Information Security and Data Protection training course

Information on how to complete the University’s mandatory Information Security and Data Protection training course

The aim of the Information Security and Data Protection training course is to ensure staff and students understand their responsibilities in relation to information security and privacy compliance legislation.

The training is designed to help you keep yourself, and the University’s data, secure and be an engaging experience, using animations and quizzes.

It should also give you valuable knowledge you can use in your personal life to you and your personal information safe.

Why has the training changed?

The new course replaces the old course on CoSy, which was created in 2019. Cyber security threats and data protection expectations continue to evolve rapidly, particularly since the pandemic. We need training that is up to that challenge.

We want the training to promote a sense of active vigilance amongst everyone in the collegiate University. We want you to know what is expected of you and the University, to be alert to the threat of cyber-crime and have sufficient knowledge to identify incoming threats - and know what to do if you encounter such a situation. The new course reminds you to stop and think before you act.

All staff must complete the Information Security and Data Protection training every 12 months to ensure the University is compliant with UK Data Protection legislation

 

This course takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. There is a quiz at the end which you are required to pass with a minimum score of 80%. There is no fee for the course.

The content is broken down into the following sections:

  • Introduction from Gill Aitken, University of Oxford Registrar
  • Information Classification
  • Data Protection
  • Accessing and Sharing Information
  • Working Securely
  • Phishing and Malware
  • Information Rights
  • Third Party Services
  • Reporting Issues
  • End of course quiz

Sections include a video, which you need to watch, and a communication slide for you to read. You must select 'next' on each section for it be marked as complete, and all sections must be marked as complete in order to finish the course.

You will need to login using your SSO (Oxford Single Sign-On), with multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Take the staff training

If you have any problems or questions with the training course, please see our Frequently Asked Questions - if this does not help you, please contact the IT Service Desk.

Please note: If you handle university data as part of your studies or have been asked to provide a certificate to your department as proof of completion of the information security training, you should complete the Information Security and Data Protection course for students, which is equivalent to the staff training. You are recommended to complete this every 12 months to ensure the University is compliant with UK Data Protection legislation.

Take the Information Security and Data Protection course for students 

For all other students, we invite you to take the short course below, aimed at keeping you safe online at Oxford. It takes around 10 minutes to complete and consists of short videos about phishing and social media, the dangers of social networking and student scams.

There is also an interactive activity within the course which we are aware some people with accessibility issues may not be able to do, so we have also offered an accessible version of the course which replaces the interactive activity with a video which conveys the same information.

As a student at Oxford, it’s important you have the knowledge, life skills and resources to navigate the digital landscape securely and that you know how to play your part in protecting University systems. Understanding cyber security is not just a precaution, it's a necessity. You are not required to complete the student training course, but we would strongly encourage you to do so.

You will need to login using your SSO (Oxford Single Sign-On), with multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Please also visit the page for students for more information, resources, and practical steps towards a safer digital future.

This is the first time we have offered this training to students, so if you have any problems or questions with the training course, please see our Frequently Asked Questions - if this does not help you, please contact the IT Service Desk.

How to keep safe online

How to keep safe online - Accessible version

For staff who want to review the student course, please contact Information Security GRC team and we can add you to the Student Review Course.

Further information

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If you have any problems or questions with the training course, please see our Frequently Asked Questions - if this does not help you, please contact the IT Service Desk.

If you need access to data on who has and who hasn't completed this training in your department or college, please request access to the Compliance Report within the Self-Service Training Data Reports suite below, which includes completion data on this Information Security and Data Protection Training Course.

Please note that in the report, the latest version of the course is named: Information Security and Data Protection Course.

Take the staff training

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