB? (All modules) 22 words to find · Is AI using too much power?, How does an AI actually work?, Compression - losing quality or saving space?, Why file size matters and more

Years 5–6 Digital Systems Crossword: Inside digital systems and Data and networks (Modules 11–20) 10 clues · Cloud storage, Motherboard, Graphics processing unit (GPU), Network interface (wired and wireless adapter) and more

Years 5–6 Digital Systems Crossword: Data and networks (Modules 21–30) 10 clues · Data transmission, Wired transmission, Wireless transmission, Bluetooth for short-range transfer and more

Years 5–6 Digital Systems Crossword: Data and networks and Accounts, passphrases and security (Modules 31–40) 10 clues · Modem, Wireless access point, IP address, Data packets and more

Years 5–6 Digital Systems Crossword: Data and networks and Accounts, passphrases and security (Modules 41–52) 10 clues · Strong passwords, Passphrase, Risks of password re-use, Unique passphrase for each account and more

Years 5–6 Digital Systems Word Search: Inside digital systems and Data and networks (Modules 1–20) 20 words to find · Digital system, Hardware, Software, Input, process, output and storage and more

Years 5–6 Digital Systems Word Search: Data and networks and Accounts, passphrases and security (Modules 21–52) 20 words to find · Data transmission, Wired transmission, Wireless transmission, Bluetooth for short-range transfer and more

Years 7–8 Digital Systems Crossword: Data transmission and network security and Account security and cyber threats (Modules 26–74) 10 clues · Comparing wired and wireless networks, Wi-Fi range and interference, HTTPS and the padlock, Securing a Wi-Fi network and more

Years 7–8 Digital Systems Word Search: Hardware for particular tasks to Account security and cyber threats (Modules 4–74) 20 words to find · CPU clock speed (GHz), CPU cores, HDD vs SSD performance, Storage units: KB, MB, GB, TB and more

Years 9–10 Digital Systems Crossword: Controlling and securing access to data (Modules 13–24) 10 clues · Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Authentication vs authorisation and more

Years 9–10 Digital Systems Crossword: Controlling and securing access to data and Threats and software vulnerabilities (Modules 25–40) 10 clues · Salting a password hash, Brute-force and dictionary attacks, Asset, Threat and more

Years 9–10 Digital Systems Crossword: Software supply chain vulnerabilities and Threat modelling and security responses (Modules 70–79) 10 clues · Reducing supply chain risk, Risk as likelihood and impact, Risk rating matrix, Data flow diagram of a system and more

Years 9–10 Digital Systems Word Search: Controlling and securing access to data and Threats and software vulnerabilities (Modules 13–40) 20 words to find · Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Authentication vs authorisation and more

Years 9–10 Digital Systems Word Search: Threats and software vulnerabilities to Threat modelling and security responses (Modules 41–79) 20 words to find · SQL injection, Buffer overflow, Zero-day vulnerabilities, Insider threats and human error and more

VCE Software Development U4O2 Crossword: Vulnerabilities and risks in insecure development environments and Third-party software, code review and combined environments (Modules 23–47) 10 clues · What makes a development environment insecure, What an API is, Risks of using APIs, Hard-coded API keys and secrets and more

VCE Software Development U4O2 Word Search: Organisational goals and in-house vs external development to Third-party software, code review and combined environments (Modules 1–47) 20 words to find · Goals and objectives of medium and large organisations, Security as an organisational objective, Medium and large organisations compared, In-house development: advantages and more

VCE Data Analytics U4O2 Crossword: Data integrity and its consequences and Evaluating security with CIA and security controls (Modules 26–43) 10 clues · Assessing data against the six integrity characteristics, Consequence of diminished data integrity: loss of reputation, Consequence of diminished data integrity: poor decision-making, Consequence of diminished data integrity: financial loss and more

VCE Data Analytics U4O2 Crossword: Evaluating security with CIA and security controls to Disaster recovery plans (Modules 44–79) 10 clues · Adaptive (risk-based) authentication, Physical security controls, Data loss prevention controls, Protecting data at rest and more

VCE Data Analytics U4O2 Word Search: Why data security matters and types of threats to Evaluating security with CIA and security controls (Modules 1–43) 22 words to find · Goals and objectives of medium and large organisations, Safeguarding business operations, Mitigating financial loss and reputational damage, Accidental threats to data and more

VCE Data Analytics U4O2 Word Search: Evaluating security with CIA and security controls to Victorian privacy and health records legislation (Modules 44–113) 21 words to find · Adaptive (risk-based) authentication, Physical security controls, Data loss prevention controls, Protecting data at rest and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 1.3 Data Storage and Compression and 2.1 Data Transmission Types and Methods (Modules 86–109) 10 clues · Why compression is needed: less storage space, Why compression is needed: less bandwidth, Why compression is needed: shorter transmission time, Lossy compression permanently removes data and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 2.1 Data Transmission Types and Methods (Modules 110–120) 10 clues · The three parts of a packet, Packet header, Destination address in a packet header, Originator's address in a packet header and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 2.1 Data Transmission Types and Methods (Modules 121–130) 10 clues · Why packets can take different routes, Packets arriving out of order, Reordering packets at the destination, Describing the packet switching process step by step and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 2.1 Data Transmission Types and Methods and 2.2 Methods of Error Detection (Modules 142–154) 10 clues · Drawbacks of USB, Evaluating USB for a given use, Why data is checked after transmission, Interference as the cause of transmission errors and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 2.2 Methods of Error Detection (Modules 168–178) 10 clues · Checksum, Calculating a checksum, Checking a checksum at the receiver, What a checksum can and cannot detect and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 2.2 Methods of Error Detection (Modules 179–188) 10 clues · Bar code check digit, Checking a number with its check digit on entry, What a check digit cannot detect, Automatic repeat query (ARQ) and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 2.2 Methods of Error Detection and 2.3 Encryption (Modules 189–203) 10 clues · Choosing an error detection method for a scenario, Interception of data on a network, Plaintext, Ciphertext and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 2.3 Encryption and 3.1 Computer Architecture (Modules 204–217) 10 clues · Private key, Encrypting with the recipient's public key, Decrypting with the private key, Sending a secure message with asymmetric encryption and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 3.3 Data Storage and 3.4 Network Hardware (Modules 325–341) 10 clues · Comparing cloud storage with local storage, Writing exam answers about data storage, What a MAC address is, MAC addresses are given at manufacture and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 3.4 Network Hardware (Modules 342–354) 7 clues · The limited number of IPv4 addresses, IPv6 address format, Shortening an IPv6 address, Comparing IPv4 and IPv6 and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 4.1 Types of Software and Interrupts (Modules 373–389) 10 clues · OS function: managing files, OS function: providing a graphical user interface (GUI), OS function: providing a command-line interface (CLI), OS function: managing peripherals and drivers and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 5.1 The Internet and the World Wide Web (Modules 464–476) 10 clues · URL part: the web page or file name, Splitting a URL into its parts, Purpose of HTTP, HTTP request and response and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 5.1 The Internet and the World Wide Web (Modules 477–489) 10 clues · Browser function: navigation tools, Browser function: storing cookies, Matching a browser function to a need, Why domain names are used instead of IP addresses and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 5.2 Digital Currency and 5.3 Cyber Security (Modules 520–546) 10 clues · Working out ownership from the blockchain, Stopping the same digital currency being spent twice, Writing exam answers about digital currency and blockchain, Trojan horse and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Crossword: 5.3 Cyber Security and 6.1 Automated Systems (Modules 553–577) 10 clues · Access levels, Anti-spyware software, What a proxy server is, How a proxy server keeps data safe and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 1.3 Data Storage and Compression and 2.1 Data Transmission Types and Methods (Modules 86–120) 21 words to find · Why compression is needed: less storage space, Why compression is needed: less bandwidth, Why compression is needed: shorter transmission time, Lossy compression permanently removes data and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 2.1 Data Transmission Types and Methods (Modules 121–141) 20 words to find · Why packets can take different routes, Packets arriving out of order, Reordering packets at the destination, Describing the packet switching process step by step and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 2.1 Data Transmission Types and Methods and 2.2 Methods of Error Detection (Modules 142–164) 21 words to find · Drawbacks of USB, Evaluating USB for a given use, Why data is checked after transmission, Interference as the cause of transmission errors and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 2.2 Methods of Error Detection (Modules 168–188) 21 words to find · Checksum, Calculating a checksum, Checking a checksum at the receiver, What a checksum can and cannot detect and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 2.2 Methods of Error Detection to 3.1 Computer Architecture (Modules 189–217) 20 words to find · Choosing an error detection method for a scenario, Interception of data on a network, Plaintext, Ciphertext and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 3.3 Data Storage and 3.4 Network Hardware (Modules 325–354) 20 words to find · Comparing cloud storage with local storage, Writing exam answers about data storage, What a MAC address is, MAC addresses are given at manufacture and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 3.4 Network Hardware and 4.1 Types of Software and Interrupts (Modules 356–389) 20 words to find · Writing exam answers about network hardware and addresses, System software, Examples of application software, System software versus application software and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 5.1 The Internet and the World Wide Web (Modules 464–489) 21 words to find · URL part: the web page or file name, Splitting a URL into its parts, Purpose of HTTP, HTTP request and response and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 5.2 Digital Currency and 5.3 Cyber Security (Modules 510–546) 21 words to find · Digital ledger, What a ledger record contains, Time-stamp, A record that cannot be altered and more

IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 Word Search: 5.3 Cyber Security and 6.1 Automated Systems (Modules 553–607) 21 words to find · Access levels, Anti-spyware software, What a proxy server is, How a proxy server keeps data safe and more

Crossword: Networked Systems and Access Control (Modules 12–34) 10 clues · Star network topology, Drawing a network diagram, DHCP, Private and public IP addresses and more

Crossword: Networked Systems and Access Control (Modules 41–55) 10 clues · Routing table and next hop, Hops and time to live (TTL), The traceroute command, Building a small network in a network simulator and more

Crossword: Networked Systems and Access Control and Content, Structure and Presentation (Modules 116–154) 10 clues · Reading a permission string like rwxr-x---, Network (hardware) firewall, Firewall rule: allow or deny by port, Firewall rule: allow or deny by IP address and more

Word Search: Networked Systems and Access Control (Modules 12–55) 20 words to find · Star network topology, Drawing a network diagram, DHCP, Private and public IP addresses and more

Word Search: Networked Systems and Access Control to Data Compression (Modules 116–225) 20 words to find · Reading a permission string like rwxr-x---, Network (hardware) firewall, Firewall rule: allow or deny by port, Firewall rule: allow or deny by IP address and more

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these worksheets free?

Yes — every worksheet and its answer key is free to view, download, and print, with no account required to access any individual module.

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No account is needed to view or print a worksheet. A free teacher account adds extras like assigning modules to a class and tracking progress automatically — it takes under three minutes to set up and doesn't need a credit card.

What year level is this for?

This curriculum is aligned to the Australian Curriculum (ACARA) and Victorian Curriculum, spanning roughly Years 3 to 10 — from first sequencing and variables through to object-oriented programming and advanced data structures. Start wherever matches your class's current level; each module builds on the last.

Can I print them?

Yes — every module has a one-click Print Worksheet button that generates a printable page with the practice questions and a full answer key.

Is this aligned to a curriculum?

Yes — the module sequence is mapped to the Australian Curriculum (ACARA) and Victorian Curriculum, and a class's progress is reported back against those curriculum bands (e.g. ACARA Years 5–6 sequencing and iteration, Years 7–8 functions and data structures), not just a generic difficulty scale.

Can students use this without a teacher?

Yes — students can start any module and practice directly, no class or account required. Joining a teacher's class with a class code adds progress tracking, class badges, and live Sprints, but isn't needed to work through the worksheets or modules solo.

Do I need to know ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 myself to teach this?

No — every module comes with a full worked answer key, and Cloodit tracks who's stuck automatically, so you don't need to solve each exercise yourself before assigning it or be able to debug a student's work line by line.

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