Introduction to Cybersecurity

This course provides an insight into cybersecurity as a whole. It explores 14 different domains within the space and lays out the framework and map of how they are all interconnected—from Security Architecture and Vulnerability Assessment to Data Privacy and GRC. The course is designed to give a brief description of each role, illustrating how they all contribute and connect to online protection.

The primary focus of this course was giving a broad overview of each role within cybersecurity and discussing its importance as a whole. The learning objectives were:

• To gain an understanding of specific roles and how they fit into the realm of cybersecurity.
• To acquire insight into the various jobs and specific responsibilities of each role.
• To gain insight into the common frameworks, structures, and concepts used within cybersecurity.
• To identify the skills and qualities suited to someone wishing to pursue a specific role.

Given this course was fully theory-based, no hands-on coursework was completed; however, the module provided an extremely impactful insight into the field of cybersecurity as a whole. As my first course in this domain, it was instrumental in building my foundational understanding of cybersecurity and its various career paths, introducing core concepts like Red Team vs. Blue Team and the balance between technical and non-technical roles. The course followed a clear structure of 14 bite-sized sections, each composed of an 8-to-12-minute video. Within these videos, Caitlin Sarian (Cybersecurity Girl) and Chris Cochran discuss descriptions of each role and how they interconnect within the industry. They highlight the roles and responsibilities of the job, share important concepts and interesting real-world stories, and lastly outline the skills and qualities needed to succeed in that specific position.

The course follows this exact blueprint for all 14 of its bite-sized modules. With both presenters being highly experienced cybersecurity professionals possessing backgrounds in media and public speaking, they deliver incredibly informative and engaging content.

The course did an exceptional job of covering multiple roles and domains inside of CyberSecurity. within the module we covered:

• Security Architecture
• Security Engineering
• Application Security
• Security Operations Center (SOC)
• Incident Response (IR)
• Threat Intelligence
• Vulnerability Management
• Ethical Hacking
• Digital Forensics
• Identity & Access Management (IAM)
• Data Privacy & Protection
• Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)
• Risk Management
• Cloud Security

To complete this course it involved critical thinking, structured note taking and deep research into interesting domains The tools I used:

HOVER OVER AN ASSET

Throughout this course, I developed a strong understanding of the entire field of cybersecurity and how each role is interconnected. Given this was my first experience with cybersecurity, this course did a great job of highlighting areas of interest for me and furthering my knowledge of roles I wanted to explore. The module taught me proper note-taking and research techniques alongside aiding me with establishing a future plan for my entrance into cybersecurity, with the desire to pursue it as a career. Overall, this course was the firestarter for my deep passion & interest in cybersecurity, in addition to providing me with useful information for my future plans.