Cybersecurity for Volunteers

What you’ll learn

• Spot phishing emails, smishing texts, and online scams before you click
• Build strong, unique passwords and let a password manager do the work
• Turn on multi-factor authentication and understand why it stops most attacks
• Use devices, Wi-Fi, and organizational data safely
• Recognize ransomware and report a security incident fast

Course outline

1. 1

   Why volunteers are a target

   You may think, "I'm just a volunteer — why would a hacker care about me?" But attackers rarely break in through a firewall.

   5 min Quiz Interactive
2. 2

   Phishing & social engineering

   Phishing is a fake message — email, text, or call — designed to trick you into clicking a malicious link, opening a harmful attachment, or handing over a password…

   6 min Quiz Interactive
3. 3

   Strong passwords & password managers

   Passwords are still the front door to most accounts — and weak or reused passwords are how attackers waltz in.

   5 min Quiz Interactive
4. 4

   Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

   Even a strong password can be stolen. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds a second step — something you have (a phone, an app, a security key) on top of…

   4 min Quiz Interactive
5. 5

   Safe devices, Wi-Fi & software updates

   Your security is only as strong as the device you sit at and the network it's on.

   4 min Quiz Interactive
6. 6

   Handling organizational data & spotting scams

   As a volunteer you may see names, addresses, phone numbers, donation records, or even background-check results.

   5 min Quiz Interactive
7. 7

   Ransomware & reporting an incident

   Ransomware is malicious software that locks up or encrypts files and demands payment to release them.

   5 min Quiz Interactive

Sources & further reading

• Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — 4 Things You Can Do To Keep Yourself Cyber Safe
• CISA — More Than a Password (multi-factor authentication)
• Verizon — 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)
• Federal Trade Commission — How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
• CISA — StopRansomware.gov
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — Digital Identity Guidelines (SP 800-63B) — password guidance