Chapter 1 of 134 min read
Welcome: how this course works
A free, beginner-friendly course in plain English. Learn how cyberattacks really work, protect your phone, accounts and data, see how organisations defend themselves, and plan your first steps into a cybersecurity career. Covers the core topics of Cisco Networking Academy's Introduction to Cybersecurity, with more real-world stories, hands-on activities and quizzes.
Hi, and welcome 👋
If you have ever wondered how hackers break into accounts, why your bank keeps sending you one-time codes, or whether a career in cybersecurity is right for you, this course is for you.
You don't need any technical background. You don't need to know how to code. If you can use a smartphone and a web browser, you can follow every chapter.
The one-sentence version of this course: cybersecurity is the work of keeping people, devices and information safe from harm in the digital world.
What you will learn
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain what cybersecurity is and why it matters to you, your family and your workplace.
- Recognise the most common attacks, such as phishing, malware, ransomware and scams that target mobile wallets.
- Protect your own phone, computer, accounts and Wi-Fi network with simple, practical steps.
- Understand how companies defend themselves, and the words security teams use every day.
- Know the basic rules of ethics and law that every security learner must follow.
- Plan your next steps if you want to start a career in cybersecurity.
How this course is organised
| # | Chapter | What it's about |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome | How the course works (you are here) |
| 2 | Why cybersecurity matters | Your data, why it's valuable, and the CIA triad |
| 3 | Who are the attackers? | Hackers, criminals, insiders and nation states |
| 4 | Vulnerabilities and malware | Weak spots and the malicious software that uses them |
| 5 | Social engineering and phishing | How attackers trick people instead of computers |
| 6 | Network and password attacks | DoS, man-in-the-middle, fake Wi-Fi and more |
| 7 | Protect your devices and network | Updates, antivirus, home router and safe Wi-Fi |
| 8 | Passwords and multi-factor authentication | Strong logins without the headache |
| 9 | Protect your data and privacy | Backups, encryption and oversharing |
| 10 | How organisations defend themselves | Firewalls, SOCs, incident response and more |
| 11 | Ethics and the law | Staying on the right side of the line |
| 12 | Your future in cybersecurity | Jobs, skills, certifications and a learning roadmap |
| 13 | Final review | Your personal security checklist and a final quiz |
This course covers the same core topics as the free Introduction to Cybersecurity course from Cisco Networking Academy. It adds more real-world stories, local examples, hands-on activities and a career roadmap. It is an independent course and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cisco.
How to get the most out of it
- Go in order. Each chapter builds on the one before.
- Do the "Try this" activities. They take 5 to 15 minutes, and they make your own accounts safer right away.
- Answer the quiz before reading the answers. Answers are at the bottom of each chapter.
- Take breaks. One chapter a day is a great pace. The whole course takes about 8 hours.
- Keep a notebook. Write down new words in your own language. Explaining a term in your own words is the fastest way to remember it.
A quick promise about safety
This course teaches you how attacks work so that you can defend against them. Everything you practise should be on your own devices and accounts, or on platforms that are built for legal practice. Chapter 11 explains why this matters so much.
Ready? Let's begin with the big question: why should you care about cybersecurity at all?
Finished reading?
Up next: Why cybersecurity matters