Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities

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Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities

This course is part of Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate

Instructor: Google Career Certificates

373,428 already enrolled

Included with

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4,165 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

4,165 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Classify assets
Analyze an attack surface to find risks and vulnerabilities
Identify threats, such as social engineering, malware and web-based exploits
Summarize the threat modeling process

Skills you'll gain

Category: Threat Modeling
Category: Authentications
Category: Vulnerability Assessments
Category: Risk Management Framework
Category: Vulnerability Management
Category: Cyber Threat Intelligence
Category: Malware Protection
Category: Threat Management
Category: Threat Detection
Category: Cybersecurity
Category: Security Awareness
Category: Data Security
Category: Data Management
Category: Authorization (Computing)
Category: Cryptography
Category: Cyber Risk
Category: Cyber Security Strategy
Category: Identity and Access Management
Category: Security Controls

Tools you'll learn

Category: MITRE ATT&CK Framework

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

26 assignments

Taught in English

Build your Computer Security and Networks expertise

This course is part of the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Professional Certificate.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate from Google

There are 4 modules in this course

This is the fifth course in the Google Cybersecurity Certificate. These courses will further explore the importance of protecting organizational assets from threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. They will also continue to develop an understanding of asset classification and how to use the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), as well as security controls, to protect assets and mitigate risk. Additionally, learners will gain an understanding of how to develop a threat actor mindset to help protect assets from ever-evolving threat actor tactics and techniques.

By the end of this course, you will: - Learn effective data handling processes. - Discuss the role of encryption and hashing in securing assets. - Describe how to effectively use authentication and authorization. - Explain how common vulnerability exposures are identified by MITRE. - Analyze an attack surface to find risks and vulnerabilities. - Identify threats, such as social engineering, malware, and web-based exploits. - Summarize the threat modeling process.

In this module, learners will be introduced to the way organizations determine what they want to protect. They will learn about the connection between managing risk and classifying assets by exploring the unique challenge of securing physical and digital assets. Learners will be introduced to the NIST framework standards, guidelines and best practices to manage cybersecurity risk.

What's included

10 videos9 readings6 assignments1 plugin

10 videosTotal 32 minutes

Introduction to Course 5 3 minutes
Da'Queshia: My path to cybersecurity2 minutes
Welcome to module 1 2 minutes
The what, why, and how of asset security4 minutes
Tri: Life in asset security3 minutes
Security starts with asset classification 4 minutes
Assets in a digital world 4 minutes
Elements of a security plan4 minutes
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework4 minutes
Wrap-up 2 minutes

9 readingsTotal 48 minutes

Course 5 overview4 minutes
Helpful resources and tips8 minutes
Understand risks, threats, and vulnerabilities8 minutes
Common classification requirements 4 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Classify the assets connected to a home network4 minutes
The emergence of cloud security 8 minutes
Security guidelines in action 4 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Score risks based on their likelihood and severity4 minutes
Glossary terms from module 1 4 minutes

6 assignmentsTotal 134 minutes

Module 1 challenge 50 minutes
Test your knowledge: Introduction to assets8 minutes
Activity: Classify the assets connected to a home network30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Digital and physical assets8 minutes
Test your knowledge: Risk and asset security8 minutes
Activity: Score risks based on their likelihood and severity30 minutes

1 pluginTotal 10 minutes

Identify: States of data in the workplace10 minutes

In this module, learners will focus on security controls that help protect organizational assets. They will explore how privacy considerations impact asset security. They will gain an understanding of encryption and the role it plays in maintaining the privacy of digital assets. They will also explore how authentication and authorization systems verify that someone is who they claim to be.

What's included

11 videos14 readings6 assignments4 app items

11 videosTotal 35 minutes

Welcome to module 22 minutes
Security controls3 minutes
Heather: The importance of protecting PII 2 minutes
Fundamentals of cryptography4 minutes
Public key infrastructure5 minutes
Non-repudiation and hashing3 minutes
Access controls and authentication systems4 minutes
The mechanisms of authorization5 minutes
Why we audit user activity3 minutes
Tim: Finding purpose in protecting assets1 minute
Wrap-up2 minutes

14 readingsTotal 96 minutes

Principle of least privilege8 minutes
The data lifecycle 12 minutes
Information privacy: Regulations and compliance8 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Determine appropriate data handling practices4 minutes
Symmetric and asymmetric encryption 8 minutes
Resources for completing labs4 minutes
Lab tips and troubleshooting steps4 minutes
Exemplar: Decrypt an encrypted a message8 minutes
The evolution of hash functions8 minutes
Exemplar: Create hash values8 minutes
The rise of SSO and MFA 8 minutes
Identity and access management8 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Improve authentication and authorization for a small business4 minutes
Glossary terms from module 2 4 minutes

6 assignmentsTotal 138 minutes

Module 2 challenge 50 minutes
Activity: Determine appropriate data handling practices30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Safeguard information8 minutes
Test your knowledge: Encryption methods10 minutes
Activity: Improve authentication, authorization, and accounting for a small business30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Authentication, authorization, and accounting10 minutes

4 app itemsTotal 80 minutes

Activity: Decrypt an encrypted message30 minutes
Optional Exemplar: Decrypt an encrypted message10 minutes
Activity: Create hash values30 minutes
Optional Exemplar: Create hash values10 minutes

In this module, learners will build an understanding of the vulnerability management process. They will learn about common vulnerabilities . They will develop an attacker mindset by examining the ways vulnerabilities can become threats to asset security if they are exploited.

What's included

10 videos12 readings7 assignments

10 videosTotal 33 minutes

Welcome to module 3 2 minutes
Vulnerability management 4 minutes
Defense in depth strategy 4 minutes
Common vulnerabilities and exposures 5 minutes
Vulnerability assessments 3 minutes
Omad: My learning journey into cybersecurity2 minutes
Protect all entry points4 minutes
Niru: Adopt an attacker mindset3 minutes
Pathways through defenses 4 minutes
Wrap-up 2 minutes

12 readingsTotal 102 minutes

Vulnerabilities of CI/CD10 minutes
The OWASP Top 1012 minutes
Open source intelligence12 minutes
Approaches to vulnerability scanning 8 minutes
The importance of updates 8 minutes
Penetration testing 12 minutes
Portfolio Activity Exemplar: Analyze a vulnerable system for a small business4 minutes
Approach cybersecurity with an attacker mindset8 minutes
Types of threat actors8 minutes
Fortify against brute force cyber attacks12 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Identify the attack vectors of a USB drive4 minutes
Glossary terms from module 3 4 minutes

7 assignmentsTotal 164 minutes

Module 3 challenge 50 minutes
Test your knowledge: Flaws in the system 8 minutes
Test your knowledge: Identify system vulnerabilities8 minutes
Portfolio Activity: Analyze a vulnerable system for a small business30 minutes
Self-reflection: Approach cybersecurity with an attacker mindset30 minutes
Activity: Identify the attack vectors of a USB drive30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Cyber attacker mindset8 minutes

In this module, learners will explore the common types of threats to digital asset security. They will also examine the tools and techniques used by cybercriminals to target assets. After gaining this understanding, they will be introduced to the threat modeling process and learn ways security professionals stay ahead of security breaches.

What's included

12 videos10 readings7 assignments2 plugins

12 videosTotal 43 minutes

Welcome to module 4 2 minutes
The criminal art of persuasion 4 minutes
Phishing for information 5 minutes
Malicious software5 minutes
The rise of cryptojacking4 minutes
Cross-site scripting (XSS)5 minutes
Exploitable gaps in databases 4 minutes
A proactive approach to security 4 minutes
Chantelle: The value of diversity in cybersecurity2 minutes
PASTA: The Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis 4 minutes
Wrap-up 2 minutes
Course wrap-up3 minutes

10 readingsTotal 60 minutes

Social engineering tactics8 minutes
Types of phishing8 minutes
An introduction to malware 8 minutes
Prevent injection attacks12 minutes
Traits of an effective threat model 8 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Apply the PASTA threat model framework4 minutes
Glossary terms from module 4 4 minutes
Reflect and connect with peers2 minutes
Course 5 glossary 2 minutes
Get started on the next course 4 minutes

7 assignmentsTotal 146 minutes

Module 4 challenge 50 minutes
Test your knowledge: Social engineering 8 minutes
Activity: Filter malicious emails30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Malware 8 minutes
Test your knowledge: Web-based exploits10 minutes
Activity: Apply the PASTA threat model framework30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Threat modeling10 minutes

2 pluginsTotal 20 minutes

Identify: Steps of the threat model process10 minutes
Explore: Apply PASTA to an application's threat model10 minutes

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Google Career Certificates

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5 stars
84.93%
4 stars
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Showing 3 of 4165

Reviewed on Mar 16, 2025

It was one of the best courses so far as it gave knowledge about Threats and Vulnerability which is greatly needed for a Cybersecurity Professional like me

Reviewed on May 12, 2024

The study material and videos are very useful to understand the subject. Overall the manner in which this course was planned that can be understood easily with little attention.

Reviewed on Sep 3, 2025

The material was explained clearly and I enjoyed learning more about assets, threats, vulnerabilities, and the various threat modeling frameworks.

Frequently asked questions

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