Cyber Security
Course Overview
Employees, managers and directors should all have a good understanding of the threat posed by cyber-attacks and the importance of guarding against data breaches. This short course will explain why cyber attacks and data breaches happen and provide practical advice on how to set up effective defences.
Course Content
The course explains what a cyber attack actually is and why data breaches happen, covering phishing, one of the most common attack methods, where fraudulent messages are designed to trick you into revealing information or clicking a malicious link.
This cyber security e-learning for staff covers who commits cyber threats and their motivations, from opportunistic criminals to more targeted actors, and helps staff understand why any individual or organisation, regardless of size, can be a potential target.
Social engineering means manipulating people rather than systems to gain access to information or premises, and it's often more effective than technical hacking. The course covers how to recognise the red flags of both phishing and social engineering attempts, and how password security acts as one of the simplest and most effective everyday defences.
With more people working outside a traditional office, the course covers the specific risks of remote working: home networks and personal devices often have weaker protections than office systems, and public Wi-Fi introduces additional exposure that staff need to be aware of.
GDPR cyber security training matters because UK GDPR requires organisations to report qualifying personal data breaches to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within 72 hours of becoming aware of them.
If you suspect a device or account has been compromised, disconnect it from the network where possible, avoid trying to fix it yourself if you're unsure what's happened, and report it immediately following your organisation's incident procedure. Acting quickly matters more than trying to diagnose the problem in detail yourself.
Report any suspected cyber incident internally to IT or your manager straightaway. If personal data may be involved, this also triggers your organisation's GDPR breach reporting obligations, which is why prompt reporting matters both for containing the technical problem and meeting legal duties.
This information security training online course is suitable for all staff, not just IT teams, since most successful cyber attacks rely on tricking a person rather than breaching a system directly.
By the end of the course, you'll be able to:
- Understand what cyber attacks are and why data breaches happen
- Identify who commits cyber threats and why you or your organisation could be a target
- Recognise red flags and understand methods of defence
- Understand what makes you vulnerable inside and outside the workplace, including remote working risks
- Know what to do if a mistake happens or you suspect you've been hacked
Course Duration
25 mins
Course Certification
Approved by CPD & IIRSM
