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Short lessons that explain one thing properly. Search for a word, or pick a subject and read it through from the basics.

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28 of 58 lessons about Security Show all lessons

Cyber security fundamentals

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

8 lessons

  1. 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. 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. 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. How ransomware attacks work The three stages of a ransomware attack, how attackers get in, why they go after backups, and what to put in place before it happens. Intermediate 3 min read
  5. 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
  6. What is a zero-day vulnerability? A zero-day is a software weakness that attackers can use before a fix exists. What that means for a business, and what protects you meanwhile. Intermediate 3 min read
  7. What is a CVE? A CVE is the public reference number for one security vulnerability. Who assigns them, how to read one, and what a severity score adds. Intermediate 3 min read
  8. 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.

6 lessons

  1. 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. How multi-factor authentication works What happens behind a text code, an authenticator app, an approval prompt and a passkey, and why only some of them stop a fake sign-in page. Intermediate 3 min read
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Passwords vs passkeys: what’s the difference? A password is a secret you share with a website. A passkey shares nothing. How the two compare, and how a business moves from one to the other. Intermediate 3 min read
  6. 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.

8 lessons

  1. 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. Encryption at rest vs encryption in transit Data can be encrypted where it is stored and while it travels. What each one protects against, where each stops, and why you need both. Intermediate 3 min read
  3. 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
  4. What is public key encryption? Public key encryption uses two linked keys: one you share and one you keep. How the pair works, and where your business already relies on it. Intermediate 3 min read
  5. What is a digital certificate? A digital certificate ties a public key to a name, and a trusted authority signs it. What is inside one, who vouches for it, and why it expires. Intermediate 3 min read
  6. What is TLS? TLS is the protocol that secures a connection between two computers. What it promises, how the handshake works, and which versions to allow. Intermediate 3 min read
  7. 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
  8. Encryption vs hashing: what’s the difference? Encryption can be reversed with a key. Hashing cannot be reversed at all. What each is for, and which one should protect what. Intermediate 3 min read

Websites, hosting and domains

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

3 of 9 lessons shown

  1. 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
  2. HTTP vs HTTPS: what’s the difference? HTTP sends web pages in the open and HTTPS sends them encrypted. What visitors see in the browser, and what moving a site to HTTPS involves. Intermediate 3 min read
  3. 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

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. 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
  2. What is a VLAN? A VLAN splits one office network into several separate ones on the same cables. What it is used for, and the equipment it needs. Intermediate 3 min read
  3. 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

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