Knowledge Hub.

Cyber security fundamentals

How attacks work, in plain words: ransomware, phishing, malware and the flaws they use.

5 of 8 lessons shown

1. 01 What is malware? Malware is any software made to cause harm. The common kinds, how it gets onto a device, the signs to watch for and how to keep it out. Beginner/ 3 min read
2. 02 What is phishing? Phishing is a scam that impersonates someone you trust to get passwords, money or access. The main kinds, and why it keeps working. Beginner/ 3 min read
3. 03 How to spot a phishing email Six checks that catch most fake emails, and what to do in the first few minutes if you have already clicked. Beginner/ 2 min read
4. 05 What is a software vulnerability? A vulnerability is a weakness in software that an attacker can use. Where they come from, how a patch closes one, and how fast to install it. Beginner/ 3 min read
5. 08 What is a DDoS attack? A DDoS attack floods a website or online service from many devices at once until real users cannot get through. How it works and how to prepare. Beginner/ 3 min read

Identity, passwords and access

Proving who is signing in: multi-factor authentication, passkeys, password managers and single sign-on.

4 of 6 lessons shown

1. 01 Multi-factor authentication: what it is and where to start A password plus a second proof that it is really you. The types, which are strongest, and the accounts to protect first. Beginner/ 2 min read
2. 03 What is a password manager? A password manager creates, stores and fills in a different password for every account. What it does, how to protect it, and how to start. Beginner/ 3 min read
3. 04 What is a passkey? A passkey signs you in with your fingerprint, face or PIN, with no password to type. How it works, where it is kept, and what happens if you lose the phone. Beginner/ 3 min read
4. 06 What is single sign-on (SSO)? Single sign-on lets staff sign in once and open every work app. How it works, what it gives a business, and the one account you then have to protect. Beginner/ 3 min read

Data security and encryption

How data is kept unreadable to anyone who should not see it: encryption, certificates, TLS and hashing.

3 of 8 lessons shown

1. 01 What is encryption? Encryption uses a key to turn readable data into a scramble and back again. What it protects, where it stops, and what to check in your business. Beginner/ 3 min read
2. 03 What is end-to-end encryption? End-to-end encryption means only the people at each end can read a message. What that changes, what it leaves visible, and what to ask a provider. Beginner/ 3 min read
3. 07 What is hashing? Hashing turns any data into a short fingerprint that cannot be turned back. How it works, and why passwords should be stored this way. Beginner/ 3 min read

Backups and disaster recovery

Keeping a copy you can get back: the 3-2-1 rule, the kinds of backup, and backup against archive.

2 of 4 lessons shown

1. 01 The 3-2-1 backup rule Three copies, two kinds of storage, one kept somewhere else. A simple rule that covers most of the ways data is lost. Beginner/ 2 min read
2. 03 What is cloud backup? Cloud backup keeps a copy of your data with a provider over the internet. How it works, and why Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace is not one. Beginner/ 3 min read

Cloud computing

What the cloud is and how it works: service models, virtual machines, containers and serverless.

3 of 7 lessons shown

1. 01 What is cloud computing? Cloud computing means renting computing over the internet instead of owning it. The five features that define it, and what they mean for a small business. Beginner/ 3 min read
2. 04 What is software as a service (SaaS)? SaaS is software the provider runs for you and you use over the internet. What the provider looks after, what stays with you, and what to ask before signing up. Beginner/ 3 min read
3. 05 What is a virtual machine? A virtual machine is a computer made of software, running on a physical one. What a hypervisor does, why businesses use them, and what to look after. Beginner/ 3 min read

Cloud platforms and storage

The three big platforms side by side, and the kinds of storage they sell.

4 of 6 lessons shown

1. 01 What is Amazon Web Services (AWS)? AWS is Amazon’s cloud platform. What it rents out, where its Australian data centres are, how it charges and which security jobs stay with you. Beginner/ 3 min read
2. 02 What is Microsoft Azure? Azure is Microsoft’s cloud platform. What it rents out, where its Australian data centres are, how it charges and which security jobs stay with you. Beginner/ 3 min read
3. 03 What is Google Cloud Platform (GCP)? Google Cloud is Google’s cloud platform. What it rents out, where its Australian data centres are, how it charges and which security jobs stay with you. Beginner/ 3 min read
4. 05 What is cloud storage? Cloud storage keeps your files on a provider’s equipment and delivers them over the internet. Where the data lives, how safe it is and who can read it. Beginner/ 3 min read

Websites, hosting and domains

What happens between typing an address and seeing a page: domains, DNS, hosting, HTTPS and CDNs.

5 of 9 lessons shown

1. 01 How does a website work? What happens between typing a web address and seeing the page: the browser, the name lookup, the server and the files it sends back. Beginner/ 3 min read
2. 02 What is a domain name? A domain name is the readable address of your website and email. How names are built, who may hold a .au name, and why renewal matters. Beginner/ 3 min read
3. 04 What is web hosting? Web hosting is the service that keeps your website on a server and delivers it to visitors. The main kinds, and what to ask a host. Beginner/ 3 min read
4. 06 What is HTTPS? HTTPS is the encrypted way a browser talks to a website. What it protects for your visitors, what it does not, and how to turn it on. Beginner/ 3 min read
5. 08 What is an SSL certificate? An SSL certificate proves a website belongs to its domain name and lets browsers encrypt the connection. Who issues one, and why it expires. Beginner/ 2 min read

Search and website performance

Being found and being fast: how search engines read a site, caching and Core Web Vitals.

2 of 4 lessons shown

1. 01 What is search engine optimisation (SEO)? SEO helps search engines understand your website and helps people find it. How Google finds and ranks pages, and what SEO cannot promise. Beginner/ 3 min read
2. 04 What is website caching? A cache keeps a copy of your web pages so they load faster. Where the copies live, why an edit sometimes does not show, and how to clear them. Beginner/ 3 min read

Networks and business IT

The equipment in the comms cupboard and what it does: addresses, routers, firewalls, VLANs and VPNs.

3 of 6 lessons shown

1. 01 What is an IP address? An IP address is the number that tells the internet where a device is. What IPv4 and IPv6 look like, who hands addresses out, and what to ask. Beginner/ 3 min read
2. 04 What is a firewall? A firewall decides which network traffic may pass and which is blocked. The two kinds, what a firewall cannot stop, and what to check on yours. Beginner/ 3 min read
3. 06 What is a VPN? People use “VPN” for two different things: a secure link to the office network, and a privacy service. What each one does and does not do. Beginner/ 3 min read