Online course provider Future Learn is providing a three-week, free online course exploring practical cyber security including privacy online, payment safety and security at home.

The course will introduce you to some of the current key topics in cyber security research and show how they relate to everyday life. The course looks at how the move to online storage of personal data affects privacy, how online payments can be made safely, and how the proliferation of “smart” devices affect security. 

Over the three weeks of the course it will look at these topics from different perspectives: the user’s, a potential attacker’s and a business’s. Also discussing research underway at Newcastle University.

1. Privacy online: What is privacy? The course begins by looking into our own beliefs and practices when it comes to giving out our data online. What is the value of our personal data to businesses? And how can you find out what information about you is readily available online?
2. Payment safety: We make payments everyday, we purchase items at the store and we purchase items online, but how secure are these payments? How safe is our money? All of the different methods of payment cash, credit/debit card, cheque and bitcoin are a trade-off between security and convenience. The course looks at constantly evolving race between the payment fraud and the security measures employed to prevent fraud.
3. Security at home: With increasing numbers of autonomous, internet-enabled devices in our homes and cars, on our wrists and in our clothes, how could they be misused? And what can we do about understanding and responding to the risks and threats?

The course is presented by researchers and practitioners from Newcastle University’s School of Computing Science.

To find out more please visit: Future Learn

Cyber Aware is a cross-government campaign, funded by the National Cyber Security Programme. They aim to measurably and significantly improve the online safety behaviour and confidence of consumers and small businesses (SMEs).

Get Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety. Their website offers advice on how you can protect yourself, your computers and devices, and your business against the likes of fraud, identity theft, viruses and other potential online problems.