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- Categories:
- Cyber Security
- Level:
- Fundamentals
- Code:
- CYBSTAROT
- Exam:
- Not Applicable
Overview
Cyber Stars (Critical National Infrastructure)
Cyber Stars is the first education and awareness programme with an official qualification in cyber security awareness for those working within Critical National Infrastructure. As the cyber threats to CNI continue to increase and evolve it is essential that those with access to and responsibility for keeping Operational Technology secure, to fully understand cyber security threats within the relevant and specific context. Generic IT based cyber awareness training often misses the requirement for those working in more operational technology roles and our curriculum has been developed with leading providers of CNI in the United Kingdom to ensure complete relevance to those working in role. Cyber Stars CNI curriculums are specific to individual sector risks and support NIST Directive requirements associated with cyber security awareness within CNI.
Cyber Stars training has been delivered successfully in over 30 countries and over 250,000 individuals have participated in one of our training programmes. Each Cyber Stars course is bespoke, as sector and organisational threats are often subtly different. This impacts our curriculum to ensure it is relevant and provides actionable behavioural changes that will make a difference to both the personal and corporate environment. Threat types used and case studies included in the programme will always be relevant to sector and ensure increased levels of engagement through learner recognition of relevance.
Cyber Stars Assessment
The Cyber Stars assessment is undertaken directly with our partner IntQual, and managed independently outside of QA, due to its OFQUAL regulation.
Contact Cyber@intqual-pro.com for any assessment related queries.
Prerequisites
No Prerequisites.
What's included
Select your preferred way to learn:
What is Virtual?
Live, instructor-led training delivered online
Enables teams or individuals to learn together without travel, maintaining interaction, discussion and practical exercises while minimising time away from the business and supporting scalable training delivery.
Who is it for: Individuals and teams needing flexible, instructor-led learning without time away from the business.
Do you know about our Attend from Anywhere (AFA) option?
Join in person or remotely, with the same live instruction, interaction and hands-on experience—wherever you are.
What's included?
1 Day instructor led course
6 month free access to QA learning platform
Free 6-Month Access: Learning Platform Discovery plan
Included FREE with every instructor‑led course
Get free guided access to the QA Learning Platform. Assess your skills, explore in-demand topics, and understand which areas to focus on.
Learn AI, Cloud, Data, and Leadership skills at your own pace.
Put skills into practice with hands-on Labs and Simulabs.
Validate knowledge and highlight gaps with skills assessments.
What is bespoke training?
Custom instructor-led training designed by QA to fit your needs
Tailored programmes built around your organisation’s goals, challenges, and skill levels. Delivered in the format that suits you to maximise relevance and impact.
Best for: Organisations and teams looking to target specific business priorities and capabilities with QA subject matter expertise.
Find out more about the course:
Dates
No dates available?
Can't find a date that fits? Need to train your whole team, explore classroom options, or looking for a discount?
Learning outcomes
Regardless of prior knowledge and exposure to cyber security threats, the programmes focus specifically on user behaviour, how to identify, mitigate and effectively respond to cyber threat in both a personal and working environment.
Key learning topics include:
- The Scale and Evolution of Cyber Threat
- Threat Actors and Motivations
- Threat Techniques (Social Engineering, Malware, Network Attack, Physical Access)
- Home and Mobile Working Threats (Wifi, VPN, Encryption, USB, password security)
- Social Media Safety (Digital footprint leakage and protection)
- Incident Response and Business Continuity (in scoping with organisation
- for messaging)
- Supply Chain Threat (if relevant to business model)
- Policy Development and Implementation (in scoping with organisation for messaging)
Course outline
Cyber Stars (Critical National Infrastructure)
Cyber Stars is the first education and awareness programme with an official qualification in cyber security awareness for those working within Critical National Infrastructre. As the cyber threats to CNI continue to increase and evolve it is essential that those with access to and responsibility for keeping Operational Technology secure, to fully understand cyber security threats within the relevant and specific context. Generic IT based cyber awareness training often misses the requirement for those working in more operational technology roles and our curriculum has been developed with leading providers of CNI in the United Kingdom to ensure complete relevance to those working in role. Cyber Stars CNI curriculums are specific to individual sector risks and support NIST Directive requirements associated with cyber security awareness within CNI.
Topics covered:
- Defining the difference between IT and OT
- Evolution of cyber threats
- Threat groups (inc insider threat)
- Defining vulnerabilities (regular and zero-day)
- OT Cyber risk assessment
- Vulnerability identification and cyber attack chain
- Social Engineering attacks
- Network attacks
- Supply chain and Third Party
- Systems and Data and the consequences of their loss
- Compliance and Regulatory Frameworks
Good to know
Cyber Stars is the first education and awareness programme with an official qualification in cyber security awareness for those working within Critical National Infrastructre.
The Cyber Stars assessment is undertaken directly with our partner IntQual, and managed independently outside of QA, due to its OFQUAL regulation.
Contact Cyber@intqual-pro.com for any assessment related queries.


Cyber Security learning paths
Want to boost your career in cyber security? Click on the roles below to see QA's learning pathways, specially designed to give you the skills to succeed.
ICS & OT Security learning paths
Want to boost your career in ICS & OT Security? View QA's learning pathways below, specially designed to give you the skills to succeed.
Get in touch for team bookings and exclusive discounts
Ready to book? Complete the form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly to discuss your options.
Let’s make it work for you. Speak to one of our learning experts today.
What our customers are saying
“I would say the secure software engineering programme QA built, is beyond training. It is more around making transformation in the mindset of people, and this was exactly what we are looking for.”
Emil Minev
Senior Consultant & Programme Manager, Paysafe Group
“I really enjoyed the practical experience given by the labs, and also being able to make use of the expertise of the trainers and learn tips and tricks from them. Overall, it was an excellent overview of the cyber security profession as a whole. The learning experience was fun and exciting!”
QA learner
“I loved learning about Open Source Intelligence - the things you can do just with Google are amazing! Also, being able to meet, work with, and chat to other people interested in cyber was fantastic.”
QA learner
Portfolio Director
Richard Beck
Portfolio Director – Cyber
Frequently asked questions
How can I create an account on myQA.com?
There are a number of ways to create an account. If you are a self-funder, simply select the "Create account" option on the login page.
If you have been booked onto a course by your company, you will receive a confirmation email. From this email, select "Sign into myQA" and you will be taken to the "Create account" page. Complete all of the details and select "Create account".
If you have the booking number you can also go here and select the "I have a booking number" option. Enter the booking reference and your surname. If the details match, you will be taken to the "Create account" page from where you can enter your details and confirm your account.
Find more answers to frequently asked questions in our FAQs: Bookings & Cancellations page.
How do QA’s virtual classroom courses work?
Our virtual classroom courses allow you to access award-winning classroom training, without leaving your home or office. Our learning professionals are specially trained on how to interact with remote attendees and our remote labs ensure all participants can take part in hands-on exercises wherever they are.
We use the WebEx video conferencing platform by Cisco. Before you book, check that you meet the WebEx system requirements and run a test meeting to ensure the software is compatible with your firewall settings. If it doesn’t work, try adjusting your settings or contact your IT department about permitting the website.
How do QA’s online courses work?
QA online courses, also commonly known as distance learning courses or elearning courses, take the form of interactive software designed for individual learning, but you will also have access to full support from our subject-matter experts for the duration of your course. When you book a QA online learning course you will receive immediate access to it through our e-learning platform and you can start to learn straight away, from any compatible device. Access to the online learning platform is valid for one year from the booking date.
All courses are built around case studies and presented in an engaging format, which includes storytelling elements, video, audio and humour. Every case study is supported by sample documents and a collection of Knowledge Nuggets that provide more in-depth detail on the wider processes.
When will I receive my joining instructions?
Joining instructions for QA courses are sent two weeks prior to the course start date, or immediately if the booking is confirmed within this timeframe. For course bookings made via QA but delivered by a third-party supplier, joining instructions are sent to attendees prior to the training course, but timescales vary depending on each supplier’s terms. Read more FAQs.
When will I receive my certificate?
Certificates of Achievement are issued at the end the course, either as a hard copy or via email. Read more here.
