End User Security Awareness

About this course

Updated in May 2025. This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. In a world where cyber threats are constantly evolving, End User Security Awareness empowers you with the critical knowledge to protect yourself and your organization from digital dangers. This course is designed to help you recognize vulnerabilities in everyday technology use and develop habits that significantly enhance your personal and professional cybersecurity posture. The course begins with an exploration of core security principles, starting with how to create strong, memorable passwords and why they matter. From there, you'll dive into social engineering threats such as phishing and impersonation, learning how to identify and thwart these human-based attacks. You'll also understand the importance of physical security measures, including locks and biometrics, as part of an effective defense strategy. Continuing through the course, you'll explore best practices for secure data disposal—both digital and physical—to prevent data breaches. You'll also learn how to identify safe vs. unsafe networks and what steps to take when using public Wi-Fi. The final module tackles malicious software, explaining what malware is, how it spreads, and how you can detect and protect against it. This course is ideal for professionals, office staff, students, and anyone using computers in their daily life. No prior cybersecurity knowledge is required. Whether you're looking to safeguard personal data or contribute to your company's security culture, this beginner-level course will equip you with essential skills to stay protected in a digital world.