Cybersecurity Awareness for Employees Course 2026
This course is for employees in Canada who use email, phones or computers at work. It covers common threats, phishing and payment scams, passwords and multi-factor authentication, protecting information and devices, and what to do when something goes wrong. Each topic has a short lesson and an untimed quiz, followed by a timed 30-question final assessment; score 80% or more to earn a Certificate of Completion.
Quick answer
This free course has about 150 minutes of lessons, 6 untimed topic quizzes (98 questions in all) and a timed final assessment of 30 questions drawn at random. Score 80% or more on the final assessment to download a certificate of completion (private, not accredited). Checked against official sources on October 13, 2026.
What you will learn
- Explain why every employee can be a target and name the most common cyber threats in Canada
- Spot the warning signs of phishing in emails, texts, phone calls and QR codes
- Verify payment, banking and gift card requests before acting
- Create strong passphrases and use password managers and multi-factor authentication safely
- Protect personal and workplace information on paper, devices, Wi-Fi and USB
- Report incidents quickly and take the right first steps after clicking or sharing something
Score 80% or more to download your certificate.
Your study plan
Read each lesson, take its topic quiz (untimed, with explanations), then the timed final assessment. A new mix of questions is drawn every time. Your progress is saved in this browser.
- Read the lessons6 lessons, about 150 min
- Topic quiz 1: Why cybersecurity matters at work15 questions
- Topic quiz 2: Spotting phishing: email, text, phone and QR codes19 questions
- Topic quiz 3: Payment fraud, fake invoices and CEO scams16 questions
- Topic quiz 4: Passwords, passphrases and multi-factor authentication16 questions
- Topic quiz 5: Protecting workplace information and devices16 questions
- Topic quiz 6: Reporting incidents and what to do if you clicked16 questions
- Final exam30 questions, 35 min · Score 80% or more
Topic quiz 1: Why cybersecurity matters at work
-
Question 1 of 15
Show answer
Answer: D. Tricking people into giving away information or access
Social engineering uses deception and impersonation to get people to share information, grant access or take harmful actions.
-
Question 2 of 15
Show answer
Answer: A. A Trojan horse
Malware is malicious software. Viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware and adware are all types of malware.
-
Question 3 of 15
Show answer
Answer: A. Locks systems or data until a payment is made
Ransomware is malware that denies a victim access to a system or data until they pay money.
-
Question 4 of 15
Show answer
Answer: D. Fraud and scams
The assessment says fraud and scams are almost certainly the most common form of cybercrime affecting Canadians, and phishing is among the most reported types.
-
Question 5 of 15
Show answer
Answer: A. Ransomware
Fraud is more common, but the assessment says ransomware will almost certainly continue to be the most impactful cyber threat facing Canadian organizations.
-
Question 6 of 15
Show answer
Answer: D. So you act before you check if it is real
Pressure and deadlines are a classic warning sign. Scammers want you to act quickly so you do not have time to verify the request.
-
Question 7 of 15
Show answer
Answer: B. Using a made-up story or role to gain trust
Pretexting is a social engineering trick that uses a made-up scenario to build trust and get information or access.
-
Question 8 of 15
Show answer
Answer: D. Luring someone with a prize or reward
Baiting uses something tempting, like a prize or reward, to get the target to click a link or take another harmful action.
-
Question 9 of 15
Show answer
Answer: D. Stealing sign-in details, spreading malware and stealing or damaging data
Threat actors use malicious email to steal credentials, spread malware such as ransomware or spyware, and steal or corrupt information.
-
Question 10 of 15
Show answer
Answer: A. AI-made fake audio, video or images of a real person
Deepfakes are AI-made audio, video or images. Scammers use them, along with voice cloning, to impersonate people the victim trusts.
-
Question 11 of 15
Show answer
Answer: C. Helpdesk staff and staff who deal with the public
The Cyber Centre lists senior executives and their assistants, helpdesk staff, system administrators, people with access to sensitive information and staff who deal with the public.
-
Question 12 of 15
Show answer
Answer: D. Scammers target all kinds of workplaces, so stay alert
Anyone with access to email, accounts or information can be a target. Fraud and scams are the most common form of cybercrime affecting Canadians, and the Cyber Centre says no one is immune.
-
Question 13 of 15
Show answer
Answer: A. Malware can spread to other systems on the network
Once one device is infected, malware such as ransomware can spread to other connected systems on the network.
-
Question 14 of 15
Show answer
Answer: D. Criminals selling attack tools and stolen data to others
Specialized criminals sell stolen data and ready-made tools, which makes it easier for less skilled criminals to attack.
-
Question 15 of 15
Show answer
Answer: B. Steal data and threaten to leak it
The Cyber Centre says attackers now often steal data and threaten to publish it as their main form of extortion.
Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.
What to know before the test
- Fraud and scams are almost certainly the most common form of cybercrime affecting Canadians, and phishing is one of the most reported types of fraud.
- Ransomware will almost certainly remain the most impactful cyber threat facing Canadian organizations.
- The Cyber Centre recommends passphrases of at least 4 words and 15 characters, or passwords of at least 12 characters.
- You can forward spam and scam texts to 7726 (SPAM on most keypads) so your cellular provider can investigate and block them.
- Fraud can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or toll-free at 1-888-495-8501, even if you were not a victim.
- Under PIPEDA, a breach that creates a real risk of significant harm must be reported to the Privacy Commissioner and the people affected must be notified; records of all breaches must be kept for two years.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an official cybersecurity certification?
No. When you pass the final assessment you get a PassEveryTest Certificate of Completion, which shows you finished this general awareness course. It is not an accredited cybersecurity certification and does not replace the security training your employer requires.
How does the final assessment work?
It has 30 questions drawn at random from the course question bank, with a 35-minute time limit. You need 80% to pass, and each attempt gives you a new mix of questions.
What should I do if I clicked a suspicious link at work?
Stop using the device and tell your IT or security team right away. If you typed in your password, change it and reset multi-factor authentication as they direct.
Where do I report a scam text message?
Forward it to 7726 (SPAM) so your phone provider can investigate. You can also report scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or at 1-888-495-8501.
Do I need technical knowledge to take this course?
No. It is written for everyday employees who use email, phones and computers at work.
Is the certificate accredited or officially recognised?
No. It is a private certificate of completion for knowledge only. It is not recognised, accredited or approved by any government, licensing body, regulator or educational institution, and it does not replace any licence, certification or training required by law.
Sources
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Social engineering (ITSAP.00.166)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Don't take the bait: Recognize and avoid phishing attacks (ITSAP.00.101)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Spotting malicious email messages (ITSAP.00.100)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: What is voice phishing (vishing)? (ITSAP.00.102)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Security considerations for QR codes (ITSAP.00.141)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Best practices for passphrases and passwords (ITSAP.30.032)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Secure your accounts and devices with multi-factor authentication (ITSAP.30.030)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: How updates secure your device (ITSAP.10.096)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Tips for backing up your information (ITSAP.40.002)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Ransomware: How to prevent and recover (ITSAP.00.099)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Security tips for peripheral devices (ITSAP.70.015)
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security: Report a cyber incident
- Get Cyber Safe: Passphrases, passwords and PINs
- Get Cyber Safe: Password managers
- Get Cyber Safe: Multi-factor authentication
- Get Cyber Safe: Public Wi-Fi
- Get Cyber Safe: Laptops and computers
- Get Cyber Safe: Smishing: An introduction
- Get Cyber Safe: Reporting spam text messages to 7726
- Get Cyber Safe: Don't get hooked: understanding phishing
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Phishing
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Spear phishing (business executive, payroll and supplier spoofs)
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: False billing
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Reporting fraud
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Business email compromise
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: What to do if you're a victim of fraud
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: PIPEDA in brief
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: PIPEDA fair information principle 7 - Safeguards
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: What you need to know about mandatory reporting of breaches of security safeguards
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Protecting workplace mobile devices
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Ten tips for addressing employee snooping
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Personal information retention and disposal