Digital first responders are part of the Cyber Security Network (CSN) of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
After completing the basic course, you can register with the CSN and make your knowledge publicly available.
However, it is also possible to complete the basic "Digital First Aider" course and the associated quiz anonymously without registering; a certificate can be downloaded at the end of the course itself.
The CISO staff unit encourages anyone interested, including the IT coordinators, to complete the three short course parts of approx. 20 minutes each and to take the quiz in order to apply the knowledge acquired within TU Braunschweig on a voluntary basis and to help colleagues in the event of an emergency.
The CISO staff unit keeps a list of people who have undergone further training as "digital first aiders" on their own responsibility and who agree that we may pass on their contact details - only within TU Braunschweig - to enquirers if necessary. There will be no publication.
Tasks of the Digital First Aiders (quote from the BSI, adapted for internal use at TU Braunschweig)
In the event of IT security incidents, the digital first aider has the task of making a qualified assessment of the incident and providing the affected person with initial assistance in the event of minor IT malfunctions and IT incidents and making initial recommendations for action. He/she will be contacted by the affected party by telephone or email within the service hours voluntarily specified by the affected party and can then provide the appropriate support.
A digital first aider usually does not yet provide an on-site service, but offers first aid primarily by telephone or, in individual cases, by email or similar digital communication channels. The idea of a digital first responder is that they try to analyze the IT security incident with little effort and within a manageable period of time and resolve it as directly as possible.
The "IT Security Incident Response Guide for Digital First Responders" supports them in the analysis and recommendations for action, which the digital first responder makes independently and at their own discretion. If the incident cannot be resolved with reasonable effort or in an initial discussion, the Digital First Aider will contact the relevant departments at TU Braunschweig.
A digital first aider can be any person of legal age who would like to volunteer their knowledge and expertise to help others. This can therefore be private individuals such as students or IT coordinators or employees or lecturers. They help those affected by an IT malfunction or an IT security incident with a qualified assessment of the problem and provide first aid for minor IT malfunctions by making specific recommendations for action.
How is the basic course structured?
The content of the basic course is based on the "Guidelines for responding to IT security incidents for digital first aiders". The course itself consists of a total of three modules, divided into five 20-30 minute videos, each covering a specific topic.
The basic course starts with the basics of the CSN and its working methods. It then continues with the treatment of various IT faults and IT security incidents. Finally, the basics of a service-oriented telephone call are discussed in relation to the work of a digital first responder.
After each video (except module 1.1), there is the opportunity to check and thus consolidate the newly acquired knowledge by means of a self-test. The respective questions relate to the previously covered topic.
At the end of this online course, participants can generate and print out a training certificate themselves.
Links and sources
BSI - Basic course for qualification as a digital first aider (bund.de)
Guidelines for digital first aiders www.bsi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/BSI/CSN/210712_Leitfaden_Digitaler_Ersthelfer.pdf
BSI - Basic course module 1 (bund.de)
BSI - Basic course module 2 (bund.de)
BSI - Basic course module 3 (bund.de)
BSI - FAQ on qualification and registration as a digital first aider (bund.de)
BSI - Cyber security network (bund.de)
CISO staff unit: www.tu-braunschweig.de/ciso