Cybersecurity Foundations: The Zero-to-Hacker Blueprint

Beginner-friendly course designed for newcomers to cybersecurity, introducing essential concepts, tools, and pathways for ethical hacking and security careers.

15 Modules

6 weeks

Enroll Now

Why This Course Matters

Build foundational knowledge of cybersecurity domains.
Learn about networks, systems, and online threats.
Understand ethical hacking as a career option.
Set up a basic home lab environment for continued learning.

Equip beginners with foundational cybersecurity skills to understand threats, perform basic attacks, and implement defenses. This 15-week course covers networking, programming, ethical hacking, system defense, and career-building strategies, preparing students for roles like SOC analyst, penetration tester, or incident responder.

Targeted Audience

Beginners with minimal technical knowledge (e.g., basic computer literacy).
Aspiring cybersecurity professionals interested in offensive and defensive roles.
Individuals targeting certifications like CompTIA Security+, CEH, or CyberDefenders CCD.

Job Roles

Bug Bounty Hunter
Penetration Tester
Vulnerability Researcher
Security Analyst (Offensive)
Freelance Cybersecurity Consultant

Tools & Technologies

Platforms: Kali Linux, Windows Server, Ubuntu, AWS, Azure.
Recon & OSINT: Maltego, Recon-ng, TheHarvester, Shodan, Censys.
Scanning: Nmap, OpenVAS, Nessus.
Exploitation: Metasploit, Burp Suite (intro).
Defense: Sysmon, iptables, Windows Firewall, VirusTotal.
Scripting: Python, Bash, PowerShell, Git.
New Tools: AWS CLI, Remnux, GoPhish, Process Explorer.

Course Modules

Module 0: Cybersecurity & Hacker Mindset

Core concepts: CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability).
Threat landscape: Malware, phishing, insider threats, DDoS, AI-driven attacks.
Hacker motivations: Ethical vs. malicious hacking.
Roles: Red Team, Blue Team, Purple Team, and their interactions.
labs: Set up a safe virtual lab (Kali Linux, Windows VM) using VirtualBox.
labs: Explore a mock cybersecurity scenario to identify attacker motives.
deliverable: Short reflection (200 words) on the importance of ethical hacking.
outcome: Foundational understanding of cybersecurity and ethical hacking principles.

Module 1: Networking Fundamentals

OSI and TCP/IP models, IP addressing, subnetting, NAT.
Common protocols: HTTP/S, DNS, FTP, SMB, RDP.
Packet analysis: Wireshark basics, identifying malicious traffic.
Cloud networking basics (AWS VPCs, Azure VNETs).
labs: Capture and analyze HTTP/DNS packets with Wireshark.
labs: Map a lab network with annotated protocols.

Module 2: Operating Systems & Command Line

Linux: File system navigation, permissions, commands (ls, cd, chmod, grep).
Windows: Registry, Task Manager, PowerShell commands (Get-Process, Get-EventLog).
Scripting basics: Bash and PowerShell for automation.
Basic cloud CLI usage (AWS CLI, Azure CLI).

Module 3: Programming for Cybersecurity

Python basics: Variables, data types, loops, conditionals, functions.
Scripting: File I/O, parsing logs, basic regex, error handling.
Version control: Git for managing code projects.
Automating simple security tasks (e.g., parsing Nmap output).

Module 4: Introduction to Ethical Hacking

Penetration testing phases: Recon, scanning, exploitation, post-exploitation.
Legal/ethical considerations: Scope, consent, responsible disclosure.
Frameworks: Cyber Kill Chain, MITRE ATT&CK (overview).
Introduction to penetration testing standards (e.g., PTES).

Module 5: Reconnaissance & OSINT

OSINT: Google Dorks, WHOIS, Shodan, Censys, certificate transparency logs.
Social media and website analysis: Identifying assets and personnel.
Tools: Maltego, Recon-ng, TheHarvester.
Ethical OSINT for cloud assets (e.g., AWS S3 buckets).

Module 6: Scanning & Vulnerability Assessment

Port scanning: Nmap (TCP, UDP, SYN scans).
Vulnerability scanning: OpenVAS, Nessus (basic usage).
Risk prioritization: CVSS scores, exploit likelihood.
Scanning cloud-hosted services for misconfigurations.

Module 7: Social Engineering & Phishing

Techniques: Phishing, pretexting, baiting, tailgating.
Phishing tools: Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET), GoPhish.
Email security: SPF, DKIM, DMARC basics.
Smishing campaigns for mobile-based attacks.

Module 8: Basic Exploitation Techniques

Exploits: CVEs, Metasploit Framework basics (msfconsole, exploits).
Common vulnerabilities: Outdated software, misconfigured services.
Post-exploitation: Basic persistence, data enumeration.
Exploiting cloud misconfigurations (e.g., exposed API keys).

Module 9: System Defense Fundamentals

System hardening: Patching, disabling unnecessary services (Windows/Linux).
Firewalls: iptables, Windows Firewall basics.
Monitoring: Sysmon, Event Viewer for log analysis.
Introduction to zero-trust security principles.

Module 10: Malware & Threat Analysis

Malware types: Viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware.
Analysis: Static (file inspection) vs. dynamic (behavior monitoring).
Tools: VirusTotal, Process Explorer, Remnux.
Analyzing malicious scripts (e.g., PowerShell, Python).

Module 11: Cybersecurity Tools & Automation

Tools: Nmap, Wireshark, Metasploit, Burp Suite (intro).
Advanced Python scripting: Parsing tool output (e.g., Nmap XML).
Version control: Git for managing scripts and projects.
Automating cloud security checks (e.g., AWS CLI scripts).

Module 12: Capstone Lab – Simulated Attack & Defense

Scenario: Attack a lab network (recon, scanning, exploitation) and defend against simulated threats.
Automation: Use Python to automate attack or defense tasks.
Reporting: Document findings and defensive strategies.
Simulate a cloud-based attack (e.g., AWS S3 misconfiguration).

Module 13: Building Your Cybersecurity Portfolio

GitHub setup: Organize scripts, lab writeups, and reports.
Writing effective documentation: READMEs, sanitized lab results.
Blogging: Share learning insights responsibly (e.g., Medium).
Creating a personal cybersecurity website for writeups.

Module 14: Career & Community Engagement

Career paths: SOC analyst, penetration tester, incident responder, security engineer.
LinkedIn optimization: Profile setup, showcasing projects, certifications.
Community: CTFs (Hack The Box, TryHackMe), forums, open-source contributions.
Preparing for certifications (CompTIA Security+, CEH).