Introduction to cyber security: stay safe online

Overview

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Our lives depend on online services. Gain essential cyber security knowledge and skills, to help protect your digital life.We shop online. We work online. We play online. We live online. As our lives increasingly depend on digital services, the need to protect our information from being maliciously disrupted or misused is really important. TranscriptThis free online course, Introduction to cyber security: stay safe online, will help you to understand online security and start to protect your digital life, whether at home or work. You will learn how to recognise the threats that could harm you online and the steps you can take to reduce the chances that they will happen to you.With cyber security often in the news today, the course will also frame your online safety in the context of the wider world, introducing you to different types of malware, including viruses and trojans, as well as concepts such as network security, cryptography, identity theft and risk management.This course has been developed by The Open University with support from the UK Government's National Cyber Security Programme and can be accessed free of charge.Enrolling on the course will give you the opportunity to earn an Open University digital badge. Badges are not accredited by The Open University but they're a great way to demonstrate your interest in the subject and commitment to your career, and to provide evidence of continuing professional development.Once you are signed in, you can manage your digital badges online from My OpenLearn. In addition, you can download and print your OpenLearn statement of participation - which also displays your Open University badge.This courseis accredited by the CPD StandardsOffice. It can be used to provide evidenceof continuing professional development and on successful completion of thecourse you will be awarded 24 CPD points. Evidence of your CPD achievementis provided on the free Statement of Participation awarded on completion.Please tell us more about your Continuous ProfessionalDevelopment (CPD) and personal skill development! We would really appreciate a few minutes of your time tocomplete thissurvey and tell us about yourself and your experiences of CPDand lifelong learning. The Open University is working in collaboration with the CPDStandards Office in a national study to understand more about individualprofessionals' experiences, perceptions and practice for adult skilldevelopment. Find out more here cpdstandards.com/research. By participating in this high profile research, you will becontributing to scientific knowledge about adult skill development and howwe can develop successful future careers. Participation isconfidential, voluntary and we will not pass on your details to others. RequirementsThe course does not assume any prior knowledge of computer security and can be enjoyed by anyone interested in improving the security of their digital information.

Syllabus

Introduction and guidance
Introduction and guidance
What is a badged course?
How to get a badge
Acknowledgements
Week1Week 1: Threat landscape
Introduction
1 Online, the new frontline
1.1 Talking security: the basics
1.2 Obtaining Sophos Threatsaurus
1.3 Cyber security attacks and phishing
1.4 Examples of high profile cyber security breaches
1.5 Taking stock of your information assets
1.6 What are your own safeguards?
2 Understanding current threats
2.1 Identifying vulnerable systems
2.2 How to keep up to date
2.3 Staying informed
3 Securing my digital information
3.1 Threats to your assets
4 Week 1 quiz
5 Summary of Week 1
Further reading
References
Acknowledgements
Week2Week 2: Authentication
Introduction
1 Passwords: what are they for?
1.1 What happens when you enter a password?
1.2 Attacking passwords
1.3 Salt to protect
2 Improving password security
2.1 How to pick a proper password
2.2 Checking the strength of a password
2.3 Password managers
2.4 Installing and using a password manager
2.5 Alternatives to using password managers
3 Two-factor authentication
3.1 Setting up two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication on Google
Two-factor authentication on Facebook
Other two-factor authentication services
3.2 Other services supporting two-factor authentication
4 Week 2 quiz
5 Summary of Week 2
Further reading
Acknowledgements
Week3Week 3: Malware
Introduction
1 Viruses
1.1 Worms
1.2 Trojans
1.3 Defining terms
2 How malware gets into your computer
2.1 What is malware for?
2.2 Phishing
2.3 Trapping phishing emails
2.4 Spotting a phishing email
2.5 Emails are not the only phish
2.6 The role of malware in click fraud
2.7 Botnets
2.8 Confessional
3 Keeping yourself protected
3.1 Antivirus software
3.2 Installing antivirus software
3.3 Keeping your software up to date
3.4 End-of-life software
3.5 Sandboxes and code signing
4 Week 3 quiz
5 Summary of Week 3
Further reading
References
Acknowledgements
Week4Week 4: Networking and communications
Introduction
1 What is the internet?
1.1 How data moves around the internet
1.2 Introducing the datagram
1.3 Datagrams on the move
1.4 Wireless networks
2 Is your private information really private?
2.1 Network security challenges
2.2 Encryption in wireless networking
2.3 Using wireless networking securely
3 Why we need standards on the internet
3.1 Introducing the TCP/IP protocols
3.2 The internet protocol and IP addresses
3.3 From numbers to names
3.4 The internet is not the world wide web
4 Week 4 quiz
5 Summary of Week 4
Acknowledgements
Week5Week 5: Cryptography
Introduction
1 The secret of keeping secrets
1.1 Plaintext and ciphertext
1.2 Encryption keys
1.3 The key distribution problem
1.4 Asymmetric or public key cryptography
1.5 Why isn’t the internet encrypted?
2 Putting cryptography to use
2.1 Setting up a PGP email client
2.2 Sending signed and encrypted email
3 Comparing different cryptographic techniques
3.1 Using cryptography to prove identity
3.2 Digital signatures and certificates
3.3 Encrypted network connections
3.4 How secure is your browsing?
4 Week 5 quiz
5 Summary of Week 5
Acknowledgements
Week6Week 6: Network security
Introduction
1 Firewall basics
1.1 Personal firewalls
1.2 Configuring your own firewall
2 VPN basics
2.1 Securing the tunnels
2.2 Security risks of VPN
2.3 Putting VPN to work
3 Intrusion detection system (IDS)
3.1 IDS techniques
3.2 Honeypots
4 Week 6 quiz
5 Summary of Week 6
Further reading
Acknowledgements
Week7Week 7: When your defences fail
Introduction
1 Identity theft
1.1 Loss of data
1.2 Risks of data loss
2 Laws and computers
2.1 Data Protection
2.2 The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA)
2.3 The Computer Misuse Act 1990 (CMA)
2.4 The Fraud Act 2006
2.5 Lawful Business Practice Regulations
2.6 Cyber security and the law
2.7 Cyber security in the EU
2.8 What laws apply in your country?
3 Who should you contact?
3.1 Getting your computer working again
Recovering from a virus or other malware
Recovering from accidentally deleting a file
Recovering from a lost computer, disk or flash memory drive containing confidential data
Recovering from an operating system failure
3.2 Making your information less vulnerable
3.3 Protecting your data for the future
3.4 Backup media
3.5 Remote backups
3.6 Do you backup your data?
3.7 Archiving data
4 Week 7 quiz
5 Summary of Week 7
Further reading
References
Acknowledgements
Week8Week 8: Managing security risks
Introduction
1 Information as an asset
1.1 Your own information assets
1.2 Risk analysis
1.3 Risk analysis in practice
2 Staying safe online
2.1 Fix your browser
2.2 Risk management in practice
2.3 Protecting your information assets
2.4 What should I do next?
2.5 Tracking a moving target
3 What do you do now?
3.1 Confessional
4 End-of-course quiz
5 End-of-course guide and round-up
6 Next steps
Tell us what you think
Acknowledgements

Reviews

4.5 rating, based on 13 Class Central reviews

4.6 rating at OpenLearn based on 110 ratings

Start your review of Introduction to cyber security: stay safe online

Lingala Thirupathi @LingalaThirupathi

Dear all, Its very Worthy doing this course as i am interested in cyber security and its for all the users whoever is focused on cyber related things.
Thank you
Emily Croussette

Had a lot of great resources and information. Unfortunately, despite having done everything in the course I was not given the badge and certificate of completion.
Patange Akshitha

The course content was very detailed and easy to understand . but the problem is i have completed the course and am not getting the certification of completion.
Umair Waheed

"This class was excellent--where have you been all my life? The instructor was incredibly knowledgeable and articulate. This was the first time I have taken a class in a remote format, and I was delighted with it and look forward to coming back to ONLC for more classes in the future. I loved the fact that even though I was in a class with other people, the actual physical space was private and quiet and very conducive to learning! Thank you.
Mavis Mabaso

Understanding treat when using any computer at work or personal life is vital as there are people who took advantages of others due to ignorance but with cyber security one can able to detect the misuse of company information by having cyber security skills. Besides the important skills personal development and employability. Having cyber security badge will keep my company and my personal life safe and save a lot of money
Sumit Rathod

this course is very helpful for beginner and also in this course give all basic information about cyber security how its work and how you get safe from any cyber attack and how to solve and also provided quiz for gaining knowledge and so on...
RAVI RAUSHAN

Besides the important skills personal development and employability. Having cyber security badge will keep my company and my personal life safe and save a lot of money
Mayuri Ingole

This is an amazing course I learnt many things from this course it is really helpful for us. Thank you.
Praneeth Narra

The content is well-structured, covering fundamental concepts with clarity. The instructor's expertise shines through, making complex topics accessible. Practical examples enhance understanding, bridging theory and real-world application. The course fosters a proactive mindset, equipping learners with essential skills to safeguard personal and professional digital spaces. It’s an excellent foundation, empowering users to navigate the cyber landscape securely. Highly recommended for its relevance, engaging delivery, and immediate practical utility in an increasingly digital world.
SHUBHENDRA YADAV (RA2011030010152)

The "Introduction to Cyber Security: Stay Safe Online" course provides a comprehensive foundation for digital safety. With clear explanations and practical tips, it covers essential topics such as password management, malware awareness, and secure browsing. The course effectively communicates complex concepts in an accessible manner, making it suitable for beginners. The interactive elements and real-world examples enhance the learning experience. While it might benefit from more advanced content for experienced users, it serves as an excellent starting point for individuals seeking to bolster their online security knowledge. Overall, it is a valuable resource for cultivating a safer digital presence.
Ananya Y H

This class was excellent--where have you been all my life? The instructor was incredibly knowledgeable and articulate. This was the first time I have taken a class in a remote format, and I was delighted with it and look forward to coming back to ONLC for more classes in the future. I loved the fact that even though I was in a class with other people, the actual physical space was private and quiet and very conducive to learning! Thank you.
Anonymous

The Cyber Security is designed to draw on the combined knowledge, skills and expertise of the cyber security community to identify the emerging threats and facilitate the development of coherent policies and robust capabilities.
Dhanashri Wankhade

the course was very helpful and the contents of this course also help me alot i learn some new things from this course