This core is mandatory for everyone working in the IDEAL Lab. It should take about 60-90 minutes, including the short scenarios. This is an estimate, not a speed target; pause when a term or result is unclear.
This page summarizes the core. Do not use its links as a second checklist. Start or resume the local Passport and follow the one current mission shown on its dashboard.
Outcomes#
The four lessons teach these decisions:
- protect accounts, secrets, private keys, and recovery codes;
- classify information before sharing it with cloud or AI tools;
- distinguish an AI model, gateway, agent harness, interface, and tool access;
- choose between your laptop, NAS, Blade, and Euler;
- inspect commands and a diff, the line-by-line view of changed files, before accepting AI output;
- respond safely to a possible leak or access incident;
- ask for technical help without exposing sensitive information.
Mission Order#
The Passport presents these missions in order and links the detailed reference only when it is needed:
- Start and resume the Passport, with terminal and command basics
- Accounts and secrets
- Laptop, NAS, Blade, and Euler, including data and AI safety
- Incidents and getting help
Core Evidence#
The current assessment checks choices about fictional scenarios. Use the questions to check your reasoning; a pass is not a real account, storage or incident audit. You should be able to explain:
- why an SSH private key must never leave your computer;
- what to do when a token appears in Git history;
- whether a supplied research file or result may enter an AI tool;
- where source code, datasets, temporary files, and final results belong;
- why a plausible AI-generated command can still be unsafe;
- why a free or paid personal AI account does not approve project data.
Completion Check#
- I completed all four modules.
- I can identify the information owner when classification is unclear.
- I know the first containment step after a credential leak.
- I know that I remain responsible for commands run by an AI agent.
- My local Passport dashboard lists the responsibilities that match my work.