free online course on cybersecurity – Before We Get Into The Topic , Let’s Learn Some Basic Of This Topic
The popularity of MOOCs (massive open online courses) is on the rise. They’re offered by colleges, taught by faculty, and open to any one — man, woman, child, or career-changer — who is interested in cybersecurity.
We start with the fundamentals and then move on to course descriptions. You can skip ahead to our annotated list of online cybersecurity courses if you’re familiar with the MOOC framework.
MOOCs in a Nutshell
How Do MOOCs Work?
MOOCs are available online throughout the year. Examine the university’s calendar; many have set start dates.
Although professors interact with students in virtual forums, live chats, and/or during virtual office hours, most video lectures are pre-recorded.
Time Commitment: Cybersecurity MOOCs, like many other online courses, take 6-10 weeks to complete. You can anticipate dedicating 3-6 hours each week to each course on average.
Assessment: There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to evaluation. Peer reviews and lively class discussions are possibilities, as are hands-on projects and a final test. Many cybersecurity MOOCs include programming labs and periodic exams to assess understanding.
Make no mistake: this is a real course that requires real effort. Only about ten percent of students who begin MOOCs complete them.
Which Course Do I Pick?
The scope and amount of experience necessary for cybersecurity MOOCs vary greatly.
Introduction to Cybersecurity from The Open University and Securing Digital Democracy from the University of Michigan are two examples.
Others, such as the University of Washington’s Designing and Executing Information Security Strategies course and the University of Maryland’s multi-course Cybersecurity Specialization, delve into areas including cryptography, software, and hardware security.
You don’t have to be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree to take a MOOC, although you may require particular abilities to complete the tasks (for example, programming knowledge and discrete probability theory). Prerequisites have been noted after each course description where we could find them.
Are MOOCs Really Free?
Yes. MOOCs are essentially teaser courses for many colleges, albeit teaser courses with fantastic professors and solid content. You won’t get college credit for completing them because they’re free and self-directed. A certificate of completion may be available, although it normally comes at a cost (e.g. $50).
The goal is to pique your interest in the subject, familiarise you with the format, and pique your interest in the university’s fee-based programs.
Popular Cybersecurity MOOCs
Building an Information Risk Management Toolkit
Topics Covered
Check out this course if you’re seeking an introduction MOOC in risk management. It looks at some structured risk management approaches that might help you make better cybersecurity decisions.
You’ll find out about:
- Risk assessments (RA) and risk management plans are created and maintained (RM)
- Issues of regulatory and legal compliance
- Putting in place a risk-mitigation framework
- Transfer of risk
- Planning for business continuity and disaster recovery
A more rigorous (and fee-based) version of this course is also available online from the University of Washington.
Assessment
Unspecified.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
Unspecified.
Cryptography
Topics Covered
This is the third course in the Cybersecurity Specialization at the University of Maryland. It covers the fundamentals of current cryptography as well as practical applications. It will be discussed how to define security, hardness assumptions, and the ability to establish the security of intricate structures based on low-level primitives.
The following are some of the topics covered:
- Modern cryptography principles
- Encryption systems of the past
- Encryption with a private key
- Authentication of messages
- Functions that have a hash value
- The “revolution” of public-key cryptography
- Encryption with a public key
- Signatures in the digital age
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid understanding of today’s cryptographic primitives as well as how to combine them to create current secure communication protocols.
Assessment
Unspecified.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
Students majoring in computer science or mathematics should take this course. It is presumed that you have prior knowledge of discrete mathematics and basic probability (e.g., from a course). Prior experience with algorithms will be beneficial, but it is not required. Mathematical maturity and familiarity with programming in a C-like language.
Cryptography I
Topics Covered
This is the first of Stanford University’s two cryptography MOOCs. You’ll learn how to do the following in Cryptography I:
- Investigate the underlying workings of cryptographic primitives and learn how to apply them correctly.
Consider the security of cryptographic structures and apply what you’ve learned to real-world problems. - The course is divided into two sections. During the first half of the course, you’ll study deployed protocols and assess existing system flaws.
- In the second half, you’ll learn about public-key approaches, which use a shared secret key to protect two or more participants from eavesdroppers. Relevant number theory, public-key encryption, and basic key exchange will all be covered.
Take a look at a sample of the course.
Assessment
Quizzes, written homework, and programming labs.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
Some programming background is helpful. However, the instructor will distribute lots of starter codes and point you to relevant online resources. Some knowledge of discrete probability is also useful.
Cryptography II
Topics Covered
Cryptography II is a follow-up to Cryptography I, delving deeper into the inner workings of public-key systems and cryptographic protocols. The burden is a little heavier each week, and the topics are a little more difficult.
You’ll investigate:
- Digital signature constructions and their uses
- User authentication mechanisms and zero-knowledge protocols
- Anonymous credentials and private database lookup are supported by privacy software.
Advanced topics like multi-party computation and elliptic curve cryptography are covered near the end of the course.
Assessment
Quizzes, written homework, programming labs, and a mandatory final exam.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
A thorough mastery of the topics taught in Cryptography I as well as a fundamental understanding of discrete probability theory is required.
Cybersecurity and CISSP
Topics Covered
An introductory course on cybersecurity and the components of the CISSP is available at KSU. This course is suitable for both students and working professionals.
The materials cover key aspects of IT security, such as:
- Risk management and governance
- Compliance
- Continuity of operations and disaster recovery
- Cryptography
- Security in software development
- Control of access
- Network safety
- Architecture for security
- Operational security
- Physical and environmental safety are both important.
You’ll meet with industry professionals, test your environmental awareness, and take part in knowledge tests.
Assessment
TBD
Materials
TBD
Prerequisites
TBD
Designing and Executing Information Security Strategies
Topics Covered
Take a look at this course if you’re searching for a hands-on session where you can combine and apply your cybersecurity expertise.
You’ll be given difficult, real-world challenges to solve that has been designed by the practitioner community. Then you’ll have to devise and implement information assurance solutions to address them.
The following items are included in the syllabus:
- Controls selection and implementation
- The development of security policies
- Understanding and putting regulatory requirements into practice
- Business restrictions must be understood and used.
- Non-information assurance personnel should be informed about the risk.
- New risks must be identified and addressed.
- Incident response analysis and performance
- Principles and concepts of information assurance are communicated.
You’ll be able to evaluate the nature of security risk, compare and apply numerous risk assessment models, assist the risk assessment process, and incorporate the results into an IT security plan.
Assessment
Class explanations of good and bad examples from news and public sources; reading and peer discussions of information assurance events; and peer-reviewed case analyses.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
Students should have a cybersecurity background, including a basic understanding of system vulnerabilities, potential threats, security and privacy policies, organizational governance, and risk management frameworks.
Foundations of Cybersecurity
Topics Covered
Anyone interested in cybersecurity can benefit from Springboard’s free course, which provides a solid foundation. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in changing careers or brushing up on their cyber abilities. Students should have a greater grasp of the various types of cyber assaults, how to be secure online, and the job market for cybersecurity specialists after completing the course.
The course is divided into four major sections:
- An overview of cybersecurity
- Fundamentals of security
- Devices for security
- Fundamentals of intermediate and advanced cybersecurity
Students can finish classes on their own time because this is a self-paced course.
Assessment
None
Materials
All learning materials are free and available online.
Prerequisites
None
Hardware Security
Topics Covered
This is the fourth course in the Cybersecurity Specialization at the University of Maryland. It looks at cybersecurity from a hardware standpoint.
You’ll find out about:
- In insecurity systems, hardware is evolving from an enabler to an enforcer.
- Deficiencies in the existing hardware design process
- Digital logic design fundamentals
- Vulnerabilities in security sources
- Designing for security and trust: fundamental ideas and practical ways
- Physical attacks and countermeasures (including side-channel assaults)
- For developing secure systems, new hardware security primitives have been developed.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to identify the flaws in today’s digital system design flow as well as the source of physical attacks. You’ll also have the tools and know-how to create safe and reliable hardware.
Assessment
Unspecified.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
Junior-level undergraduate students with computer science, computer engineering, or electrical engineering major. Basic skills in programming, digital logic design, and computer organization are highly recommended.
Information Security and Risk Management in Context
Topics Covered
This course investigates cutting-edge technologies and approaches for securing and defending information systems and is aimed at professionals with an interest in information security. You’ll discover how to:
- Analyze internal and external dangers to avoid data breaches.
- Information stored in the cloud should be protected.
- Solve real-life security issues
- Create and monitor information security programs.
Leading experts will discuss best practices in areas like mobile workforce security, security metrics, electronic evidence monitoring, and dealing with e-crime and e-discovery. Over the course of ten weeks, you’ll also examine topics like:
- Individual privacy and information security plans
- Consequences for legal security
- Confidentiality and integrity of medical records
Assessment
Unspecified.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
Unspecified.
Introduction to Cybersecurity
Topics Covered
In addition to providing a broad overview of cybersecurity, this course will introduce you to issues surrounding cybersecurity standards and law. You’ll learn about:
- Common cyber attacks
- Techniques for identifying, detecting, and defending against cybersecurity threats
- Concepts surrounding personal, physical, network, web, and wireless security
- Foundation principles for more advanced study
Assessment
Unspecified.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
Intended for educators or professionals.
Introduction to Cybersecurity
Topics Covered
This course is designed for the layperson and will teach you the fundamentals of cybersecurity as well as how to protect your digital information. You’ll do the following throughout the course of 8 weeks:
- Consider your online security from the perspective of the rest of the globe.
- Recognize the most prevalent cyber-threats, such as malware, viruses, and trojans.
- Investigate network security, cryptography, identity theft, and risk management principles.
The Open University created this course with funding from the UK government’s National Cybersecurity Program.
Assessment
Unspecified.
Materials
None.
Prerequisites
None.
MIT OpenCourseWare
Public Privacy: Cybersecurity and Human Rights
Topics Covered
The convergence of cybersecurity, the Internet, and international human rights is the topic of this course. You’ll investigate the following topics through instructor and guest lectures, stakeholder interviews, and a range of assessments:
- What role do human rights play in the dispute over public privacy?
- What role do individuals, societies, political parties, and governments have to play?
- Conflicts and concerns relating to human rights and cybersecurity
There are two components to the course. The first section provides an overview of human rights regimes today, their efforts to defend freedom rights, and the role of private security.
The second section examines the evolution of human rights, as well as violations and protection measures, in the age of the Internet.
Assessment
Quizzes, peer-to-peer review, and participation in interactive discussion forums.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
None.
SANS Cyber Aces Online
Topics Covered
The Sans Institute created this introductory seminar to set the groundwork for basic cybersecurity topics. The course material is updated regularly to match advances in technology.
The course is divided into three sections:
- The first half of the course concentrates on Linux, covering how to use a CentOS LiveCD in VMware Player and other key concepts and instructions. The second half of the book is dedicated to Windows, namely Windows 7, and it covers crucial issues for advanced computer users.
- Networking You’ll discover the principles of computer attacks and defenses from the perspective of a network. The module delves into the numerous protocols used at each tier, with a focus on the Networking layer.
- Administration of Computer Systems
In popular programming environments, you’ll learn how to use tools to do routine administrative tasks. The module will look at PHP and PERL in the context of an Apache webserver, then look at how to use GNU BASH and Microsoft Powershell scripting from the command line to do common administrative tasks.
Assessment
A tutorial is included in each module. You can also take the optional online multiple-choice exams to check your understanding (offered every three months).
The National Cybersecurity Employment Fair (NCCF), the largest virtual career fair in the cybersecurity business, invites top finishers in online course exams to participate.
Materials
You’ll need to set up VMware (VMware Player for Windows or Linux hosts, or VMware Fusion for Macs). To use VMware, you’ll also need to download two virtual machines: one for Linux and one for Windows. This will necessitate a minimum of 30GB of storage space.
Prerequisites
None. The course is intended to appeal to a broad range of participants, including newcomers, self-taught individuals, and those looking to strengthen their existing cybersecurity knowledge.
Securing Digital Democracy
Topics Covered
This is basic training on electronic and Internet voting for the general public. You’ll learn about different voting technologies, why and where they’re being used, and the dangers they pose.
The following are examples of cybersecurity issues:
- Viruses that infect voters
- The possibility of a hacker stealing an election
- Vulnerabilities and dangers have been the subject of recent research.
- Whether or whether protections, checks, and balances are effective
- Future security technology potential
Real-life anecdotes are interspersed with research findings, “from Mumbai jail cells to the halls of Washington, D.C.”
Assignments
Weekly quizzes, optional readings, discussion questions, and a final essay.
Materials
The course supplies optional materials for students with a college-level computer science background.
Prerequisites
None. Most of the course is accessible to non-technical students.
Software Security
Topics Covered
This is the second course in the Cybersecurity Specialization at the University of Maryland. It covers the fundamentals of software security, as well as the tools and skills you’ll need to create secure software. This is a class for security personnel on the front lines.
To that purpose, you’ll investigate:
- Important software flaws and attacks that take use of them (e.g. buffer overflows, SQL injection, session hijacking, side-channel attacks, phishing, and insecure defaults)
- Defending against or mitigating these attacks
- At each stage of the development cycle, some techniques may be utilized to improve the security of software systems.
- Methods of testing and verifying that software is secure that is state-of-the-art (e.g. penetration testing, program analysis tools, etc.)
By the end of the course, you’ll understand how to significantly improve the security of software systems and how to “build security in” from the beginning.
Assessment
Quizzes and three hands-on projects.
Materials
Supplementary readings will be freely available on the web.
Prerequisites
Undergraduate computer science education in the third year. You should be fluent in at least one programming language and have a basic understanding of the C programming language. It is also anticipated that you are familiar with Unix/Linux, machine-level program execution and assembly language, as well as WWW and basic networking principles.
Usable Security
Topics Covered
This is the first course in the Cybersecurity Specialization at the University of Maryland. It focuses on the role of humans in the security process, including their cognitive capacities, workflows, and day-to-day tasks.
You’ll investigate:
- What is the best way to design and construct human-centric systems?
- Usability principles and human-computer interfaces
- Human performance and goals within a system are respected by security measures.
- Authentication techniques, internet security, mobile security, and privacy, and social media are only a few of the topics covered.
You’ll be challenged with hands-on exercises in developing, building, evaluating, and critiquing systems to learn how to integrate usability into security software.
Assessment
Quizzes, homework, and a final exam.
Materials
Unspecified.
Prerequisites
Sophomore/junior-level undergraduate education (and beyond). No programming experience is required.
Wiretaps to Big Data: Privacy and Surveillance in the Age of Interconnection
Topics Covered
This introductory course examines privacy in the age of cellphone, WiFi, and Internet surveillance. It looks at some of the most important challenges concerning the use of information networks, such as:
- The fundamental purpose of networking technology
- Cryptography types used to protect wired and wireless networks
- Decisions/laws regarding surveillance and security in the modern era
- Individuals, corporations, markets, and democratic institutions are all affected by monitoring.
- Users’ rights and privacy concerns have evolved throughout time.
Novices will obtain a broad awareness of the challenges, while individuals involved in the formation of corporate and governmental policies will have access to specific materials.
Assessment
Unspecified.
Materials
There will be a list of extra resources, including textbooks. Cellular Convergence and the Death of Privacy is an optional textbook.
Prerequisites
None
