A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you’re encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
Week One
Lesson 01 - Introduction to Cybersecurity
Wednesday
In Lesson 1, we will introduce you to the course and give you an overview of cybersecurity and its major components. We will dive into the history and evolution of cybersecurity so you can see how it has grown throughout the years to become a significant business and technology concern. Finally, as you consider a career in cybersecurity, it is essential to understand what education and experience you will need, so we will take a look at those and other requirements, too.
Lesson 02 - Cybersecurity Roles and Industries
Friday
In Lesson 2, we will learn about the various roles in cybersecurity that you may take on in an organization. We will examine the industries where cybersecurity is particularly important as well as why it is so important. We will get the scoop on the types of roles and industries you may want to pursue when you enter cybersecurity.
Week Two
Lesson 03 - Problem Solving
Wednesday
Although you may think of cybersecurity as a purely technical field, cybersecurity professionals also need essential soft skills. We will dive into the important communication skills required when dealing with clients, employees, management, and outside groups. In your cybersecurity career, you will most likely be working on teams, so we will look at teams in the workplace and how important team skills are. We will learn the characteristics of a problem solver. Lastly, you will explore the troubleshooting process and why it is important to follow the steps to identify a problem and correct it now and prevent it in the future.
Lesson 04 - Cybersecurity Basics
Friday
This lesson will look at the different kinds of cybersecurity risks companies face. You will explore the tools and the data used to discover, identify, and mitigate attack threats. We will take a look at cybersecurity laws and regulations, why they exist, and how they impact cybersecurity.
Week Three
Lesson 05 - Types of Information Security
Wednesday
Hackers and other bad actors can attack various levels of public and private computing. In this lesson, we dive into types of information security that affect all of us, from critical infrastructure vital to the operation of the country to corporate networks, the cloud, and even appliances in our homes through the Internet of Things. We will define critical infrastructure security and explore its parts. We will look at how security works in different areas to help secure our infrastructure. Next, we will examine other ways to protect the things that make our lives easier—and that people often do not realize need protecting.
Lesson 06 - Common Concepts and Terminology
Friday
In this lesson, we will explore the common concepts in cybersecurity and the specialized terminology its professionals use. We will dive into cryptography by defining and showing examples and how it is used. Next, we will explore why obfuscation is important in cybersecurity and the differences between threats and vulnerabilities. Smart businesses have a plan for when attacks happen, so we will look at Incident Response Plans, how they are created, and what they should contain. Finally, we will examine Identity and Access Management (IAM) and the IAM framework—authentication, authorization, and accounting.
Week Four
Lesson 07 - Types of Threats
Wednesday
This lesson will teach you about the types of threats companies face as they do their day-to-day work. After learning about the types of threats, we will examine how they happen and, most importantly, how they can be avoided. Not every threat is malicious; sometimes unwitting employees inadvertently give away information or an unsuspecting person bites on a phishing attempt. We will explore social engineering by defining it, giving examples, and learning about the four steps of the social engineering process.
Lesson 08 - Secure Coding
Friday
While you don't need to be a programmer to be a cybersecurity professional, coding is important in protecting software from hackers. In Lesson 8, we will deliver the goods on secure coding. We will learn why it is crucial and see the qualities of secure coding. Next, we will look at frameworks created to give developers a process for implementing secure coding in both new and older applications. Finally, we will take a look at secure coding framework examples.
Week Five
Lesson 09 - Protecting the Business
Wednesday
In this lesson, we will learn about cybersecurity from the perspective of the company or organization. We will explore how companies respond to attacks, and know how companies try to ensure their organization will recover from an attack after surviving and dealing with it. Then, we will revisit the various types of data important to businesses and how companies can protect that data. This is where cybersecurity specialists really shine!
Lesson 10 - Developing a Security Awareness Program
Friday
In this lesson, we will explore cybersecurity in business. You will learn about security awareness and how to bring it to employees of a company, including how to develop a good Security Awareness Program (SAP). We will explore how to create a good security culture as well as a cybersecurity culture. These cultures are essential because when security is relevant to everyone in the company, they will participate in the process of cybersecurity for the company.
Week Six
Lesson 11 - Employment and the Future of Cybersecurity
Wednesday
In Lesson 11, we will look at employment prospects and the future expectations for cybersecurity employment. We will explore some strategies to identify positions in the cybersecurity field that are best suited for a new cybersecurity employee. Since cybersecurity is a large profession with many different positions, it is important to home in on attributes important to you in a job and learn how to find the job best suited to you. Next, we will explore remote work and how it relates to a cybersecurity specialist. You will examine the benefits and challenges of working remotely for both an employee and the business. Finally, we will dive into the projected growth of cybersecurity and specific sub-areas where the most significant job growth is expected to occur.
Lesson 12 - Next Steps
Friday
As we wrap up the course, we will look at the best education paths, various cybersecurity certifications, and degrees that are in demand for different cybersecurity specialties. You will learn about the importance of and the types of continuing education. Finally, you will explore how to catch a company's attention with specific and highly developed resumes and cover letters to help you land a job.