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Cyber Hygiene: Protect Your Accounts and Devices
A free cybersecurity course for beginners: strong passphrases, multi-factor authentication and passkeys, updates, backups and safe Wi-Fi, using Canadian Centre for Cyber Security guidance. Five short lessons and a quiz, with a certificate of completion.
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The short version
Free, no payment details
Sign up with your name and e-mail and confirm it with a 6-digit code. There is nothing to buy.
About 60 minutes
5 short lessons and one final quiz. Your progress is saved, so you can stop and come back on any device.
Certificate of completion
Finish every lesson and score 70% or more on the final quiz. Retakes are unlimited.
Not a program
This free short course is not part of a Ucademy diploma or certificate program and gives no program credit.
What you will learn
- Explain how accounts and devices are usually compromised and which habit blocks each route
- Create passphrases that meet Canadian Centre for Cyber Security guidance and use a password manager sensibly
- Choose and set up multi-factor authentication, recognise MFA fatigue and understand what passkeys are
- Turn on automatic updates, device locks and encryption, and follow the 3-2-1 backup rule with a tested restore
- Secure a home router and use public Wi-Fi and mobile devices more safely
- Follow a first-hour response plan after a compromise and know where to report it
Who it is for
Anyone in Alberta who wants to protect their own accounts and devices, including beginners, job seekers, small business staff and people curious about a cybersecurity career. No technical background is needed.
What you need
- A computer or phone with an internet connection
- About 60 minutes in total, which you can split across several days
- Optional: your own accounts and devices, so you can follow the checklists as you learn
Lessons
- 1How accounts and devices get compromised12 min
- 2Passphrases and password managers12 min
- 3Multi-factor authentication and passkeys12 min
- 4Updates, device protection and backups12 min
- 5Wi-Fi, mobile devices and your personal plan12 min
- ✓Cyber Hygiene: final quizfinal quiz
Where this course can lead
Cybersecurity Specialist Diploma
This course is a short, practical introduction. The full program goes much further: 940 hours online, from security fundamentals and networks to defence, monitoring and incident response.
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See the course →Frequently asked questions
Yes. You create a free account, take the five lessons and the quiz, and pay nothing.
Yes. When you finish the lessons and pass the quiz you receive a Ucademy certificate of completion. The course is not part of a diploma or certificate program.
About 60 minutes in total across five lessons of roughly 12 minutes each. It is online and self-paced, so you can stop and continue later.
No. The course is written for beginners and explains every term. You can follow the checklists on your own accounts and devices as you go.
A passphrase is a memorized phrase of several words. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security recommends at least 4 words and 15 characters because a longer phrase is harder to guess and easier to remember than a short random password.
No. It is a free short course, not part of a Ucademy diploma or certificate program, and it does not give program credit.
Start Cyber Hygiene: Protect Your Accounts and Devices today
Free, online and at your own pace, with a certificate of completion.