The ability to recognize digital threats, protect personal and organizational information, and practice safe behavior in an increasingly connected world. A foundational competency for everyone in the digital age.
Cybersecurity Awareness is the competency of understanding digital risks and applying protective practices in daily life and work. It spans password hygiene and phishing recognition through organizational security policies, incident response, and security program design. The focus is not on becoming a security engineer, but on developing the judgment and habits needed to minimize risk, respond to threats appropriately, and foster a security-conscious culture at every level of an organization.
You recognize that digital threats exist and take basic precautions. You understand that weak passwords are a primary vulnerability and can create stronger ones. You are aware that not all emails, links, or messages are trustworthy, and you exercise basic caution when interacting with digital content. You begin to distinguish between secure and insecure online behaviors.
Defines six core cybersecurity functions (Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover) with tiered implementation levels, providing structure for checklist progression from individual awareness to organizational strategy.
A 5-level maturity model (Non-Existent to Metrics Framework) for organizational security awareness programs, informing the progression from personal hygiene through team training to enterprise-level security culture design.
Defines 12 cybersecurity professional role profiles with competency requirements, providing context for Level 4-7 organizational and strategic security awareness checklist items.
