You do not need to be a computer expert to be safe online. This course starts from zero and shows you, in plain language, how everyday threats such as phishing, ransomware, online scams and account takeovers really work, and what a few simple habits can do against them.
Across seven chapters you will secure your own digital life: strong passwords and two-factor authentication, updated and encrypted devices, reliable backups, safer browsing and messaging, your privacy rights, your family and your workplace. You will also learn what to do, and whom to call, when something goes wrong. Throughout the course you keep a Security Notebook that becomes your personal security plan. It is the first course of the Cybersecurity learning path, which leads from the basics to the level of an apprentice ethical hacker.
What you will learn
- Recognize phishing, social engineering and the most common online scams, and react with simple reflexes
- Explain how malware and ransomware work and how they reach a device
- Build strong, unique passwords with a password manager, and enable two-factor authentication or passkeys
- Protect your devices with updates, encryption, screen locks, 3-2-1 backups and sensible mobile permissions
- Browse, use public Wi-Fi, email and social networks with a clear idea of what HTTPS and VPNs do and do not protect
- Exercise your privacy rights under the GDPR and limit cookies, trackers and oversharing
- Apply good security practice at work, including remote working, least privilege and incident reporting
- Respond to a compromise and write your own personal security plan
Prerequisites
None. This course is aimed at the general public and requires no technical knowledge: being able to use a computer or a smartphone is enough.