Learning and Skills

Online Safety and Security Badges

Open Badges are digital records of achievements and skills that are tied to assessment and evidence. Unlike paper certificates, Open Badges are manageable online.

Open Badges are a straightforward way to collect, manage and share evidence of learning in today’s digital world. You can collect them to evidence your learning and share them in places that matter to you, including offline as printable certificates. When you show your badge to someone, they will be able to see criteria against which the badge was issued and any evidence that you provided to prove you met that criterion.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) issue Open Badges to recognise continuous and informal learning that would otherwise go unrecorded.

SSSC have created 8 Online Safety and Security Open Badges, which are aimed at assisting people with staying safe and secure online.

The 8 badges are:

• Why Digital?
  This badge is awarded to people who demonstrate their understanding of the importance of good online safety and security practices in the workplace and basic steps that can be taken to keep themselves, the people who use their services and their organisation safe and secure online.
• Digital Footprint
  This badge is awarded to people who demonstrate their understanding of the type and amount of information they share online and how this can impact on their personal and work lives as well as the organisations and the people who use their services.
• Social Media
  This badge is awarded to people who demonstrate their understanding of how the personal and work use of social media can have significant consequences both in their personal and work lives and how the lines between both can easily become blurred.
• Digital Security
  This badge is awarded to people who demonstrate their understanding of the importance of digital security practice and procedures and how to influence such positive behaviour within their organisation.
• Email
  This badge is awarded to people who demonstrate their understanding of safe and responsible use of email and how to manage their email accounts in a safe and secure manner.
• Video Chats
  This badge is awarded to people who demonstrate their understanding of the appropriate use of online meeting platforms and how to secure online chats and webinars.
• Wi-Fi and Routers
  This badge is awarded to people who demonstrate their understanding of how to secure their WiFi and routers.
• Reflection
  This badge is awarded to people who demonstrate their understanding of online safety and security by completing the first seven badges from our Online Safety and Security series.

Anyone can earn most of our badges. You don’t need to be registered with the SSSC. A small number of badges, specifically related to registration, do require you to be registered and will state this in their prerequisites.