This UCD Professional Academy Diploma will help you explore the main themes in cyber and information security. This is an intensive course covering a wide range of security concepts on identifying risk and securing digital assets. You will learn about the methods attackers use to break into networks and prey on individuals. If an attack or breach does occur, you will learn how organisations plan for, recover and minimise the impact.

You will become familiar with pen testing, digital forensics, opensource intelligence and other resources used in the attack and defence of cybercrime.

By the end of the course, you will have the knowledge and tools to adequately assess your exposure to cybersecurity threats, identify them and put a plan in place to minimise or eliminate the risk. This course is for those who wish to learn how to prevent cybersecurity attacks in their personal or professional lives. For those who wish to pursue a security role, it will help guide you to the next step of your cybersecurity career.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of and apply key (fundamental) concepts and principles in network application and mobile security
• Identify security threats to, and weaknesses of, network solutions and deployments—both external and internal
• Demonstrate an understanding of the evolution of the internet, cryptography and authentication
• Analyse the capabilities of network protection, threat remediation solutions and managing incidents
• Define and enforce risk assessment, compliance, auditing and policy updates.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental concepts of penetration testing and ethical hacking
• Demonstrate and understanding of the concepts of digital forensics and opensource intelligence

Course Breakdown

Module 1. Threat Landscape

Understand the key concepts and principles in the current cybersecurity threat landscape, including the three main goals of information security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Topics covered:

• Threat landscape
• Definitions
• CIA Triad

Module 2. Cryptography

Learn how cryptography is used to protect information and communications through the use of codes.

Topics covered:

• History of cryptography
• Encryption and decryption
• Hash functions

Module 3. Passwords and Authentication

Learn about authentication and secure passwords. Practice using online tools or resources for cracking passwords.

Topics covered:

• Authentication
• Secure passwords
• 2FA/MFA
• Cracking Passwords

Module 4. Malware

Learn to identify malicious software and security threats. Understand the weaknesses of network solutions and deployments - both external and internal.

Topics covered:

• Malware
• Detecting malware
• Protecting from attack
• Notable attacks and zero days

Module 5. Network and Communications

Understand the evolution of the internet and network communications.

Topics covered:

• Evolution of the internet
• Evolution of computer networking
• Wireless networks
• Protocols
• The World Wide Web

Module 6. Network, Application and Mobile Security

Learn about the fundamental concepts and principles in network, application, and mobile security.

Topics covered:

• Threat detection
• Network security
• Application and mobile security
• The OWASP Top 10

Module 7. Risk Management

Learn to define and enforce risk assessment, compliance, auditing, and policy updates.

Topics covered:

• What is risk?
• Risk assessment
• Compliance, audits, and policies

Module 8. Introduction to Penetration Testing

Discover the main concepts of penetration testing and ethical hacking.

Topics covered:

• History of hacking
• Methods, tools, and resources
• Demonstration

Module 9. Digital Forensics

Understand the concepts of digital forensics and electronic discovery (ediscovery), including the preservation of evidence.

Topics covered:

• Digital forensics
• Ediscovery
• Tools and resources

Module 10. Open Source Intelligence and Social Engineering

Learn how open-source intelligence (publicly available data) is used in cybersecurity measures. Understand how social engineering exploits human behaviour to bypass security.

Topics covered:

• Open-source intelligence
• Social engineering
• Tools and resources

Module 11. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Learn to analyse the capabilities of network protection. Look at threat remediation solutions and how to manage incidents.

Topics covered:

• Business continuity
• Disaster recovery
• Managing incidents
• Plans and policies

Module 12. Compliance, Certification and Resources

Learn how to identify the popular ISMS frameworks, cybersecurity certifications, tools, and resources.

Topics covered:

• ISMS frameworks
• Cybersecurity certifications
• Kali Linux
• Tools and resources

Course Assessment:

The Action Learning Log will demonstrate the continuity of reflection throughout the course, by completing a separate AL Log worksheet for each of the main topics (average 250 words per worksheet). The full set of worksheets will be combined into an Action Learning Log, which will be submitted at the end of the course for grading.

The Written Assignment should be completed at the conclusion of the course once all sessions have been completed. Learners will be required to write about how they apply or plan to apply cybersecurity principles to their work or personal situation. The goal of the essay is to demonstrate how learners are thinking about putting course concepts, models, tools and practices in their own context to demonstrate the course learning outcomes.

Trainer: Jan Carroll UCD

Jan Carroll is a Cybersecurity Lecturer and course creator at UCD Professional Academy. Jan founded Fortify Institute, with the aim to close the cyber skills gap by providing flexible cybersecurity training to professionals. Jan has a passion for teaching and mentoring and aims to bring more women and underrepresented groups into the security industry.

Jan is an experienced cybersecurity and information security professional. After many years teaching and lecturing in the technology sector, Jan retrained as a cybersecurity consultant and has worked with top cybersecurity firms in Dublin.

Jan has a passion for teaching and learning and is working to close the cyber skills gap by encouraging more women and underrepresented groups into the security industry. Jan supports Cyber Ireland and Cyber Women Ireland in promoting cyber security and information security in Ireland

A lifelong learner and entrepreneur, Jan is currently studying for the CISSP and is part of the UCD Innovation Academy developing her business. Jan works with SMEs rebuilding and securing their businesses after the impact of Covid-19 and mentors women who, like Jan, got into InfoSec after 40.

Certifications:
Through her work with the Further Education sector, Jan has extensive experience collaborating with QQI, developing and verifying innovative courses providing adult learners with progression opportunities to third-level.

Jan holds a MEd from Maynooth University and MSc in Applied Cyber Security from TU Dublin as well as industry certs such as CCSK, CompTIA Security +, PECB ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer, and PECB Certified Trainer. Jan holds post grads and certifications in Web Development, Management, Digital Marketing, Project Management (PRINCE2), Data Protection and Enterprise Systems.