40 minutes · free · certificate valid 1 year

Phishing & Social Engineering

Learn how attackers manipulate people rather than systems: the psychology behind social engineering, how to spot phishing emails, the growing range of attacks beyond the inbox, and exactly what to do when something slips through. Finish the final assessment with a score of 75% or higher to earn a certificate, valid for one year.

Done this course before, or already know the material? You can go straight to the final assessment and renew your certificate without re-reading the lessons.

Who it's for: For every employee in a UK workplace who uses email, a phone, or messaging tools, whatever their role or seniority.

What you'll learn

• Explain how attackers use urgency, authority, fear, curiosity and trust to manipulate people.
• Spot the red flags in emails, texts, calls and QR codes, including lookalike domains and unsafe links.
• Verify unusual requests for money, credentials or data through a separate, trusted channel.
• Respond correctly after a suspected click, including what to tell IT and what not to do.
• Report phishing internally and to UK national services such as [email protected] and 7726.

What you'll cover

1. 1

   How social engineering works

   The psychology attackers exploit, why anyone can be caught, and the difference between mass and targeted attacks.

2. 2

   Spotting phishing emails

   How to check senders, links, and attachments, and the red flags that survive even a professional-looking email.

3. 3

   Beyond email

   Smishing, vishing, QR code phishing, payment fraud, deepfakes, social media pretexting, and MFA fatigue attacks.

4. 4

   Responding and reporting

   What to do if you clicked, why fast and blame-free reporting matters, and how MFA and password managers limit the damage.

5. 5

   Putting it into practice

   Short workplace scenarios that test how you would apply this course in real situations.

6. 6

   Final assessment

   20 questions drawn at random from the full question bank. Score 75% or higher to earn your certificate.