About the Course
Worried about being hacked? What is phishing anyway? Is it safe to shop online?
This course will take a practical approach to explaining what you can do to make your increasingly online life safer. Along the way, we will also discuss practical ways you can secure yourself and your information. We will also take a look at how parents can help their children to be safe online.
Some of the topics we will cover are:
General
Anti-virus - how do I choose? How can I set it up?
Encryption - what is it? Why should I care?
A brief look at how the Internet works.
Password Managers
What are they? Do I really need one?
How to install them and use them
Email
How to tell if an email is a fake
When is it ok to click on an email link?
Online safety
How to browse safely
Cookies - tasty dessert or annoying Internet thing?
What is a VPN and do I need one?
Phone / Tablet safety
How can I make my phone more secure?
What are the risks of using voice controls?
Social Media
We'll discuss some things ways to make using it safer
Things you should know before starting this course:
You should know how to operate your device (computer, phone or tablet)
How to find and install applications
How to keep your device updated to the latest releases
Location
Online - Zoom
If there is a need, we can also meet in person for one-on-one help with learning to use some of the software or other tools.
Group Leader
Vicky Oliver

I worked as a software engineer for many years and during that time I have learned a lot about computers, technology and security. I hope to bring a practical approach to operating securely in our current online world.