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Quantaledge Tech Empowerment Foundation

Beginner

Cybersecurity

Defending systems, networks and data, from the fundamentals of information security through to running a live security assessment. Network defense, cryptography, ethical hacking, web application security, malware analysis, incident response and security operations, each practiced against a running target rather than a slide.

  • 38 lessons
  • Beginner

Cybersecurity is one of the few skills that decides whether an organization keeps its data or loses it. This course takes a learner from the fundamentals of information security through to running a live security assessment.

It is built around a single idea: you cannot defend a system you have never attacked. Learners work from both sides, studying how an intrusion is carried out and then building the controls that stop it.

What a graduate can do

  • Explain the CIA triad, name the main classes of threat actor, and map common attack vectors to the vulnerabilities they exploit.
  • Design and defend a network using firewalls, IDS and IPS, segmentation, VPNs and TLS, including wireless.
  • Apply symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing and digital signatures, and manage certificates under a public key infrastructure.
  • Run an ethical hacking engagement end to end, from reconnaissance and vulnerability scanning through exploitation to a written report with remediation steps.
  • Find and fix the OWASP Top 10 in a web application, and apply secure coding and input validation.
  • Harden Windows and Active Directory and Linux, run patch management, and deploy endpoint detection and response.
  • Identify malware by type and behavior, work the incident response lifecycle, carry out basic digital forensics, and investigate using SIEM tooling.
  • Work inside a security operations center: threat intelligence and hunting, log management and analysis, and security automation.

How it is taught

Twelve to thirteen weeks, two sessions a week of two to three hours, online and instructor-led, with a self-paced track alongside it. Learners work in a virtual lab with Kali Linux, Metasploit, Wireshark and the supporting toolchain, and are given penetration testing ranges and capture-the-flag challenges to practice on.

Assessment and certification

Practical labs and simulated incidents throughout, then a capstone assessment presented to the instructors. Completion is earned on the capstone, not on attendance. The syllabus is aligned to CompTIA Security+ and to CEH, though those exams are taken with the awarding body.

Finishing the course does not produce a certificate on its own. The certificate is issued by Quantaledge Tech Empowerment Foundation and carries the signature of the Chairman.

Before you start

None. The course starts at the fundamentals of information security and assumes no prior security experience.

What the course covers

9 modules · 38 lessons

  1. 1. Introduction to cybersecurity

    Fundamentals of information security and the CIA triad, the threat landscape and its actors, common attack vectors and vulnerabilities, and the career paths open in security.

    • Fundamentals of information security and the CIA triad

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • The cybersecurity landscape and threat actors

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Common attack vectors and vulnerabilities

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Career paths in cybersecurity

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

  2. 2. Network security fundamentals

    TCP/IP and network architecture, firewalls, IDS and IPS, segmentation, VPNs, SSL and TLS, and wireless network security.

    • TCP/IP protocols and network architecture

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Firewalls, IDS and IPS systems, and network segmentation

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • VPNs, SSL and TLS, and secure communication protocols

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Wireless network security and best practices

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

  3. 3. Cryptography and data protection

    Symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing functions and digital signatures, public key infrastructure and certificate management, and encryption at rest and in transit.

    • Symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Hashing functions and digital signatures

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Public key infrastructure and certificate management

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Data encryption at rest and in transit

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

  4. 4. Ethical hacking and penetration testing

    Methodologies, reconnaissance and information gathering, vulnerability scanning, exploitation and post-exploitation, and reporting findings with remediation recommendations.

    • Ethical hacking methodologies

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Reconnaissance and information gathering

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Vulnerability scanning and assessment tools

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Exploitation and post-exploitation

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Reporting findings and remediation recommendations

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

  5. 5. Web application security

    The OWASP Top 10, SQL injection, XSS and CSRF, secure coding and input validation, and web application firewalls and testing tools.

    • The OWASP Top 10

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • SQL injection, XSS, CSRF and other web attacks

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Secure coding practices and input validation

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Web application firewalls and security testing tools

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

  6. 6. Operating system security

    Windows hardening and Active Directory, Linux configuration and permissions, patch management and vulnerability mitigation, and endpoint detection and response.

    • Windows security hardening and Active Directory

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Linux security configuration and permissions

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Patch management and vulnerability mitigation

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Endpoint detection and response

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

  7. 7. Malware analysis and incident response

    Viruses, trojans, ransomware and rootkits, detection and analysis techniques, the incident response lifecycle, digital forensics fundamentals, and SIEM tooling.

    • Malware types: viruses, trojans, ransomware and rootkits

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Malware detection and analysis techniques

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • The incident response lifecycle and its procedures

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Digital forensics fundamentals

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Security information and event management tooling

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

  8. 8. Security operations and monitoring

    Security operations center practice, threat intelligence and hunting, log management and analysis, and security automation and orchestration.

    • Security operations center practice

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Threat intelligence and threat hunting

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Log management and analysis

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Security automation and orchestration

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

  9. 9. Capstone project

    Conduct a full security assessment, design a security architecture for an organization, write an incident response plan, and present findings and recommendations.

    • Conduct a full security assessment

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Design a security architecture for an organization

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Write an incident response plan and its procedures

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open
    • Present findings and recommendations

      Reading · optional

      Enroll to open

Past cohorts

Runs of this course that have already been taught, with a facilitator and a group working through it together.

Cybersecurity - Quantaledge