Instructions Click each button below to learn more about safe online surfing.
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FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. government, U.S. Department of Justice
Note for returning teachers: The FBI-SOS backend system for managing classes—along with the student exam on sos.fbi.gov—have been redesigned using new technology. The functionality remains the same. Please refer to the updated Teacher’s Guide for a complete explanation.
After your information has been verified, you will receive an email with a unique web link to manage your class, along with further instructions. It is important to save the link for future management of your classes. The link never expires, so you do not need to register for FBI-SOS every year.
Once registered, you can create classes and a test key for each student. The FBI does not store any information on students, so it is your responsibility to create the test keys and keep track of which one you assigned to each student.
Ask your students to navigate through the various games and activities in their grade-appropriate island. When students complete the last activity, they can click the “Take the Test” surfboard to take the exam. At this point, students should be certain they are ready to complete the exam, as it may only be taken once. To take the test, students will enter the key that you assigned to them. The exam must be completed in 30 minutes or less. Finishing the exam more quickly produces a higher score.
Right after the test is taken, a temporary webpage shows each student his or her score and any questions answered incorrectly. Teachers can ask students to print and save this webpage; teachers can also view or request the exam results in the class management system.
Once all students in a class have finished the test, click the “Grade Exam” button to tabulate the results. The overall scores for each school are compared with the results of other schools nationwide with similar classroom sizes as part of a national monthly competition. Categories are based on the number of students from each school who took the test: Starfish is 1-50 participants; Stingray is 51-100 participants; and Shark is 100+ participants. The 10 highest scores in each of these categories during the month can be viewed on the leaderboard.
Other than what is displayed on the leaderboard, the FBI does not keep or distribute the rankings of schools nationwide. The leaderboard resets at the end of each month.
The top-scoring school in each participation category nationwide every month is awarded an FBI-SOS certificate. Teachers from winning schools are also sent certificates that they can print and distribute to each student. There are no participation certificates for non-winning schools or students. When possible, the winning school in each category will receive a visit from a local FBI special agent.
The SOS website can be visited at any time in the classroom or at home, and students can work at their own pace in completing the island activities. The activities do not need to be completed in one sitting. However, because of federal regulations governing tracking technologies and other issues, the FBI is not able to save a student’s progress on the site beyond a single session.
While the FBI-SOS website is accessible all year, the testing and competition only operate from September 1 through May 31. There is no testing during the summer months.
The goal of FBI-SOS is to promote cyber citizenship and help students learn about online safety while engaging in fun, interactive games. The program was designed to address current Internet safety threats while keeping each grade level's online usage and knowledge in mind. We hope that you find the program beneficial and that your students use the information to make themselves safer digital citizens.
You made it to the beach. Pick the next game to continue.
You made it to the beach, but Pablo recommends more "surf lessons." Click Replay to try again.
Pablo's surfboard broke. Please try again.
Help Pablo the Penguin ride the waves and stay on his surfboard. If you get enough correct responses, Pablo will reach the beach. If you get too many answers wrong, the surfboard will break, and Pablo will have to start over.
Safety Tip: Sharing personal information online can help someone figure out who you are. And if you share people's information or photos without their permission, you can put them at risk, too. Be careful what you say about yourself, your family, and others to Internet strangers.
Your name and address can let strangers know who you are and where you live. They may use this information to harm you.
Sharing your age may make you a target of those who wish to harm children. It's okay to say the date you were born, but don't share the year that you were born.
People can use telephone numbers to figure out where you live and even who you are.
Sharing general information like your favorite food is fine and helps keep you safe.
Safety Tip: You must set up an account to do many things online-like playing on gaming sites. Ask for help before doing this.
Ask your parents first. They need to know what you are doing, and they should talk with you about how to use the site safely. And remember, you must be at least 13 years old to set up a social media account.
Ask your parents first. They need to know what you are doing, and they should talk with you about how to use the site safely. And remember, you must be at least 13 years old to set up a social media account.
Your parents need to know what you are doing, and they should talk with you about how to use the site safely. And remember, you must be at least 13 years old to set up a social media account.
Safety Tip: Other people online can sometimes see your username, screen name, or gamertag. So don't include your name, your age, where you live, or any other personal information that could identify you when you create one. Use something made up.
Don't use your first or last name in your username or screen name, because this can let online strangers know who you are.
A hobby or other general information is fine to use in your username or screen name as long as it is not revealing or inappropriate.
Don't use your school name in your username or screen name. It can let online strangers know too much about you.
Safety Tip: Make your online passwords hard for others to guess. They should be at least 12 characters long with a mix of numbers, letters, and symbols. Change your passwords often, don't write them down, and only share them with your parents. Use different passwords on different sites.
If you save your password on a computer, someone may find it. Don't share it with anyone but your parents.
It's not safe to share your passwords with just anyone. But it is a good idea to share them with your parents because they can help protect you.
Your friends don't need your passwords. But it is a good idea to share them with your parents because they can help protect you.
Safety Tip: If you use a computer at a friend's house or in a public place like a library, don't let others get into your account when you are done.
Log out of any accounts you used so no one else can get into them later.
Log out of any accounts you used so no one else can get into them later.
Also, NEVER check the "Remember Me" box that saves your password and username or screen name on any computer that isn't yours-and even then, be careful. You don't want to make it easy for others to log into your account.
You have successfully completed this level.
Pablo recommends you give it another try to make sure you know how to keep your personal information safe online.
Pablo wants to make sure you know how to keep your personal information safe online.
Protect yourself online by reading the safety tips and picking the best answer in each of the five areas. A correct answer will close the lock.
Never agree to meet an online stranger! If someone you met online asks to meet you in person, tell a trusted adult right away.
Online strangers can easily lie about their name, their age, where they live, and anything else.
Keep your personal information-like your age, address, and phone number-to yourself.
You don't know who these people really are or what they will do with your pictures and videos.
Tell your parents or a trusted adult immediately if someone says something creepy, scary, or mean.
You have completed this level. Play again or go to the next activity.
Pablo needs your help to cross five rivers. Click the platform pieces to turn them in any direction. Keep turning the different pieces until you create a bridge all the way across the river. Pablo will lead you to an online safety question at the end of each bridge.
You have successfully completed this level and your computer is healthy.
Pablo recommends you give it another try to make sure you know how to keep your computer healthy.
Pablo wants to make sure you know how to keep your computer healthy.
Pick the right response to keep your computer healthy. If you pick the wrong answer, the computer will start to get sick. If you get too many incorrect, you will have to start over!
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You have collected all the treasure and are a great digital citizen.
Pablo recommends you give it another try to see if you can collect more treasure and become a better digital citizen.
Pablo wants to make sure you know how to be a good digital citizen.
Jose was playing an online game with other Internet players when some of the better gamers started making fun of the weaker ones. Jose didn't like this, but he didn't want to stop playing.
Just because you can't see someone when you are online doesn't make it okay to be mean. Quitting the game won't help either. Try to make a difference. Stand up for the weaker players.
Just because you can't see someone when you are online doesn't make it okay to be mean. Quitting the game won't help either. Try to make a difference. Stand up for the weaker players.
One night, Kaylee received an e-mail saying mean things about her. A few hours later, she received three more e-mails like it. She was worried, but she hoped the e-mails would stop.
Whoever is sending these e-mails is a cyberbully. Kaylee should talk to her parents right away. They will help her figure out what to do and make sure she understands the cyberbullying is not her fault.
Whoever is sending these e-mails is a cyberbully. Kaylee should talk to her parents right away. They will help her figure out what to do and make sure she understands the cyberbullying is not her fault.
Zoe buys songs all the time from music sites. Her friend Noah asked if he could copy all of Zoe's songs onto his music player.
Music, movies, and other creative works are usually copyrighted and must be purchased first. Zoe should tell Noah to buy the songs like she did. Otherwise, it's like stealing the music, and that's illegal.
Music, movies, and other creative works are usually copyrighted and must be purchased first. Zoe should tell Noah to buy the songs like she did. Otherwise, it's like stealing the music, and that's illegal.
Isabella was walking with her friends at school when she found an unlocked cell phone on the ground. Her friends said Isabella should look through everything on it just for fun.
Netiquette is good cyber manners-like not typing in all caps (which means you are shouting) or using mean emojis. It also means respecting the privacy of others. Isabella should give the phone to a teacher or official at her school.
Netiquette is good cyber manners-like not typing in all caps (which means you are shouting) or using mean emojis. It also means respecting the privacy of others. Isabella should give the phone to a teacher or official at her school.
Caleb and his friends got together one night and watched five straight hours of videos online. Caleb was tired and wanted to go home, but his friends wanted him to stay and keep watching.
Too much of anything is never good-and that's certainly true of the Internet. Caleb should go home and rest and spend some offline time with his family.
Too much of anything is never good-and that's certainly true of the Internet. Caleb should go home and rest and spend some offline time with his family.
Find and click the five hidden gold coins. Read the digital citizenship lesson that appears for each coin and pick the correct answer to fill up your treasure chest.
Click and drag to find a word Once selected, the word's definition will show up here.
You've successfully completed the Word Search. Replay the game and select the words from the list if you'd like to review the definitions again.
Find the cyber safety words by highlighting the correct letters. The words may go in any direction (up, down, backward, diagonal, etc.). Then, read the word's definition at the top of the screen.
You've successfully completed the Marine Matching game.
Create a match by dragging the fish to the correct phrase. A right answer will turn black and show a gold coin.
