Introduction to Cybersecurity

PREREQUISITE:  None

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to cybersecurity principles, technologies, and practices for both managerial-level learners and hands-on practitioners. Students explore foundational concepts such as security governance, policy, risk management, legal/ethical standards, and the growing role of AI/ML in modern cyber defense. The course examines network and cloud security architectures, intrusion detection systems, identity and access management, automation tools, cyber threat intelligence, and the fundamentals of ethical hacking. Learners gain practical exposure to incident response, digital forensics, log analysis, and AI-enabled security operations. By the end of the course, students will understand key security concepts, evaluate risks, analyze threats, and apply defensive techniques in realistic cybersecurity scenarios.

UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:

• Explaining foundational cybersecurity principles, governance frameworks, and legal/ethical considerations.
• Evaluating organizational risk using standard risk-management methodologies and recommending appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Analyzing network and cloud security architectures, including firewalls, IDS/IPS, segmentation, and identity/access controls.
• Applying basic skills in intrusion detection, security monitoring, and automation scripting to support cybersecurity operations.
• Implementing core identity and access management (IAM) concepts, including authentication, authorization, and privilege management.
• Assessing cyber threats using threat-intelligence frameworks, adversary tactics, and red/blue team methodologies.
• Demonstrating introductory ethical hacking techniques within authorized laboratory environments.
• Performing foundational incident-response tasks, including detection, containment, eradication, and recovery procedures.
• Conducting basic digital forensics processes such as evidence handling, imaging, preservation, and file-system examinations.
• Analyzing log data from various sources to identify anomalies, security events, and potential indicators of compromise.
• Identifying how AI/ML supports modern cybersecurity operations, including automated threat detection, SOAR workflows, and behavioral analytics.
• Integrating cybersecurity concepts to evaluate realistic scenarios and propose appropriate defensive strategies and solutions.

ACQUIRED SKILLS

• Understand and apply cybersecurity governance frameworks.
• Analyze network, cloud, and endpoint defensive architectures.
• Perform intrusion detection and automation scripting.
• Examine cyber threats using intelligence and red/blue methodologies.
• Demonstrate ethical hacking fundamentals.
• Conduct basic digital forensics investigations.
• Explain how AI/ML supports SOC operations and automated threat detection.