Online Safety and Privacy: protect your digital life
A practical cyber security awareness course to defend your accounts and personal data
Browsing is an everyday act: doing it safely is a skill you can learn. The Online Safety and Privacy course teaches you to protect your accounts, recognize scams and browse with the peace of mind of someone in control of their data. No needless jargon: just concrete strategies.
What you will learn
- Identity management: create strong, memorable passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Device defense: protect smartphones and PCs with effective locks, updates and safe downloads.
- Protected connections: use public Wi-Fi networks safely and understand web encryption (HTTPS).
- Threat detection: identify phishing, fraud and online scams before they cause damage.
- Safe online behavior: limit your digital footprint and evaluate information sources critically.
Why this course: the Cyber Welfare method
The weakest link in security is often not software but behavior. That is why the course follows the three pillars of the Cyber Welfare Framework — Skills, Awareness, Secure Behavior — and builds a defensive mindset through videos, hands-on activities and extra resources.
Who it is for
Non-technical users, digital citizens who use social media, home banking and online shopping, parents and professionals who also protect family and office data, and anyone who wants solid cybersecurity foundations.
Requirements and details
No technical prerequisites: everyday Internet use is enough. Suggested Framework level: FL1–FL3. Linked to the Self-Assessment to measure your progress.
Additional resources for this course
Every lesson in this course has a complementary resource on this site: a written guide that goes deeper than the video, with verified sources, step-by-step checks you can run on your own devices, and further reading. They are free and open to everyone.
These are not the lessons themselves. The course is followed on the learning platform; what you find here accompanies it, and can also be read on its own.
The ABCs of Online Security and Privacy
- Map Your Digital Life: Where Your Protection Really Starts
- Your Digital Key: How to Create Strong Passwords
- The Power of Passphrases: How to Create a Passphrase You Will Remember
- Doubling Your Security: Why Use Two-Factor Authentication
- The Final Step: How to Log Out of Your Accounts
- Security and Privacy Settings: The Half Hour Worth Spending
Everyday Habits That Keep Your Devices Secure
- Mobile Device Security: Why the Phone Is the Exposed One
- Device Lock: The Barrier Everything Else Sits Behind
- Download Security: Deciding Before You Install
- System Updates: The Security Measure That Looks Like Maintenance
- Wi-Fi Security: When a Connection Is Safe Enough
Recognising the Signs of Malware
- Phone Running Slow: Malware, or Just an Older Device?
- Unexpected Phone Charges: When the Bill Is the Signal
- Adware on Your Phone: Reading the Unwanted Ads
- Device Updates: What Happens When They Stop Arriving
Using Strong and Unique Passwords
- Brute Force Attacks: How They Work and What Stops Them
- Dictionary Attacks: Why Meaningful Passwords Give Way First
- Password Strength: Why Some Break in Seconds and Others Last Years
- Password Generator: Stop Inventing Passwords Yourself
- Passphrase Security: Keeping Them Strong Over Time
- Password Managers: Many Strong Passwords, One to Remember
Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication
- Online Security Basics: The ABC You Actually Need
- Authentication Factors: Something You Know, Have, or Are
- Multi-Factor Authentication: Which Accounts, In Which Order
- How Two-Factor Authentication Works, Step by Step
- Two-Factor Authentication Methods: Why They Are Not Equal
Home Internet Security and Privacy
- Home Network Security: The Router Nobody Configures
- Privacy Focused Browser: The Setting You Use All Day
- VPN on Home Router: What It Does, and What It Does Not
- Home Network Attack Surface: Counting What Is Connected
Protecting Your Online Banking
- Online Banking Security: A Separate Address for the Bank
- Two-Factor Authentication for Online Banking: The Access Points
- How to Recognize Phishing When It Is Built to Be Convincing
- Password Managers and Hardware Keys for Banking
Essential Protection for Your Smartphone
- Phone Passcode Security: Choosing the Right Unlock Method
- Shoulder Surfing: Protecting Your Phone as You Unlock It
- Automatic Screen Lock: Why the Timeout Matters
- Review Installed Apps: The Twenty-Minute Clear-Out
- Data Backup: The Only Protection That Works Afterwards
- Data Encryption: Already On, and Worth Understanding
- Hide Photos on Your Phone: What the Built-In Options Do
Fake Apps, Scam Apps and App Permissions
- Fake Security Apps: When the Protection Is the Problem
- Fleeceware: Apps That Charge You for Almost Nothing
- Scareware: The Warning That Is Itself the Attack
- Fake App Reviews: Why the Rating Tells You Little
- Fake Dating Apps: Recognising the Ones Built to Extract
- Scam Apps Child Safety: The Phone Handed Over
- Check App Details: The Filter Before You Install
- App Permissions: Deciding What Each App Can Reach
Sources checked August 2026. All resources follow the three pillars of the Cyber Welfare Framework — Skills, Awareness and Secure Behavior.
Availability
The course is currently available in Italian; the English version is in preparation. Cyber Welfare is a living project and content is being extended to all programme languages step by step. In the meantime, the portal resources and the Self-assessment are already available in English, and joining the programme is the simplest way to be kept informed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a strong password that is easy to remember?
The course teaches the passphrase method and password managers, with guided 2FA setup.
Are public Wi-Fi networks dangerous?
They can be, if used without precautions: you will learn simple rules to use them safely.
How do I recognize a phishing email?
You will analyze real examples and typical fraud signals, building daily protection from cyber attacks.
Enroll in the course and turn online safety into a daily habit.
This page is part of the digital privacy protection courses section.
Take the first step: the “Protect Your Digital Privacy” Programme guides you free of charge, one recommendation at a time.