GT-100-RE
Shock & Awe: Cybersecurity Awareness for Real Estate Professionals – Level 1
Description
Become a human firewall in this interactive and fun cybersecurity awareness training course designed for real estate professionals! Experience live demos and workshops revealing how attackers exploit vulnerabilities specific to the real estate industry and showcasing a Hacker’s Toolkit: including evil devices that spy on you, phishing scams, ransomware, Wi-Fi poisoning, Evil Twins, and phone hacking. Investigate how hackers exploit social engineering and social media to infiltrate real estate software. This course helps promote a culture of cybersecurity through workshops and teamwork.
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Promote a culture of security within your real estate organization.
- Observe The Hacker Toolkit (NDA/ethics contract must be signed, no photos).
- Understand the security risks unique to real estate companies and services.
- Help identify security risk throughout the entire real estate purchase lifecycle.
- Recognize threats to client data and internal systems.
- Apply best practices in information security and regulatory compliance.
Key Takeaways
- How to build a human firewall and key traits
- Deepened awareness of the evolving threat landscape in the real estate industry
- Practical knowledge to help secure your devices and your clients PII data
- Confidence in identifying, avoiding, and reporting cyber and physical security threats
- Reinforced commitment to current real estate regulations
- Know real estate and client PII best practices and how to stay legal
Certificate of Completion
- Certificate of Completion issued after successful completion of all chapters, hands-on exercises, and course evaluation.
- Certificate is downloadable from the Ghost Team Academy Education Portal.
Training Outline
Module 1: Welcome
- Topics:
- Introductions and Expectations
- Pre-Course Exam (30 Minutes on Laptop or Phone)
- Course Overview
- Labs/Exercises: Surprise Workshop
Module 2: Introduction to Security in the Real Estate Industry
- Topics:
- Why Real Estate Companies Are Prime Targets
- Are You or Your Client a High-Value Target?
- The Current Real Estate Cybersecurity Threat Landscape
- Most Common Cyber Attacks in The Real Estate Industry For 2025 And 2026
- Ethical Hacker Instructors Toolkit: No Photos Allowed
- Overview Of Security Risks
- Regulatory Landscape
- Labs/Exercises: Case Study
Module 3: Client Information, PII, & Encryption
- Topics:
- Protecting Client Information
- Data Classification and Access Control
- Encryption Basics and Usage
- Data In Use, In Transit, and At Rest
- Customers Mortgage Company, Your Laptop and Phone, Your Brokers Office
- Secure Data Handling and Transmission
- Labs/Exercises: Surprise Shock & Awe Workshop and Hands-On
Module 4: Authentication: Are You Who You Say You Are?
- Topics:
- Authentication Basics
- Something You Know, Have, Are
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Password Management
- Digital Certificates and Signatures
- Hacking Them All!
- Labs/Exercises: Surprise Shock & Awe Workshop
Module 5: Cybersecurity Risks & Defense
- Topics:
- Common Attack Vectors: Phishing, Ransomware, Business Email Compromise (BEC)
- Malware and Ransomware
- Insider Threat
- Weak Access Control
- Supply Chain and Third-Party Risks
- Firewall and Cloud
- Software Updates
- Safe Use of Email, Browsers, and Online Tools
- Identifying Suspicious Digital Activity
Module 6: Social Engineering & Insider Threats
- Topics:
- Recognizing Manipulation Tactics Used in Social Engineering
- Social Media: You’re Bleeding Information
- Real-Life Case Studies from the Real Estate Industry
- Insider Threat Detection and Prevention
- Secure Communication with Clients and Vendors
- Labs/Exercises: Surprise Shock & Awe Workshop
Module 7: Physical & Remote Security Practices
- Topics:
- Securing Devices and Documents in the Office and at Home
- Clean Desk Policies
- Security Considerations for Remote and Hybrid Workforces
- Safe Use of Mobile Devices and Public Networks
- Setting Up a Personal VPN
Module 8: Incident Response & Compliance
- Topics:
- What To Do in Case of a Breach or Suspected Attack
- Internal Reporting Channels and Protocol
- How to document potential security issues
- Labs/Exercises: Surprise Workshop
Module 9: Conclusion
- Topics:
- Course Summary
- Key Takeaways
- Post-Course Exam
- Q&A
