Fundamentals of Security
Core security principles across networking, firewalls, and foundational defensive practices.
1. Security Principles
CIA triad, risk, threat, vulnerability, and basic security models.
2. Threats and Attack Vectors
Common attacks, social engineering, malware types, and kill chain basics.
3. Networking for Security
Ports, protocols, segmentation, and why network design matters to defense.
4. Firewalls and Access Control
Packet vs stateful vs next-gen firewalls, ACLs, and rule design.
5. Lab: Build Firewall Rules
Hands-on creating allow/deny lists, least privilege, and logging.
6. Security Architecture Basics
Defense in depth, DMZ, zoning, and secure baselines.
7. Monitoring and Logging Fundamentals
What to log, where to log, and how to monitor effectively.
8. Assignment: Secure Network Design
Design a small network with firewall rules and logging strategy.
9. Quiz: Security Foundations
Assess knowledge of core security concepts and controls.
10. Risk Management Fundamentals
Learn risk identification, risk scoring, and treatment options (accept, transfer, mitigate, avoid) using beginner-friendly case studies.
11. Asset Classification and Data Sensitivity
Classify information by business impact and map handling rules for public, internal, confidential, and restricted data.
12. Lab: Data Classification Workshop
Tag sample datasets by sensitivity level and apply correct handling controls such as encryption, retention, and access restrictions.
13. Authentication and Authorization Basics
Differentiate identity verification from permission control, and learn practical role-based access patterns for secure systems.
14. Password Policies and MFA Design
Build strong password policy requirements and understand where MFA adds security and where usability trade-offs matter.
15. Lab: Access Control Design
Create user roles, define least-privilege permissions, and test role assignments against business scenarios.
16. Security Policies and Standards
Write practical policy statements and map them to standards and procedures beginners can implement in real teams.
17. Vulnerability Management Lifecycle
Understand discovery, triage, remediation, verification, and reporting across a basic vulnerability program.
18. Lab: Basic Vulnerability Triage
Analyze mock findings, prioritize by risk, assign remediation owners, and define verification steps.
19. Secure Network Segmentation Principles
Learn why segmentation limits lateral movement and how to separate user, server, and admin zones safely.
20. Endpoint Security Essentials
Cover antivirus/EDR basics, patching posture, local hardening, and user behavior controls for endpoints.
21. Lab: Build a Security Baseline
Apply a starter baseline checklist to endpoints and servers, then document deviations and fixes.
22. Incident Response Fundamentals
Understand detection, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned with beginner-focused scenarios.
23. Lab: Mini Incident Simulation
Respond to a mock malware alert by triaging evidence, isolating affected hosts, and documenting actions.
24. Governance, Compliance, and Ethics
Explore legal and ethical fundamentals, compliance obligations, and responsible security decision-making.
25. Capstone: Security Fundamentals Blueprint
Create a full beginner-friendly security blueprint combining access control, segmentation, logging, vulnerability handling, and incident response.