Unit 1: Introduction & Foundations

 Overview of cybersecurity — history, importance, evolving landscape.
 Core terminology — malware, ransomware, phishing, DDoS, etc.
 Cyber threat landscape — threat actors, motivations, attack categories.
 Basic network concepts — TCP/IP, LAN/WAN, routing, vulnerabilities.
 Safe computing habits — strong passwords, MFA, scam awareness.

Unit 2: Network & Systems Security

 Firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs — architectures and deployment.
 Secure protocols — HTTPS, SSL/TLS fundamentals.
 OS hardening — security posture for Windows and Linux.
 Antivirus & endpoint defenses — detection methods and limitations.

Unit 3: Application & Web Security

 OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.
 SQL Injection, XSS, CSRF, and others — practices, mitigation.
 Secure coding practices — input validation, principle of least privilege.
 Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) — deployment patterns.
 Secure DevOps overview, including RAG and DevSecOps.

Unit 4: Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing

 Pen-testing phases — reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, reporting.
 Reconnaissance tools — Nmap, Recon-ng, Shodan.
 Vulnerability assessment — scanners, manual discovery.
 Exploitation & post‑exploitation — Metasploit, privilege escalation.
 Wireless & network hacking — WPA cracking, ARP spoofing, MITM.
 Reporting & remediation plans.

Unit 5: Incident Response & Forensics.

 IR lifecycle — identification to lessons learned.
 Forensic methodologies — evidence preservation, chain of custody.
 Malware analysis — static & dynamic techniques.
 SIEM systems & SOC operations.
 Threat intelligence — sources, analysis, and applications.

Unit 6: Cryptography & Secure Systems.

 Symmetric vs. asymmetric encryption — AES, RSA, ECC.
 Hashing, digital signatures, PKI, SSL/TLS.
 Secure protocols — IPSec, SSH, VPN.
 Quantum resilience & Cryptography in IoT.

Unit 7: Governance, Risk & Compliance.

 Security policies & frameworks — NIST, ISO 27001, zero‑trust.
 Cyber laws & ethics — GDPR, Indian IT Act, ethical practice.
 Risk management strategies.
 Auditing & compliance — SOC 2, internal controls.

Unit 8: Emerging Trends & Capstone.

 AI/ML in cybersecurity — IDS, fraud detection, XAI trends.
 Blockchain & smart contract security.
 IoT and cloud security.
 Quantum computing & post‑quantum crypto.
 Capstone project — real-world simulation or lab build‑out.
 Certification prep — CISSP, OSCP, CEH overview.

Students & Fresh Graduates

 IT and Computer Science Students : Undergraduates and postgraduates / Want to build foundational skills in cybersecurity.
 IT Professionals & System Administrators : Network engineers / Systems administrators / DevOps professionals / Cloud administrators.

Why They’re Interested?

 Need upskilling to secure their environments.
 Prepare for roles such as Security Analyst, Security Engineer, or SOC Analyst.

Software Developers & QA Testers

 Developers wanting secure coding skills.
 Testers who need to understand vulnerability assessments and penetration testing.

Needs

 Secure development lifecycle training.
 Web app and API security.

Managers & Executives

 IT managers.
 Compliance officers.
 Non-technical leaders responsible for risk management.

Focus Areas

 Cyber risk awareness.
 Regulatory compliance.
 Governance frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST).

Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

 Small business owners.
 Startup founders.

Why

 Need to protect customer data.
 Understand basic incident response and data protection best practices.

Law Enforcement & Government Personnel

 Police and defense personnel.
 Digital forensics teams.
 Regulatory agency staff.

Focus

 Digital investigations.
 Critical infrastructure protection.
 Incident response.

General Public & Non-Technical Users

 Parents and teachers.
 Everyday users concerned about personal privacy and online safety.

Focus

 Awareness courses.
 Safe internet usage.
 Protection from scams, phishing, identity theft.

Certification Seekers

 CompTIA Security+
 Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
 CISSP
 CISM
 OSCP
 ISO 27001 Lead Auditor