I’ve heard this before – “I’m not sure my computer security practices are working”. I reply “Have you tested them?” This course is the fourth and final course in the Practical Computer Security specialization. In this course, you’ll learn how to proactively test what you have put in place to protect your data. In the first week you’ll be able to discuss the basics of deterrents and how to “trick” attackers into believing they’ve hit a goldmine of data away from your real systems. In week 2, you’ll be able to understand and discuss the steps of penetration testing methodology. In week 3, you will be able to understand and apply what you have learned on your own systems to test whether your systems are secure or not. In week 4, we’ll discuss planning for your own methodology that you can apply to your own systems. And finally in week 5, we’ll finish up with a project that will allow you to test your skills in a safe environment.
This course is part of the Cybersecurity for Business Specialization
Proactive Computer Security
Offered By
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Information Sharing and Threat Intelligence
This module covers information sharing. Information sharing is an important tool to help organizations gather information from others so they can protect themselves.
3 videos (Total 28 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes
4 readings
About this course10m
Threat Intelligence23m
Resources for building your own testing environment30m
Lecture Slides10m
2 practice exercises
Practice Quiz - Week 120m
Week 1: Information Sharing30m
Week
2Penetration Testing - Methodology
This module will cover the pen testing methodology. Not following a pen testing methodology may lead to false positives or worse, false negatives in a testing scenario.
5 videos (Total 40 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
5 videos
Penetration Testing7m
Intelligence Gathering10m
Vulnerability Scanning9m
Exploitation8m
2 readings
Resources to help you further your skills15m
Lecture Slides10m
2 practice exercises
Practice Quiz - Week 220m
Week 2 - Methodology30m
Week
3Common Pen Testing Tools
This module will cover some of the tools used in the penetration testing methodology. These are just common tools used to gain information, find exploits and compromise systems. There are many more tools out there, but these are the most commonly used.
3 videos (Total 27 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
2 readings
Creating your own lab30m
Pen Testing Distributions10m
2 practice exercises
Practice Quiz - Week 320m
Week 3 - Penetration Testing Tools30m
Week
4Proactive computer security management
This module will cover some of the other issues and concerns for those interested in proactive security. Legal issues are important for any level of management and administration to be concerned with. Planning goes a long way toward effective proactive computer security.
4 videos (Total 35 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes
4 videos
Legal issues13m
Where to turn if you have an incident9m
Where do i go from here?5m
3 readings
University of Colorado Security Program - Required15m
Lecture Slides10m
GDPR - Privacy10m
2 practice exercises
Practice Quiz - Week 420m
Week 4 - Effective computer security management30m
4.6
17 Reviews33%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
50%
got a pay increase or promotion
Top Reviews
By SS•Apr 16th 2018
Great Class. I learned a lot, especially at the end or the peer based grading final. It really made you put your thinking cap on and act like a red teamer.
By JJ•Nov 5th 2017
Class doesn't seem very active-- not a lot of students so I had to wait awhile for peer reviewed assignments to get reviewed, but the content is great.
Instructor
Greg Williams
LecturerDepartment of Computer Science
About University of Colorado System
The University of Colorado is a recognized leader in higher education on the national and global stage. We collaborate to meet the diverse needs of our students and communities. We promote innovation, encourage discovery and support the extension of knowledge in ways unique to the state of Colorado and beyond.
About the Cybersecurity for Business Specialization
It seems anymore that you can't listen to the news without hearing of a data breach. You may have heard it said before that there are 2 types of companies out there, the ones who have been breached and those who will be breached. Defending against attackers who want to compromise assets can seem like an arduous task, but learning how attacks work and more importantly how to defend against those attacks can be very fulfilling. This specialization is designed to introduce you to practical computer security by teaching you the fundamentals of how you use security in the business world. This course is for those who want to understand how to defend computer systems and assets from attackers and other threats. It is also for those who want to understand how threats and attacks are carried out to help better defend their systems. This specialization is designed for senior business leaders to middle management and system administrators, so they can all speak the same language and get a better handle on their organization's security. Additionally, the course material may help you in passing some industry leading computer security examinations such as Security+ and CISSP.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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