Cyber Security: Safety at Home, Online, in Life

Newcastle University

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Start Date: 18 Feb, 2019
3 weeks
Study Content: Videos

This three-week free online course explores practical cyber security including privacy online, payment safety and security at home

Course Fee: Free

Certificate Cost: See Fees and Eligibility

Enrol Now

Introduction

Introduction Video

Course Description

This course is made available through the eLearnAfrica and FutureLearn partnership.

In the modern world, information security has an influence on all of us: at home, at work, online and in life in general. Like many inventions that have gone before, the internet and the web, the cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT) bring with them many advantages, but also open up new possibilities for criminal activity.

So should you avoid all contact with this brave new world? This free online course presents an alternative, providing you with the knowledge to make informed decisions.

Understand key topics in cyber security

The course will introduce you to some of the current key topics in cyber security research and show how they relate to everyday life. We’ll look 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 we will look at these topics from different perspectives: the user’s, a potential attacker’s and a business’s. We’ll also discuss how research underway at Newcastle University addresses these topics.

Privacy online: What is privacy? We begin 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?

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. We will look at constantly evolving race between the payment fraud and the security measures employed to prevent fraud.

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?

Learn from cyber security researchers and practitioners

The course is presented by researchers and practitioners from Newcastle University’s School of Computing Science, an acknowledged Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACE-CSR).

The team conduct research in areas such as cryptography and information assurance with a focus on understanding the human element of cyber security - victims, investigators and attackers. Each topic is led by a research expert in that field. The North East Regional Cyber Crime Unit (UK) said:

I was impressed. The content is really relevant and dynamic and not just your basic security tips - there’s a bit more to it than that. It’s very user interactive.

The course is suitable for people who have some knowledge of cyber security, some IT background and an interest in finding out the state of practice in cyber security as well as future research directions.

This course is provided through eLearnAfrica’s partnership with FutureLearn.

Please note that, should you choose to purchase a Certificate of Achievement or a Statement of Participation, you will be re-directed to the FutureLearn for processing.

The following information is from the Future Learn website:

What is a Certificate of Achievement?

A Certificate of Achievement is a valuable certificate to prove what you’ve learned on your course.

Your Certificate will include your name; an outline of what you’ve learned and how long it took; the logos of the university and other organisations associated with your course. Your printed certificate will also include the lead educator’s signature.

In addition to the digital and printed certificate, you will receive a detailed transcript of what you’ve learned, how long it took and your average test score (if your course contained tests).

You can view our page about Certificates of Achievement to see what they look like.

How do I qualify for a Certificate of Achievement?

To be eligible to buy a Certificate of Achievement, you must:

complete 90% of the steps in a course (by using the “Mark as complete” button on each step),
attempt every test question in the course,
score over 70% on average across all course tests.

How do I buy a Certificate of Achievement?

If you’re taking a course, we’ll email you details of how to buy a Certificate of Achievement, once you’re eligible for one.

How much does a Certificate of Achievement cost?

The cost of the Certificate of Achievement varies depending on the course. They normally cost from £39.00 (GBP) to £59.00 (GBP) + shipping. The price shown includes a digital and printed certificate and transcript, and VAT or local sales tax. The exact price for your course will be shown within the course itself.

What if I don’t qualify to buy a Certificate of Achievement?

If you don’t qualify to buy a Certificate of Achievement because your test score does not meet the 70% pass threshold, you have a couple of options. You will still be able to purchase a Statement of Participation for the course, or you could join a later run of the course. Unfortunately it is not possible to retake tests in FutureLearn courses.

What is a Statement of Participation?

A Statement of Participation is a collectable printed and digital record that you can buy, to show that you’ve taken part in a FutureLearn course. Statements are available for the vast majority of FutureLearn courses in both digital and printed formats. You can view our page about Statements of Participation to see what they look like.

Your Statement will include your name; a short summary of the course and how long it took; the logo of the university and other organisations associated with your course. In addition, your printed certificate will also include the lead educator’s signature.

Your Statement will confirm that you’ve completed the majority of steps in a course and attempted all test questions, but it will not show your individual level of completion or your test scores.

How do I qualify for a Statement of Participation?

To be eligible to buy a Statement of Participation, you must complete over half of the steps in a course (by using the “Mark as complete” button on each step) and attempt all test questions.

How do I buy a Statement of Participation?

If you’re taking a course, we’ll email you details of how to buy a Statement of Participation, once you’re eligible for one.

To be eligible, you must complete the majority of steps in the course and attempt all test questions. You can check how close you are to being eligible on your course progress page.

How much does a Statement of Participation cost?

The cost of a Statement of Participation varies depending on the course. They cost from at £19.00 (GBP) to £34.00 (GBP) plus shipping. The price shown includes a digital and printed version, and VAT or local sales tax. The exact price for your course will be shown within the course itself.

For more information on Fees and Eligibility, please feel free to consult the Frequently Asked Questions:

If you do not find an answer to your question, you can also contact FutureLearn directly via email, at: feedback@futurelearn.com

The information provided was current as of 22 September 2016. Please visit Certificates and Statements to check for changes.

Certificate cost may vary. You will be redirected to the host page for cost and payment options.

This course is provided through eLearnAfrica’s partnership with FutureLearn. To go directly to a specific Category of Frequently Asked Questions, please feel free to click on any of the links below (you will be redirected to the FutureLearn website):

Newcastle University

Newcastle University, UK, is a thriving international community of 15,000 undergraduate and 6,000 postgraduate students.

The university’s mission as a world-class civic university means it applies its academic excellence to real-world challenges.

As a member of the Russell Group of research intensive universities in the UK, Newcastle has a world-class reputation for research excellence and is in the UK’s top twelve for research power in Science and Engineering. The university strives for excellence with a purpose, and to this end is tackling three major challenges that have a significant impact on global society: Ageing, Sustainability, and Social Renewal. Much of the research to address these three Societal Challenge themes is organised internally.

Newcastle is among the top 20 universities in the country for its employment rate with more than 95% of graduates going on to employment or further study after 6 months, more than three quarters in graduate-level jobs. Students consistently rate their time at Newcastle very highly. The 2013 National Student Survey found that 90% of students were happy with their time at Newcastle, placing the institution tenth among full service universities in the UK.

The latest International Student Barometer found that nine out of ten of international students would recommend Newcastle University to their friends and family, the twelfth best in the world.

The university has extended its reach beyond the UK by opening two branch campuses. In 2008, in partnership with the Singapore Institute for Technology, a campus was opened in Singapore which offers seven degree programmes attracting over 400 students every academic year. In 2011, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia opened its doors, delivering degrees in medicine and biomedical sciences – the first UK university to establish a medical campus overseas. The newly launched Confucius Institute is the first to be established in the North East of England, building closer links between our region and China.

This institution is available on eLearnAfrica through partnership with FutureLearn.

You may be able to download course materials after enrolling in this course. If not, all of the necessary course materials provided by the course instructor will be available on the provider's course page.

COLLABORATION POLICY

By enrolling in a course on or through eLearnAfrica, you are joining a special worldwide community of learners. The aspiration of eLearnAfrica is to provide anyone with an internet connection access to courses from the best universities and institutions in the world and to provide our learners the best educational experience internet technology enables. You are a part of the community that will help eLearnAfrica achieve this goal. eLearnAfrica depends upon your motivation to learn the material and to do so with honesty and academic integrity. In order to participate in eLearnAfrica, you must agree to the Honor Code below and any additional terms specific to a class.

ELEARNAFRICA HONOR CODE PLEDGE

By enrolling in a course, program, or degree hosted on the eLearnAfrica App or Site, I agree that I will:

Complete all tests and assignments on my own, unless collaboration on an assignment is explicitly permitted.
Maintain only one user account and not let anyone else use my username and/or password.
Not engage in any activity that would dishonestly improve my results, or improve or hurt the results of others.
Not post answers to problems that are being used to assess student performance.
Abide by any and all requirements of the eLearnAfrica Participants as may regard the expectations of civil or academic behavior or of community standards.

VIOLATIONS

If you are found in violation of the Terms and Conditions or Honor Code, you may be subject to one or more of the following actions:

Receiving a zero or no credit for an assignment;
Having any certificate earned in the course withheld or revoked;
Being unenrolled from a course, learning program or degree program; or
Termination of your use of the App and/or Site.
Additional actions may be taken at the sole discretion of eLearnAfrica and eLearnAfrica course providers.

No refunds will be issued in the case of any corrective action for such violations.

Honor code violations will be determined at the sole discretion of eLearnAfrica, the Partners, or Members. You will be notified if a determination has been made that you have violated this honor code and you will be informed of the corresponding action to be taken as a result of the violation.

CHANGING THE HONOR CODE

Please note that we review and may make changes to this Honor Code from time to time. Any changes to this Honor Code will be effective immediately upon posting on this page, with an updated effective date. By accessing the App and/or Site after any changes have been made, you signify your agreement on a prospective basis to the modified Honor Code and any changes contained therein. Be sure to return to this page periodically to ensure familiarity with the most current version of this Honor Code.

Effective Date: September 22, 2016