Internet Safety - How to stay safe online

A beginners guide to Internet safety. Learn online safety and how to protect yourself from hacks, attacks and scams.

Created byPhil Walters

Last updated 4/2016

English

What you'll learn

Describe the risks of accessing the Internet insecurely.
Describe how the Internet works.
Take the necessary steps to secure your home network from unwanted intrusions.
Configure desktops and laptops so that they are secure on the Internet.
Secure access to online applications, including email.
Identify scam and phishing emails.
Take the necessary steps to secure your data.
Maintain the privacy of key data on the Internet.

Course content

7 sections • 24 lectures • 1h 48m total length

Welcome to the course2:55
This lecture introduces the course including my vision of why I wrote the course and what I hope to achieve from doing it.
What do you know about online security?
What are the risks of going onto the Internet?4:21
There are a number of risks associated with going online and we will introduce these in this lecture. We will also look at how we can reduce risk by taking simple steps.
Real world example - Ransomware4:36
Ransomware is a special type of malware that encrypts your files and then demands a ransom to decrypt the files. This type of attack is on the increase and is a good illustration of the importance of defense in depth.
Real world example - Phishing5:53
You may have heard the term "phishing email" but what is it and how can you spot one? In this lecture we will look at real examples of phishing emails, including a demonstration of how easy it is for hackers to send phishing emails.
Can you spot a phishing email?
Real world example - Identity theft2:57
Identity theft is a real risk when you go online. It is easy to inadvertently publish private information online that allows hackers to steal your identity. How can we protect our private information whilst we are online?
Internet security model that works for all users2:41
Being secure online is all about defense in depth. In this lecture we will look at simple model to help us to understand what we need to do to stay safe online.

How does the Internet work?7:31
Have you ever wondered how the Internet works? Well in this lecture we will look at how the Internet enables us to talk to websites on the other side of the world.
How to secure your wireless network at home10:57
Your home network probably consists of a wireless router connected to your Internet service provider. But how do you ensure that your home network is secure? In this lecture we will look at how to tighten up security on your home network.
How to stay safe when on the move2:53
What happens when we leave the home and still want to stay online by connecting to a public Wi-Fi network? In this lecture we look at how public Wi-Fi networks work and give advice about how you can stay safe.
Network security at home

General principles of device security3:28
Keeping our devices secure is an essential part of staying safe online. In this lecture we will look at the general principles of device security that apply to all device types.
How to secure Windows PC and laptops5:38
Windows PCs and laptops have reputation for being vulnerable to attack so in this lecture we will look at the simple things we can do to make sure we minimize the risk of our Windows computers being compromised.
How to secure Apple MACs6:06
Apple Macs have had a reputation of being much more secure than Windows computers; however, in this lecture you will find out that Macs can be targeted and we should taking some security precautions.
Securing tablets and smartphones1:26
What steps should we take to secure our tablets and smartphones? These portable devices are easily forgotten but there are some steps we can take to secure them better.
Device security

Why is online application security so important?2:46
Online applications are the main way that we interact with the Internet so it is essential that we understand how to stay safe when we are using websites and apps.
How can I trust a website with my private information?4:30
How can you be sure that you can trust a website with your private information? In this lecture we will look at how certificate authorities provide a mechanism to be able to trust a website or app with confidential information like your payment details.
Managing passwords securely6:14
Passwords are the key to the online world and we are not very good at managing them. In this lecture we will look at how to set a secure password and how to manage them using a password manager.
Protecting online applications with two-factor authentication5:15
Two-factor authentication uses something you know and something you have to log in to online applications. In this lecture we will look at how to configure it for secure websites such as payment sites and your email.
Online application security

Introduction to data security2:27
It is easy to forget that data, such as documents and photos, is our "crown jewels" and we should take steps to protect it. In this lecture we will outline why data security is so important.
Protecting your data3:21
In this lecture we will look at practical ways that you can protect your data including physical security, encryption and securing data on cloud systems.
The importance of data backup5:29
Backing up data protects us against data loss due to mistakes, hardware failure or a malware attack. In this lecture we will look at different ways that we can backup our data.

What is social engineering?3:00
Social engineering is the manipulation of people to commit fraud or reveal confidential information. In this lecture we will look at what social engineering is and how you can counter it.
Protecting your privacy online7:19
It is very easy to reveal too much private information online. In this lecture we will look at the risks of revealing private information and how to stay safe on social media apps.
All things email5:05
Email is the preferred delivery method for malware and scams. In this lecture we will look at how we can protect ourselves against email scams by having good awareness.

Requirements

This is a beginners course so no previous knowledge of IT security is required.
To complete the exercises you will need to have login credentials for home network devices.

Description

Have you ever wondered whether your home WiFi network is secure?
Do you worry about getting malware and computer viruses?
Have you ever received an email from your bank and you haven't been sure whether it was genuine?
Worrying isn’t it?

You probably connect to the Internet almost every day but you may have not thought much about Internet safety? This course will help you to answer some of these difficult question and help you to be safe online.

The course consists of video lectures with practical demonstrations on some of the key topics. There are also exercises for you to complete which hopefully will get you thinking about IT security in and out of the home. What sorts of things do we cover in the course?

Having a secure network at home is an essential foundation and in the section "Keeping your network secure" we look at topics such as securing your home Wi-Fi network and being secure when you are on the move.
We all have some many devices now that connect to the Internet. In the section "Securing computers, tablets and phones" we will look at how to secure all the different device types from Windows PCs to Smartphones.
You are probably the weakest link in staying safe online. In the section "People Security - Why you are the weakest link" we look at social engineering, email scams and privacy.

So why don’t you do something amazing, and sign up for this course. Surely your safety online is worth a couple of hours of your time?

Who this course is for:

Anyone who is concerned about online security and wants to make changes to their home network.
Those who want to be better informed about the dark-side of the Internet so that they can protect themselves from insecure actions.

Internet Safety - How to stay safe online

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Why is Internet security so important?6 lectures • 23min

Keeping your network secure3 lectures • 21min

Securing computers, tablets and phones4 lectures • 17min

Online application security4 lectures • 19min

Data security3 lectures • 11min

People Security - Why you are the weakest link3 lectures • 15min

Where next?1 lecture • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: