FREE COURSE / SELF-PACED LEARNING

Human Risk Under Pressure: Decisions That Protect You and Your Team

Practise recognizing pressure and making safer security decisions in this free human-risk awareness course.

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Experience level
Beginner
Curriculum
3 modules · 9 lessons
Estimated reading
23 min
Language
English

Reading estimates use lesson text and an allowance for diagrams. Reflection, exercises and optional linked resources take additional time. These are estimates, not measured completion times.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE WORKING TOWARD

What you’ll learn

  • Recognize at least three common psychological triggers that attackers use to create urgency, trust, or fear in messages, and identify when those triggers are being used on you.

Is this the right course for you?

Who it’s for

Individuals and teams handling requests, uncertainty and pressure in everyday work.

Scope and boundaries

Human decision-making and safer reporting. It complements technical phishing triage rather than replacing analyst investigation training.

How you’ll learn

Self-paced reading with explanatory diagrams and linked resources. Reflection and optional resource study take additional time.

About this course

A practical, scenario-driven course that teaches employees and interested individuals how to recognize, assess, and respond to human-targeted cyber threats in real-world conditions. Built from the learner’s perspective: what could happen to me, how do I recognize it, and what should I do? Covers psychological triggers attackers exploit, realistic attack scenarios across multiple channels, practical response actions, and how to report concerns early and effectively.

FOLLOW THE LEARNING PATH

Course curriculum

MODULE 1

The Psychology of Trust and Pressure

Explore how your brain naturally responds to urgency, authority, and familiarity — and how attackers deliberately exploit these mental shortcuts. You'll learn to recognize the moment your trust is being tested, even when everything feels normal.

  1. How Attackers Exploit Your Brain's ShortcutsUnderstand the mental shortcuts your brain uses every day — and how attackers deliberately trigger them to lower your guard.2 min reading
  2. The Urgency Trap — When Speed Overrides JudgmentUnderstand why urgent requests are so effective at bypassing your normal decision-making and how to create space for better choices.3 min reading
  3. Authority, Familiarity, and the Power of ContextLearn how attackers impersonate people you trust and create familiar contexts to lower your defenses.3 min reading

MODULE 2

Real-World Attack Scenarios

Move from theory to practice by examining how social-engineering attacks unfold across email, messaging, voice, and SMS. You'll learn to spot the patterns attackers use in each channel and practice what to do when you encounter them.

  1. Email and Messaging Attacks — Spot the FakeLearn to spot the subtle signs of phishing and business email compromise in messages you receive every day.3 min reading
  2. Voice and SMS Attacks — The Human Side of Social EngineeringLearn how attackers use voice calls and SMS messages to build trust and extract information quickly.3 min reading
  3. Multi-Stage Attacks — When Trust Is Built Over TimeLearn how attackers build trust gradually through multiple interactions before making their move.2 min reading

MODULE 3

Decisions and Actions That Protect

Put everything together into a practical action plan. You'll learn a simple decision process for any suspicious situation, what to do when you're not sure, and how to report concerns early and effectively.

  1. Pause, Verify, Decide — Your Personal ProcessA simple three-step process you can use in any situation to make better decisions under pressure.2 min reading
  2. What to Do When You're Not SureA practical guide for handling uncertainty — how to ask for help and make safe decisions when you're unsure.2 min reading
  3. Reporting Without Fear — How Early Reporting Changes OutcomesLearn why reporting early is the most powerful action you can take, and how to do it effectively.3 min reading

BUILD ON THE RIGHT FOUNDATION

These courses address different scopes. Choose the foundation or follow-on that fits your next question.

Beginner

Social Engineering: Break the Script

Request verification and safe reporting. The technical phishing triage course focuses on investigating message evidence.

6 lessons · 24 min estimated reading

Sources and editorial review

Reviewed by Threat Intelligence Lab

Sources linked in the lessons provide context and further reading. Check the original documentation for current platform behavior and requirements.

About this learning content: Courses, lessons, assessments, explanations and illustrations may be created with the help of artificial intelligence. We review and check the material and do our best to avoid incorrect or outdated information, but mistakes, omissions or ambiguous questions may remain. Please verify information before relying on it for professional, security, legal or operational decisions. Read the full notice or report an issue.