Course Content
Orientation
This course teaches employees how to create and manage strong, unique passwords to protect business accounts and data from unauthorized access. Participants learn best practices for building complex passwords, using password managers safely, and avoiding common mistakes like reuse or weak patterns. Understanding the importance of strong passwords helps reduce the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches caused by compromised credentials.
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Passwords and Authentication
A strong password is one that is difficult for others — and even automated tools — to guess or crack. It should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols (like !, @, or #). Avoid using personal information such as names, birthdays, or common words, as these can be easily discovered through social media or brute-force attacks. Instead, create passwords using random combinations of unrelated words or phrases — for example, “Coffee!Tree4Ocean.” Password managers can also help by securely generating and storing complex passwords for each account. The key to password security is uniqueness: never reuse the same password across multiple systems.
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Phishing and Email Threats
Phishing is a type of social-engineering attack where criminals pretend to be a trusted person or organisation to trick you into revealing sensitive information. This is a very common type of cyber-attack in today's world. As we go through this module we will learn how to identify and mitigate phishing attacks.
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Social Engineering
Malware, Viruses & Ransomware
Safe Internet & Device Usage
Data Protection and Privacy
Physical Security
Protected: Security Awareness Training

The Reality of Today’s Digital World

We live and work in an increasingly connected environment. Every email we open, website we visit, and document we share forms part of a larger digital ecosystem – and that ecosystem is constantly being targeted by cybercriminals.

In South Africa, cybercrime has surged dramatically over the past few years. Businesses of all sizes, especially schools, law firms, and SMEs, are prime targets because attackers know that smaller organizations often lack the same defenses as large corporations.

According to Mimecast’s State of Email Security Report, South Africa consistently ranks among the most targeted countries in the world for phishing and business email compromise. This isn’t abstract – it affects businesses just like yours, right here at home

Cybercrime on the Rise – South Africa is a High-Risk Target

  • South Africa is often cited as the most targeted country in Africa for ransomware and information-stealer attacks. ESET
  • According to ESET data, roughly 40% of ransomware attacks on the African continent occur in South Africa. iAfrica.com
  • And nearly 35% of infostealer incidents across Africa are traced back to South Africa. iAfrica.com
  • In the government and public sector domain, organizations in South Africa reportedly face 3,480 cyberattacks per week per entity. Intelligent CIO
  • The financial impact is severe: one report places the average cost of a data breach at R 53 million in 2024, with the worst cases reaching R 360 million. corbado.com
  • Nationally, data breaches are estimated to cost South Africa R 2.2 billion annually. corbado.com+1
  • In 2023, South African consumers lost more than R 1 billion through crimes tied to digital banking and mobile apps. Sunday Independent

These aren’t just statistics – they represent real breaches, real loss, and real reputational damage to businesses like yours.