Cybersecurity Foundations

1. Security principles: CIA triad, threat models, attack surfaces 2. Types of cyber attacks: malware, phishing, MITM, DoS, social engineering 3. Security terminology: vulnerabilities, exploits, payloads, risk 4. Lab: Analyzing security breaches and how they happened

• Introduction

  Welcome to Cybersecurity Foundations, meet your instructor.

• Cybersecurity Foundations

  Definition and explanation of cyber security role.

• Understanding the CIA Triad

  Understand the components of the CIA triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability

• Understanding Security Terminology

  Define key security terms such as vulnerabilities, exploits, and payloads

• Identifying Threat Models

  Identify different threat models and their implications for cybersecurity

• Exploring Attack Surfaces

  Analyze various attack surfaces and how they can be exploited

• Types of Cyber Attacks Overview

  Identify different types of cyber attacks including malware, phishing, and DoS

• Project: Create an Attack Surface Map

  Build a detailed attack surface map for a hypothetical organization

• Analyzing Cyber Attack Mechanisms

  Analyze how common cyber attacks are executed and their potential impacts

Introduction to Python for coding Beginners.

• Getting Started with Python and Your Coding Environment

  Set up a Python workspace and run a first Python program.

• Understanding Variables and Basic Data Types

  Store and identify simple values using variables, numbers, and text.

• Working with Input and Output in Python

  Collect user input and display results with print statements.

• Making Decisions with if Statements

  Write simple programs that choose actions based on conditions.

• Repeating Tasks with Loops

  Use for loops and while loops to repeat actions in Python.

• Organizing Code with Functions

  Create reusable functions that perform small tasks in a program.

• Python Modules

  Understanding Python packages

• Using external packages

  Installing and using external packages with UV

• Python datetime

  Working with date and time in python

• Capstone Project: Build a Password Strength Evaluator

  Develop a Python program that checks password rules and reports whether a password is weak or strong.

- Writing scripts to automate scanning, enumeration, and log analysis - Working with sockets, subprocess, scapy - Parsing data from logs and network captures - Lab: Build a simple port scanner & log analyzer in Python

• Getting Started with Python for Security Work

  Set up a Python environment and run a first script that prints system information.

• Python Basics for Automation

  Write simple Python programs using variables, lists, and loops to handle repeated tasks.

• Working with Files and Text Logs

  Read a log file and extract useful lines using basic string methods.

• Python Code Challenge

  Test your python knowledge

• Project: Build a Basic Log Reader

  Create a Python tool that loads a log file and summarizes key events.

• Using Subprocess to Run Security Commands

  Use Python subprocess calls to run safe system commands and capture their output.

• Sockets and TCP Port Scanning Basics

  Create a simple TCP port scanner that checks whether selected ports are open.

• Parsing Network Data with Scapy

  Load and inspect packet capture data to identify basic network activity.

• Capstone Project: Build a Simple Port Scanner and Log Analyzer

  Develop a small Python security tool that scans ports and analyzes logs to report findings.

- OSI vs TCP/IP model from a security perspective - Ports, sockets, packets - Common protocols: HTTP/HTTPS, DNS, SMTP, SSH - Understanding packet sniffing & interception - Lab: Use Wireshark to inspect live traffic and identify suspicious patterns

• Understanding the OSI Model

  Understand the seven layers of the OSI model and their relevance to networking

• Exploring the TCP/IP Model

  Understand the four layers of the TCP/IP model and how they relate to the OSI model

• TCP & UDP Protocols

  Understand how applications on different hosts communicate over TCP and UDP. Understanding the differences is vital, as attackers exploit the properties of each.

• IP Addresses: The Logical Location (Layer 3)

  Deep dive into the addressing and local communication layer of networking, which is critical for understanding low-level security threats.

• Introduction to Ports and Sockets

  Identify what ports and sockets are and their functions in network communication

• Understanding Network Packets

  Define what packets are and how they are used to transmit data over a network

• Overview of Common Network Protocols

  Identify and describe the functions of HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, SMTP, and SSH protocols

• Analyzing Network Traffic with Wireshark

  Use Wireshark to capture and analyze live network traffic for security insights

• Project: Inspect Live Traffic Using Wireshark

  Use Wireshark to inspect live traffic and identify suspicious patterns in real-time

• Capstone Project: Integrating Networking and Security Skills

  Demonstrate understanding of networking and protocol security concepts through a comprehensive real-world project

While networking security protects the "pipes", OS security protects the "endpoints" (servers, work stations, and laptops). Hardening is the process of securing a system by reducing it's attack surface.

• What Operating System Security Protects

  Understand the difference between endpoint security and network security and identify the main parts of an operating system that need protection

• User Accounts, Passwords, and Permissions

  Configure basic user accounts and file permissions to limit what different users can access

• Updates, Patches, and Software Hardening

  Identify and apply operating system updates and remove or disable unnecessary software to reduce attack surface

• Firewalls and Secure Remote Access

  Configure a basic host firewall and use secure remote access settings to protect a computer from unwanted connections

• System Logging and Basic Threat Detection

  Find and interpret key system logs to identify signs of failed logins, suspicious activity, and security changes

• Security Policies and Startup Protection

  Configure basic security policies such as password rules, auto-lock, and secure startup settings to strengthen endpoint protection

• Project: Secure and Monitor a Small Office Endpoint

  Deploy a complete security setup for a small office computer by combining hardening, logging, and policy settings into one protected configuration

General online presence cyber security knowledge for all internet users. Including explanation of VPN, RDP, Proxies and Socks, encrypted emails, 2Fa, Hardware Security Keys, e.t.c.

• How Online Attacks Happen: Passwords, Phishing, and Public Wi‑Fi Risks

  Identify the most common ways attackers compromise online accounts and explain why each one is dangerous

• Password Safety and Password Managers

  Create a strong password strategy and set up a password manager to store and generate unique passwords

• Two-Factor Authentication with Apps, SMS, and Backup Codes

  Configure two-factor authentication on a sample account and use backup codes correctly

• Project: Secure a Personal Online Account Setup

  Apply password manager and two-factor authentication skills to secure a test account and document the protection steps used

• VPNs, Proxies, and SOCKS: What They Do and When to Use Them

  Differentiate VPNs, proxies, and SOCKS connections and choose the right option for a given privacy or access scenario

• Remote Access Basics: Understanding RDP and Safe Remote Connections

  Explain what RDP is and identify the security settings needed to reduce remote access risk

• Encrypted Email and Hardware Security Keys

  Recognize how encrypted email and hardware security keys protect communication and login access

• Capstone: Design a Complete Online Security Plan for Everyday Use

  Design a simple end-to-end security plan for a home user that covers account protection, safe remote access, privacy tools, and secure communication

Project Lab on Investigating Security Breaches and setting up your Cyber Security Portfolio

• Lab: Investigating Security Breaches

  Students will be able to investigate and analyze real-world security breaches to understand their causes and implications in cybersecurity.

• Capstone: Integrating Cybersecurity Concepts

  Integrate the concepts of threat models, attack surfaces, and security terminology into a comprehensive cybersecurity report

• Cybersecurity Portfolio

  How to setup your Cyber Security portfolio as an expert

• What's Next?

  After completing Cybersecurity foundations course, what are the next steps to focus on in other to excel in Cybersecurity field.