Course description
Embark on an exhilarating journey into cybersecurity with our cutting-edge 12-week course. Designed to cater
to learners at all levels - from curious beginners to seasoned professionals -
this program is your gateway to mastering the art and science of digital
defense. Immerse yourself in a curriculum that seamlessly
blends theoretical foundations with practical, hands-on experience. As cyber
threats evolve at breakneck speed, our course stays ahead of the curve,
incorporating the latest trends and technologies in the field. Whether you're
looking to launch a career in cybersecurity, enhance your existing skills, or
simply understand the digital landscape better, this course will equip you with
the knowledge and tools to navigate the complex world of cyber threats and
defenses. Prepare to unlock the secrets of ethical hacking, delve into the
intricacies of network security, and emerge as a confident cybersecurity
practitioner ready to tackle real-world challenges. Your cybersecurity
adventure starts here – are you ready to secure the digital frontier?
Basic Level (4 weeks):
Week 1: Introduction to Cybersecurity
Lesson 1: Introduction to Cybersecurity
a. Definition and scope of cybersecurity
b. Historical evolution of cybersecurity
c. Key figures in cybersecurity development
d. Major cybersecurity events and their impact
e. Practical Exercise
Lesson 2: The Importance of Cybersecurity and Basic
Concepts
a. Current cybersecurity landscape and emerging
threats
b. Impact of cyber-attacks on individuals,
businesses, and nations
c. Basic cybersecurity terminology and concepts
d. The CIA triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, and
Availability
e. Introduction to common attack vectors and
defense mechanisms
f.
Overview of cybersecurity careers and job roles
g. Practical Exercises
Week 2: Understanding Cyber Threats
Lesson 3: Types of Cyber Threats
a. Classification of cyber threats
b. Passive vs. active threats
c.
Internal vs. external threats
d. Common cyber-attack techniques (e.g., brute
force, dictionary attacks, social engineering)
e. Emerging threat landscapes (e.g., IoT
vulnerabilities, AI-powered attacks)
f.
Practical Exercise
Lesson 4: Malware and Its Types
a. Definition and characteristics of malware
b. Types of malware: viruses, worms, trojans,
rootkits, bootkit, adware, spyware
c.
Ransomware: function, impact, and notable
incidents
d. Malware infection vectors and propagation
methods
e. Anti-malware strategies and tools
f.
Practical Exercise
Lesson 5: Phishing and Social Engineering
a. Understanding social engineering techniques
b. Types of phishing attacks (spear phishing,
whaling, vishing, smishing)
c.
Psychological manipulation tactics used in
social engineering
d. Real-world examples and case studies of
successful phishing attacks
e. Best practices for phishing prevention and
awareness training
Lesson 6: Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
a. Definition and characteristics of APTs
b. APT lifecycle and attack stages
c.
Notable APT groups and their tactics
d. APT detection and mitigation strategies
e. Case studies of high-profile APT attacks
f.
Practical Exercise
Week 3: Vulnerabilities & Risk Assessment
Lesson 7: Understanding Vulnerabilities
a. Definition and types of vulnerabilities
(software, hardware, network, human)
b. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
system
c.
OWASP Top 10 web application vulnerabilities
d. CWE/SANS Top 25 software weaknesses
e. Vulnerability scanning tools and techniques
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 8: Risk Assessment Techniques
a. Introduction to risk management frameworks
(e.g., NIST RMF, ISO 31000)
b. Qualitative vs. quantitative risk assessment
methods
c.
Risk assessment process: identification,
analysis, evaluation
d. Tools for risk assessment (e.g., risk matrices,
decision trees)
e. Developing a risk register and risk treatment
plans
f.
Practical Exercise
Lesson 9: Identifying and Prioritizing Risks
a. Threat modeling techniques (e.g., STRIDE,
DREAD, PASTA)
b. Asset identification and valuation
c.
Vulnerability assessment vs. penetration
testing
d. Risk prioritization based on impact and
likelihood
e. Creating risk heat maps and risk appetite
statements
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 10: Risk Mitigation Strategies
a. Overview of risk treatment options (avoid,
transfer, mitigate, accept)
b. Developing and implementing security controls
c.
Cost-benefit analysis of security measures
d. Continuous monitoring and risk reassessment
e. Incident response and business continuity
planning
f.
Practical Exercises
Week 4: Network Security Fundamentals
Lesson 11: Introduction to Network Security
a. OSI model and TCP/IP stack review
b. Common network protocols and their security
implications
c.
Network attack surface and threat vectors
d. Network security zoning and segmentation
e. Defense-in-depth strategy for network security
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 12: Firewalls and Their Configurations
a. Types of firewalls: packet filtering, stateful
inspection, application layer
b. Next-generation firewalls (NGFW) and their
features
c.
Firewall deployment strategies and best
practices
d. Firewall rule creation and management
e. Firewall logging and analysis
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 13: Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems
(IDS/IPS)
a. IDS vs. IPS: functions and differences
b. Types of IDS/IPS: network-based, host-based,
wireless
c.
Detection methods: signature-based,
anomaly-based, behavior-based
d. IDS/IPS deployment strategies and tuning
e. Integrating IDS/IPS with other security tools
(SIEM, firewalls)
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 14: Designing a Secure Network
a. Network architecture design principles
b. Implementing secure network protocols (e.g.,
HTTPS, SSH, VPN)
c.
Network Access Control (NAC) and 802.1X
authentication
d. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and security
implications
e. Cloud network security considerations
f.
Practical Exercises
Intermediate Level (4 weeks):
Week 5: Web Application Security
Lesson 15: Introduction to Web Application Security
a. Web application architecture and components
b. OWASP Top 10 Web Application Security Risks
c.
Client-side vs. server-side security concerns
d. Web application attack surface and common entry
points
e. Secure development lifecycle for web
applications
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 16: Secure Design Principles
a. OWASP ASVS (Application Security Verification
Standard)
b. Input validation and output encoding techniques
c.
Secure session management and authentication
mechanisms
d. Implementing proper access controls and
authorization
e. Secure communication protocols (TLS/SSL)
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson17: Common Vulnerabilities and Exploits
·
Detailed exploration of:
a. SQL Injection
b. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
c. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
d. Broken Authentication and Session Management
e. Insecure Direct Object References
·
Practical examples and exploitation techniques
Lesson 18: Tools and Techniques for Securing Web
Applications
a. Web application firewalls (WAF)
b. Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
tools
c.
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
tools
d. Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)
e. Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP)
f.
Practical Exercises
Week 6: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
Lesson 19: Introduction to Ethical Hacking
a. Defining ethical hacking and its importance
b. Legal and ethical considerations in penetration
testing
c.
Types of penetration tests (black box, white
box, gray box)
d. Penetration testing standards and methodologies
e. Building a penetration testing lab
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 20: Penetration Testing Methodologies
- Detailed
exploration of penetration testing phases:
a. Planning and reconnaissance
b. Scanning and enumeration
c. Gaining access (exploitation)
d. Maintaining access
e. Covering tracks
f.
Analysis and reporting
- Comparing
methodologies: OSSTMM, PTES, OWASP, NIST
g. Practical Exercises
Lesson 21: Common Tools Used in Ethical Hacking
a. Reconnaissance tools (e.g., Maltego, Recon-ng,
theHarvester)
b. Scanning and enumeration tools (e.g., Nmap,
Nessus, OpenVAS)
c.
Exploitation frameworks (e.g., Metasploit,
Canvas, Core Impact)
d. Wireless hacking tools (e.g., Aircrack-ng,
Kismet)
e. Post-exploitation tools (e.g., Mimikatz,
PowerSploit)
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 22: Reporting and Documentation
a. Structure and components of a penetration
testing report
b. Writing executive summaries for technical and
non-technical audiences
c.
Documenting vulnerabilities and providing
remediation advice
d. Creating actionable recommendations and
prioritizing fixes
e. Tools for penetration test management and
reporting
f.
Practical Exercises
Week 7: Cyber Attacks and Defenses
Lesson 23: Network Mapping and Port Scanning
a. Understanding network topology and architecture
b. Active vs. passive network mapping techniques
c.
Port scanning techniques (TCP connect, SYN
stealth, UDP scans)
d. OS fingerprinting and service enumeration
e. Evasion techniques and scan detection methods
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 24: Network Attacks and Defenses
a. Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks and prevention
b. Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS
(DDoS) attacks
c.
DNS attacks (cache poisoning, tunneling,
hijacking)
d. ARP spoofing and MAC flooding
e. Network protocol vulnerabilities and
exploitation
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 25: Web Application Attacks and Defenses
a. Server-side attacks (command injection, file
inclusion)
b. Client-side attacks (DOM-based XSS,
clickjacking)
c.
Authentication bypass techniques
d. Session hijacking and fixation
e. API security and common API vulnerabilities
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 26: Wi-Fi Attacks and Defenses
a. Wi-Fi encryption protocols (WEP, WPA, WPA2,
WPA3)
b. Wi-Fi authentication methods and
vulnerabilities
c.
Evil twin attacks and rogue access points
d. Wi-Fi password cracking techniques
e. Securing wireless networks: best practices and
tools
f.
Practical Exercises
Week 8: Cryptography and Secure Communications
Lesson 27: Introduction to Cryptography
a. Basic cryptographic concepts and terminology
b. History of cryptography and notable ciphers
c. Symmetric vs. asymmetric encryption
d. Stream ciphers vs. block ciphers
e. Cryptographic primitives: substitution,
permutation, XOR
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 28: Symmetric and Asymmetric Encryption
a. Symmetric algorithms (e.g., AES, DES, 3DES)
b. Asymmetric algorithms (e.g., RSA, ECC, DSA)
c.
Key exchange protocols (e.g., Diffie-Hellman)
d. Hybrid cryptosystems
e. Quantum cryptography and post-quantum
algorithms
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 29: Hashing and Digital Signatures
a. Cryptographic hash functions (e.g., MD5, SHA
family)
b. Hash-based message authentication codes (HMAC)
c.
Digital signature algorithms and their
applications
d. Certificate authorities and the web of trust
e. Blockchain technology and its cryptographic
foundations
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 30: Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
a. Components of PKI: CA, RA, certificates, CRL
b. X.509 certificate structure and extensions
c.
Certificate lifecycle management
d. SSL/TLS protocols and HTTPS
e. Implementing and managing a PKI system
f.
Practical Exercises
Advanced Level (4 weeks):
Week 9: Secure Coding and Password Security
Lesson 31: Introduction to Secure Coding
a. Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC)
b. Common software vulnerabilities and their
causes
c.
Principles of secure coding (least privilege,
defense in depth)
d. Secure coding standards and guidelines (e.g.,
CERT, OWASP)
e. Code review techniques and tools
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 32: Common Vulnerabilities in Code
a. Buffer overflows and memory corruption
b. Integer overflows and underflows
c.
Race conditions and TOCTOU vulnerabilities
d. Insecure deserialization
e. Error handling and information disclosure
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 33: Techniques for Secure Coding
a. Input validation and sanitization
b. Proper error handling and logging
c.
Secure memory management
d. Least privilege principle in application design
e. Secure API design and implementation
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 34: Password Security
a. Password complexity requirements and policies
b. Password hashing algorithms (e.g., bcrypt,
Argon2, PBKDF2)
c.
Salting and pepper in password storage
d. Multi-factor authentication methods
e. Password managers and their security
considerations
f.
Practical Exercises
Week 10: Incident Response and Digital
Forensics
Lesson 35: Introduction to Incident Response
a. Incident response lifecycle and NIST framework
b. Building an incident response team and defining
roles
c.
Creating and maintaining incident response
plans
d. Legal and regulatory considerations in incident
response
e. Communication strategies during incidents
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 36: Incident Response Planning and Execution
a. Incident detection and analysis techniques
b. Containment strategies and eradication
procedures
c.
System and network recovery processes
d. Post-incident activities and lessons learned
e. Table-top exercises and incident simulation
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 37: Introduction to Digital Forensics
a. Principles of digital forensics and chain of
custody
b. Types of digital evidence and their
characteristics
c.
Legal considerations in digital forensics
d. Live vs. dead box forensics
e. Anti-forensics techniques and countermeasures
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 38: Forensic Investigation Techniques
a. Disk forensics and file system analysis
b. Memory forensics and volatile data collection
c.
Network forensics and traffic analysis
d. Mobile device forensics
e. Cloud forensics challenges and techniques
f.
Practical Exercises
Week 11: Advanced Security Operations
Lesson 39: Advanced Threat Detection
a. Behavioral analysis and anomaly detection
b. Machine learning in threat detection
c.
Threat hunting techniques and methodologies
d. Indicators of Compromise (IoC) and their use
e. Automated threat detection and response systems
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 40: Intelligence Analysis in Cybersecurity
a. Cyber threat intelligence lifecycle
b. Sources of threat intelligence (open-source,
closed-source)
c.
Threat intelligence platforms and feeds
d. Creating actionable intelligence reports
e. Integrating threat intelligence into security
operations
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 41: Security Information and Event Management
(SIEM)
a. SIEM architecture and components
b. Log collection, normalization, and correlation
c.
Creating effective correlation rules and alerts
d. SIEM use cases and scenario development
e. SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and
Response) integration
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 42: Day-to-Day Operations of a Security Team
a. Security operations center (SOC) structure and
roles
b. Shift management and handover procedures
c.
Metrics and KPIs for security operations
d. Continuous improvement in security processes
e. Collaboration with other IT and business units
f.
Practical Exercises
Week 12: Capstone Project, Future Trends, and
Certification
Lesson 43: Capstone Cybersecurity Project
a. Comprehensive security assessment of a
fictitious organization
b. Vulnerability assessment and penetration
testing
c.
Incident response plan development
d. Security policy and procedure creation
e. Presentation of findings and recommendations
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 44: Exploring Future Trends in Cybersecurity
a. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in
cybersecurity
b. Quantum computing and its impact on
cryptography
c.
Internet of Things (IoT) security challenges
d. Zero Trust architecture and implementation
e. Cybersecurity in cloud-native and edge
computing environments
f.
Practical Exercises
Lesson 45: Final Quiz and Course Certification
a. Comprehensive assessment covering all course
topics
b. Practical projects to demonstrate acquired
skills
c.
Review of key concepts and best practices
d. Preparation for industry certifications (e.g.,
CompTIA Security+, CEH)
e. Course completion certificate and next steps in the cybersecurity career
