CYBERSECURITY: FUNDAMENTALS TO ADVANCED DEFENSE TECHNIQUES

This course provides a deep and practical introduction to the field of cybersecurity. It covers the foundational principles, real-world threats, tools, and strategies used to protect digital systems. Through hands-on labs and theoretical understanding, learners will gain the skills to identify, mitigate, and prevent security breaches.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Aspiring Cybersecurity Professionals

IT Administrators

Developers

Anyone interested in digital security and ethical hacking

DURATION:

12–16 weeks (adjustable for bootcamp, academic, or part-time study)

CERTIFICATIONS (OPTIONAL PREP):

CompTIA Security+

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

Cisco CCNA CyberOps

GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)

COURSE OUTLINE

Module 1: Introduction to Cybersecurity

What is cybersecurity?

The CIA triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability

Types of threats (malware, phishing, DoS, insider threats)

Key cybersecurity domains (network, application, cloud, endpoint)

Module 2: Networking Essentials for Security

TCP/IP, OSI Model

IP addressing and subnets

Common network protocols (HTTP, DNS, SMTP)

Firewalls and VPNs

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)

Module 3: Operating Systems & System Hardening

Windows vs Linux from a security standpoint

User roles and permissions

Patch management

System logging and auditing

Hardening guidelines and tools (e.g., CIS Benchmarks)

Module 4: Cryptography

Encryption vs hashing

Symmetric vs asymmetric cryptography (AES, RSA, etc.)

Digital signatures and certificates

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

SSL/TLS in action

Module 5: Threats, Vulnerabilities & Attacks

Common malware types: ransomware, trojans, spyware

Phishing and social engineering

Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS (DDoS)

Man-in-the-middle attacks

Zero-day vulnerabilities

Module 6: Web & Application Security

OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL Injection, XSS)

Secure coding practices

Penetration testing basics

Input validation and session management

Web application firewalls (WAFs)

Module 7: Identity & Access Management (IAM)

Authentication vs authorization

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

LDAP, SSO, OAuth, OpenID Connect

Password policies and credential management

Module 8: Cloud Security

Shared responsibility model

Securing AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud

Cloud IAM, storage, and networking controls

Security misconfigurations and how to avoid them

Tools like AWS GuardDuty, Azure Security Center

Module 9: Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing

What is ethical hacking?

Reconnaissance and scanning

Exploitation techniques

Tools: Kali Linux, Metasploit, Nmap, Wireshark

Reporting and remediation

Module 10: Security Monitoring & Incident Response

SIEM tools (Splunk, ELK, QRadar)

Event correlation and alerting

Incident Response lifecycle (Preparation, Detection, Containment, Eradication, Recovery)

Real-world case studies

Module 11: Security Governance & Compliance

Security policies and standards (ISO 27001, NIST, CIS)

Risk management and threat modeling

GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR)

Module 12: Capstone Project & Certification Review

Choose between:

 i.  Red team project (penetration testing & reporting)

 ii. Blue team project (network defense and monitoring)

Final exam or CompTIA Security+ practice test

Resume and interview prep for security roles

LAB ACTIVITIES

Packet sniffing with Wireshark

Port scanning with Nmap

Creating and analyzing phishing simulations

Writing firewall and IDS rules

Encrypting and decrypting files using GPG

TOOLS & PLATFORMS USED

Kali Linux

VirtualBox / VMware

Burp Suite

Metasploit

Nmap

Wireshark

Splunk or ELK Stack

AWS/Azure (for cloud security modules)