Cybersecurity: The Basics for Every Employee
Cybersecurity: The Basics for Everyone is a beginner-level course of 5 lessons (about 1 h 25 min), with 15 exercises and 15 quiz questions. No prerequisites. Exercises run in the browser, with nothing to install.
- Cross-functional skills
- Beginner
- 5 lessons
- 1 h 25 min
- 15 exercises
- Exercises run in the browser
The course in brief
This course gives every employee the habits that block the vast majority of attacks. You learn to protect your accounts, recognize phishing and fake-transfer fraud, and keep your devices up to date and your data backed up. You also learn to recognize a data breach and respond correctly to an incident. No technical skills are required.
What you will be able to do
- Protect your accounts with unique passwords, a password manager, and MFA
- Spot a phishing message and verify a request through an independent channel
- Keep your devices up to date and apply the 3-2-1 backup rule
- Share data securely and recognize a data breach
- Take the first steps when facing an incident and report it effectively
Syllabus: 5 lessons
- Create strong, unique passwords for every service
- Use a password manager
- Enable and use multi-factor authentication correctly
- 02
Recognizing and Defeating Phishing
- Spot the warning signs of a fraudulent email, SMS, or call
- Verify an unusual request through an independent channel
- Report a phishing attempt correctly
- 03
Updates, Devices, and Backups
- Explain why security updates are urgent
- Adopt good habits with devices and networks
- Apply a reliable backup strategy
- 04
Protecting Data Every Day (GDPR)
- Identify the personal and confidential data you handle in your work
- Apply secure sharing, storage, and sending habits
- Recognize a data breach and know that it must be reported
- 05
Responding to a Security Incident
- Recognize the signs of a security incident
- Apply the first steps: isolate, do not power off, alert
- Contribute to incident handling and learn from it
Final project
My Team's Security Kit
For a fictional team of 10 people (or your own, without sensitive information), prepare a security kit: a self-assessment of accounts and devices, a one-page guide to recognizing phishing, a backup plan that follows the 3-2-1 rule, and a quick-reference sheet for incidents.
Deliverables
- A self-assessment grid (passwords, manager, MFA, updates, locking, backups)
- A one-page phishing guide with at least five warning signs and the reporting procedure
- A backup plan describing the three copies, the media, and the restoration test
- A five-step incident quick-reference sheet and a report message template
Assessment criteria
- Accuracy of the habits (isolate without powering off, verification through an independent channel, never share a code)
- Backup plan following the 3-2-1 rule with an offline copy
- Documents that are short, concrete, and usable by non-specialists
- Consideration of personal data and breach reporting
Frequently asked questions
Does this course require technical knowledge?
No. It is aimed at every employee and focuses on everyday habits: accounts, messages, devices, data, and incident response.
What should I do if I clicked on a phishing link?
Notify the IT department immediately. If you entered a password, change it from the real website. Reporting quickly is never a mistake.
Is two-factor authentication enough to protect me?
It blocks most uses of a stolen password, as long as you never approve a request you did not initiate and never share your codes.
Should you pay a ransom after an attack?
Authorities recommend not paying: payment does not guarantee you will get your data back. Tested offline backups are the best protection.
This course, told for your job
Say what you want to be able to do: “Cybersecurity: The Basics for Everyone” takes its place in your path, with examples from your field. The concepts stay those of the course.