UdemyBestseller on UdemyBusinessPaid courseBeginner levelCertificate

Security Awareness Training, Internet Security for Employees (Udemy.com)

Basic security awareness guide on Internet security and privacy to help keep you, your home, and your employer safe.

4.5

58,996 reviews

Created by: Roy Davis

Last updated July 2022

Our take

Based on the ratings of 58,996 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in July 2022. No course pays to be reviewed.

Roy Davis built this as an awareness course, not a technical one. It runs about an hour across 31 lectures in 10 short sections, and phishing, social engineering, data leakage, passwords, safe browsing, mobile travel and ransomware each get a few minutes. Security professionals won't learn much. The target is the employee with a training requirement, or a home user who wants to protect family. More than 109,000 students have enrolled, and it carries a Bestseller badge.

Reviewers like the delivery. One says the narrator sounds like a person, not a bot or a monotone, and another says it doesn't make you fall asleep. Others call it practical and informative, and one says it explained how they were hacked before. The complaints cluster around age. The last update was July 2022, and low-star reviewers point to an intro quoting 2016 statistics and examples that feel dated. A few find the tone too casual, even condescending, and one disputes a quiz answer. Others mention a fast reading pace and confusing navigation.

At an hour, it's an easy way to tick a training box, and there's a certificate. The 4.5 average across nearly 59,000 ratings, with about 52,000 of them four or five stars, says most people are satisfied. It works as a basic primer. If modern threats or password manager advice matter to you, pair it with something newer.

Best forNon-technical employees who need a quick, jargon-free awareness course for work, or anyone helping a relative stay safe online.

Skip it ifYou want current threat examples, technical depth, or anything beyond a one-hour basics tour of phishing and passwords.

Pros

Short at about an hour, with 10 quizzes to help the basics stick
Narration sounds like a real person, and reviewers say it doesn't put you to sleep
Covers phishing, passwords, ransomware and travel safety without IT jargon
Aims to explain the why behind risky habits, not just list rules

Cons

Last updated July 2022, with intro stats and examples from 2016 and 2017
Tone can feel too casual or condescending, and some quiz answers feel suggestive
Basic by design, so IT staff and experienced users will find little new

Great content and presented in a way that doesn't make you fall asleep!

Oliver Hertzberg, a student

Beginner is accurate: no tech background is assumed, and one reviewer asked for acronyms to be explained more.

What you will learn

Discover the WHY behind security awareness. This will help make things stick!
How to build up your resilience to attacks and why this is more important than you currently think.
Learn about social engineering, what makes it work, and how to spot the red flags before you get duped.
Learn the fast and easy process to spot a fake email.
Hear password best practices you can actually follow.
How to create security questions that aren't easily guessed.
Learn about ransomware, why it's popular, and what you can do to prevent it.
How to browse the Internet safely and learn about typosquatting, malicious websites, and more.
Discover safe mobile device usage and how to stay safe even while traveling.
Determine which data is regulated and how to avoid accidental disclosure (basically data leaking).
Why securing your desk or computer is important.
Be able to communicate securely and effectively. And how to talk to your IT friends or co-workers.

Course content

10 sections · 31 lectures · 1 hour of video 10 quizzes, 1 assignment, 1 article

1Introduction 2 free previews3 lectures · 1 quiz · 7 min
2User and Device Accountability 4 free previews4 lectures · 1 quiz · 4 min
3Phishing and Other Malicious Emails3 lectures · 2 quizzes · 9 min
4Social Engineering3 lectures · 1 quiz · 9 min
5Handling of Data (Data Leakage)4 lectures · 1 quiz · 7 min
6Passwords and Security Questions3 lectures · 1 quiz · 7 min
7Safe Browsing3 lectures · 1 quiz · 6 min
8Mobile Devices and Traveling3 lectures · 1 quiz · 6 min
9Ransomware3 lectures · 1 quiz · 4 min
10Conclusion2 lectures · 1 quiz · 2 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

Anyone who wants to learn about security awareness and privacy online for personal development or to help protect their family.
Employees who use a computer and the Internet to do their jobs.
Those who want to learn more about protecting themselves against basic attacks such as phishing, social engineering, malicious websites, etc.
Anyone who's looking for a basic security awareness course.
IT folks who need ideas on how to reach their users.
Anyone who wants a peek into the state of information security.
This course is NOT meant for people looking for advanced knowledge by way of technical guidance or operational security.

What you need before you start

Pick your favorite web browser and be willing to learn security awareness topics!
Understand that this is a security awareness training course which means it involves the "what," the "why," and basic behavior tips.

How it compares

Against the other 1,210 rated Udemy courses in Business on CourseDuck:

Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 46% of them
Reviews58,996#5 of 1,211 by number of reviews
Length1 hourshorter than 88% of them
Last updatedJuly 2022earlier than 82% of them

Course Description

Why Security Awareness?

Data breaches are rising, and it's becoming more dangerous to function online. This is where a good security awareness program is essential. Most importantly, we (the nerds) need YOU to help keep things secure.

That's right. Security is more than an IT or Security department function, and we haven't been as good at communicating that to you in the past.

You may hear professionals claim that everyone is getting compromised over simple attacks that have been around for decades. It starts as something easy to prevent and then launches into an intelligence war. "It's easy to protect yourself," some may claim. "All you need to do is be careful what you download, who you talk to, and what you allow to happen." They give off the vibe that people don't care.

If you boil everything down to its barest essence, that could be true. Why do we continue to get hammered with news of more breaches if it's so easy?

Unfortunately, even the best security awareness programs out there are missing one key part.

The WHY.

Making Security Awareness Better

This security awareness training course will not only give you the "what" to look out for but also the "why" and how the "what" works. After taking this course, you'll be armed with knowledge on better protecting yourself and your organization from threats.

Surprisingly, the most significant change will probably not be to start doing but rather to stop doing. You'll be surprised at how some of your behavior is super risky, even without realizing it.

And the best part is, I won't twist your arm or shame you into changing. I sincerely want you to succeed, so there's no victim shaming here. I believe there's a better way to modify your behavior than vehemently shove security terms and nerd speak down your throat.

This Security Awareness Course IS:

a security awareness course meaning it's information and awareness based. We will look at the "what," the "why," and some behaviors.
Essentially a computer and Internet safety training course.
For anyone at work who has a security awareness training requirement.
For home users who want to learn more about internet security and privacy.

This Security Awareness Course is NOT:

A technical or operational security guide.
A technically charged course with jargon that only your IT or Security department would understand.

Since this course is NOT technical, beginners ranging from your co-worker that barely knows how to turn a computer on to your Grandma that uses Facebook too much can take and understand this course. We're simply looking at threats, attack vectors, and behaviors to help reduce the sting of attacks.

Genuine Reviews From Amazing Students

The instructor was knowledgeable and presented security awareness a bit different than I've seen before... - Rob

...I learned quite a lot of stuff I didn't know. - Julie

Small course. Easy to understand for everybody. - Rey

The course is well organized and provides helpful tips on how to be aware of and prevent security issues. - Carlson

More fun than I expected! - Scot

Join Me Today!

I appreciate your interest in this security awareness training course. It means a lot to all the other security professionals and me that you care about your online safety.

If you're here because your company requires security awareness training and you're considering choosing this course - awesome. Let me know if you have any questions. If you don't have a security program in place, this course will help get you started.

To move forward, please click on the Buy Now button on the right side of the page to enroll in this course. I can't wait to see you on the inside, and I look forward to serving you. Thanks!

All the best,

Roy

COURSE UPDATES

I believe in continuous improvement in all my courses and products! Here's the list of updates to this Beginner Security Awareness Training course since its release:

Added resource links from the course to lectures on 4/4/2019.
Added the Security Awareness Training Course Slides (48 page PDF) resource to the new Security Awareness Training Course Resources lecture on 4/4/2019.
Added a Security Awareness Training Course Companion (38 page PDF) resource to the new Security Awareness Training Course Resources lecture on 4/4/2019.
Added 2 new lectures on 4/2/2019.
Added U.S. English captions to all videos on 3/29/2019. The auto-generated captions were terrible.
Updated lecture descriptions and fixed a few wording issues on 3/7/2018.
Updated quizzes to fix wording issues, spelling, grammar, and some blank answers on 2/21/2018.
Added a short quiz at the end of every section on 1/15/2018. Have you been paying attention? :)
Course was released in November 2017.

Beginner Level

Time: 1h

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Instructor Details

Roy Davis

4.5 Rating
58,996 Reviews

After 19 years in IT, with the last 9 specifically in Security, I've become obsessed with helping people solve problems and spreading the cyber word. Working in IT is fun for hands-on folks. But for those that stay, you'll find that they love to help others. This goes naturally with teaching, so it's no surprise that some of the most grizzled IT veterans are good instructors.

All good instructors want to see their students apply the knowledge that was taught. I want to take it a step further. My goal is to not only bring applicable knowledge into my courses but also to shift your perspective, even by a little bit. If you’re interested in the topics I teach, I’d love to see you on the inside.

Enroll in one of my classes today. I can’t wait to serve you!

-- Education --

Master of Business Administration, track of study in Information Systems

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

-- Professional Certifications --

(ISC)² CISSP

CompTIA Project+

CompTIA CySA+

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA Network+

CompTIA A+

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Reviews

4.5

58,996 ratings on Udemy

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By Zerina Ibrulj on 9/10/2026

Yes, it was a great match for me. As someone working in IT, I found the course highly relevant and valuable. It increased my awareness of security risks and provided practical knowledge that I can apply both professionally and personally.

By Jerrett Cason on 9/9/2026

I Find this course to be very informative and i believe that especially in the current day and age exemplary cyber security should be treasured among companies.

By Peggy Crawford on 8/19/2026

Highlights very important life hazards that we need to be reminded of. As it's human nature to think things are always going to be fine or it'll never happen to me.

By Renee Veloz on 8/14/2026

The narrator explained things well, and I loved that his voice wasn't a bot or monotone. The comments he made and also the ones in the quizzes and assignments kept me engaged. A good course and I would take this instructor again for sure.

By Rukshana Hamid on 8/3/2026

This was a course in 2016 and today being 2026 am sure there are much more updates in this space. However, fundamentals were good. Things like the examples of scam or real examples could have been more recent ones as well as any case studies that address recent breaches.

By Barbara Ann McNeil on 7/15/2026

It provided good explanations questionable emails I've received on my personal lap top and iPhone. Also, good advice for work computer. I will definitely be more on guard when using both.

By Ava Jones on 6/30/2026

I think that the course does a really good job of explaining big and small reasons why having technological knowledge in security is very important in navigating not only your professional life but also your home life, because at any moment you could be compromised and taken advantage of by anybody trying to use your information for their own purposes! I really liked the course.

By Sujith Kodengil Vettath on 6/21/2026

This training provides clear awareness of internet security and teaches the precautions we should take against cyber threats. Since we use the internet every day and receive numerous calls and emails, it is important to recognize potential scams and hacking attempts. This training is very useful for all users and helps improve cybersecurity awareness.

By Mike Sanchez on 6/15/2026

I love that this course emphasizes important points without the feel of mundane repetition and feels easy-going, despite the importance of topics covered.

By Rebecca Macklen on 5/29/2026

It was okay. Some of us are more tech savvy than others. It might be nice to have an option to test out of each section before spending an hour listening to all these videos.

By Danielle Cherkas on 11/15/2020