Introduction to Cybersecurity Course Outline

Understand why security matters, who the attackers are, and how they think. Introduce the CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) as the framework for all security decisions.

Malware, phishing, ransomware, SQL injection, MITM attacks, and more. Understand how each attack works at a technical level so you can defend against it effectively — and recognise it when it's happening.

Understand symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing, digital signatures, and certificates. Learn how HTTPS, SSH, and VPNs rely on these concepts to secure data in transit and at rest.

Authentication, authorisation, and accounting (AAA). Passwords, MFA, single sign-on, role-based access control, and the principle of least privilege applied to real systems.

Configure firewall rules, understand intrusion detection and prevention systems, and learn how network segmentation limits the damage attackers can do inside your environment.

Reduce attack surface by disabling unnecessary services, applying patches, locking down configurations, and following CIS Benchmarks. Hands-on hardening of Linux and Windows systems.

Use tools like Nmap and OpenVAS to identify vulnerabilities before attackers do. Understand CVEs, CVSS scores, and how to prioritise remediation in a real-world environment.

What to do when something goes wrong. Understand the incident response lifecycle, how to contain and recover from a breach, and how security policies govern behaviour in organisations.