Overview

Whaling attacks against senior leaders, and the governance duties that come with a board seat, are unlike general staff cyber risk. This practical, board-appropriate course shows how executive-targeted attacks are really researched and built, what good cyber governance looks like today, and how to protect your own footprint, family and communications. Four short units.

Target Audience

Senior executives, directors and board members, including non-executive directors. No technical background required.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion, learners will gain a full and clear understanding of:

• Why executives and board members are specifically, differently targeted from all-staff risk
• How whaling and executive-targeted attacks are actually researched and built, including the high-value moments attackers look for
• A board’s governance duties for cyber risk oversight, including current UK guidance and the board’s role before and during a major incident
• How to apply verification habits suited to high-value, time-critical and confidential requests
• How to manage your personal digital footprint, family and home exposure, and travel security as extensions of corporate risk
• How to build a practical, board-appropriate personal action plan

Features and Benefits

• Written for complete beginners: practical, jargon-free and easy to follow.
• Current and fact-checked: researched against up-to-date 2026 sources, including the latest case studies and regulation.
• Four short, focused units with gated progression; each unit unlocks once the previous one is passed.
• Light, formative interactions running through every unit (click-to-reveal, quick knowledge checks and estimate-and-reveal sliders), never scored.
• An end-of-unit quiz that finishes with a marking screen showing which answers were right or wrong, with a short explanation for each.
• Easy retakes: a failed quiz drops the learner straight back into freshly shuffled questions, with no need to click through the unit again.
• Optional audio narration on every screen (the learner chooses to listen), plus narrated motion-graphic video introductions, with captions throughout for accessibility.
• Responsive layout, suitable for PC, tablet and mobile.
• SCORM 1.2 conformant (single SCO); reports completion and an averaged score to any compliant LMS.

Course Contents

Unit 1: Understanding Executive and Board Risk

• Why senior leaders are worth the extra research effort, and the two directions targeting can point
• How your public profile, authority and inside knowledge become genuine research material
• Why board members and non-executives are targets too, and why seniority is not automatic protection

Unit 2: How Whaling Attacks Are Really Built

• What attackers research on a named individual, and how it becomes a convincing pretext
• The FACC “fake president” fraud case in full, and the high-value moments attackers specifically watch for
• A verification protocol built for high-value, time-critical and confidential requests

Unit 3: Governance Duties for Cyber Risk

• The legal backbone behind director oversight, and the UK Corporate Governance Code’s Provision 29
• The NCSC’s Cyber Governance Code of Practice and the right questions a board should ask
• What board-level accountability looks like during a major incident, with a current UK case study

Unit 4: Personal Risk and Protection

• Your personal digital footprint, and family and home exposure as extensions of corporate risk
• Secure communications for sensitive matters, and travel and event security
• A practical personal action plan