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Cybersecurity and Network Defense Fundamentals

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Cybersecurity and Network Defense Fundamentals

Instructor: Edureka

2,452 already enrolled

Included with

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Analyze cyber threat actors, attack lifecycles, and adversary TTPs using MITRE ATT&CK and the Cyber Kill Chain.

  • Evaluate phishing, malware, and ransomware techniques to identify exploitation pathways and compromise indicators.

  • Apply Linux command-line tools for log analysis, threat investigation, and security operations tasks.

  • Implement operating system hardening, privilege management, and secure configuration baselines.

Details to know

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Recently updated!

February 2026

Assessments

12 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Cybersecurity Analyst Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

This program equips aspiring cybersecurity professionals, SOC analysts, network engineers, and system administrators with the foundational knowledge and practical skills required to understand, analyze, and defend against modern cyber threats in enterprise environments.

You will begin by exploring the evolving cyber threat landscape, examining attacker motivations, adversary methodologies, and structured attack lifecycles using frameworks such as the Cyber Kill Chain and MITRE ATT&CK. Through guided demonstrations and applied analysis, you will learn how attackers conduct reconnaissance, exploit vulnerabilities, and move across networks—and how defenders detect and disrupt these activities using structured security operations techniques. Building on this foundation, you will develop practical Linux skills essential for cybersecurity operations. Working within a Kali Linux environment, you will execute core command-line operations, analyze system logs, apply regular expressions for investigation, and map adversary techniques using MITRE ATT&CK Navigator. The course also introduces structured threat intelligence practices, including OSINT collection and STIX/TAXII-based intelligence sharing. Using tools such as Maltego and theHarvester, you will learn how to uncover external attack surfaces and enhance situational awareness through intelligence-driven defense. Next, the program explores attack vectors and exploitation techniques commonly used in real-world cyber incidents. You will analyze phishing campaigns, social engineering tactics, malware delivery methods, and ransomware lifecycles. Through controlled demonstrations and sandbox-based analysis, you will observe malicious behavior, identify indicators of compromise, and understand how attackers transition from initial access to system impact. The course then advances into operating system security and network monitoring. You will apply secure configuration principles, enforce privilege management controls, audit system activity, and assess endpoint security posture across Windows and Linux environments. On the network side, you will design segmented architectures, implement intrusion detection and prevention concepts, and analyze packet-level traffic using Wireshark and Snort to detect anomalies and suspicious activity. Finally, you will integrate these capabilities in a structured practice project where you map a full threat lifecycle, analyze indicators, harden systems, and validate monitoring controls—demonstrating a layered defense strategy aligned with enterprise best practices. By the end of this program, you will be able to: -Analyze cyber threats, attacker behaviors, and structured attack lifecycles. -Map adversary tactics and techniques using MITRE ATT&CK and the Cyber Kill Chain. -Apply Linux command-line tools for log analysis, investigation, and threat mapping. -Collect and evaluate threat intelligence using OSINT and structured intelligence feeds. -Identify phishing, malware, and ransomware exploitation techniques. -Implement operating system hardening and privilege management controls. -Design secure network architectures using segmentation and IDS/IPS principles. -Analyze network traffic and detect suspicious activity using monitoring tools. This course is designed for SOC analysts, cybersecurity practitioners, network and infrastructure engineers, system administrators, and early-career security professionals seeking strong foundational and operational skills in cyber threat analysis and network defense. Join us to build the analytical mindset, technical capability, and structured defense strategies required to protect enterprise systems against modern cyber threats.

Analyze the modern cyber threat landscape by examining threat actors, motivations, and attack lifecycles, and applying structured frameworks such as the Cyber Kill Chain and MITRE ATT&CK to understand adversary behavior. Develop foundational Linux skills for cybersecurity operations by working in the Kali Linux environment to perform command-line analysis, log investigation, and threat mapping, while evaluating threat intelligence and OSINT sources to enhance situational awareness and support informed defensive decision-making.

What's included

15 videos9 readings4 assignments

15 videosTotal 69 minutes
  • Specialization Introduction2 minutes
  • Course Introduction2 minutes
  •  Introducing Cybersecurity Threats and Digital Risks4 minutes
  • Profiling Cyber Threat Actors and Motivations4 minutes
  • Exploring Cyber Kill Chains and ATT&CK Mappings4 minutes
  • Executing Essential Linux Commands for Security Operations5 minutes
  • Demonstration: Exploring the Kali Linux Environment and Command-Line Tools6 minutes
  • Navigating the Linux File System5 minutes
  • Applying Linux Regular Expressions for Security Analysis5 minutes
  • Demonstration: Mapping an Attack in MITRE ATT&CK Navigator5 minutes
  • Examining Threat Intelligence Framework and Lifecycle4 minutes
  • Classifying Threat Intelligence Feeds5 minutes
  • Integrating OSINT and STIX/TAXII Data Sharing 4 minutes
  • Demonstration: Collecting OSINT Data with Maltego7 minutes
  • Demonstration: OSINT-Based Threat Surface Discovery with theHarvester6 minutes
9 readingsTotal 85 minutes
  • Course Overview5 minutes
  • Foundations of Cybersecurity: A Beginner’s Guide to Modern Defense10 minutes
  • Economic, Legal, and Geopolitical Drivers of Modern Cyber Threats10 minutes
  • How Modern Digital Architectures Influence Cyber Attack Lifecycles10 minutes
  • Kali Linux Terminal: Core Interface for Cybersecurity Operations10 minutes
  • Log Analysis and Threat Mapping Using Linux and MITRE ATT&CK10 minutes
  • Real-World Applications of Cyber Threat Intelligence10 minutes
  • Exploring Maltego: Configuration and Applications in Cyber Intelligence10 minutes
  • Module Summary: Cyber Threat Intelligence and Linux Foundations for Security Operations10 minutes
4 assignmentsTotal 48 minutes
  • Test Your Knowledge: Cyber Threat Landscape and Attack Lifecycles6 minutes
  • Test Your Knowledge: Linux Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Operations6 minutes
  • Test Your Knowledge: Threat Intelligence and OSINT Fundamentals6 minutes
  • Knowledge Check: Cyber Threat Intelligence and Linux Foundations for Security Operations30 minutes

Examine how attackers exploit human and technical vulnerabilities by analyzing common attack vectors, social engineering techniques, and malware operations. This module explores phishing, spear-phishing, and exploitation pathways, and introduces malware and ransomware lifecycles through hands-on sandbox analysis and controlled execution to understand delivery methods, behavior, and impact.

What's included

10 videos5 readings3 assignments

10 videosTotal 48 minutes
  • Analyzing Attack Vectors and Exploitation Pathways4 minutes
  • Demonstration: Tracing an Exploitation Path from Reconnaissance Signals5 minutes
  • Recognizing Social Engineering Techniques5 minutes
  • Analyzing Phishing and Spear-Phishing Attacks4 minutes
  • Demonstration: Detecting Phishing and Social Engineering Indicators5 minutes
  • Classifying Malware Types and Delivery Methods5 minutes
  • Understanding Ransomware Lifecycles and Impact5 minutes
  • Applying Sandbox-Based Malware Detection5 minutes
  • Demonstration: Classifying Malware Types and Delivery Paths from Host Signals5 minutes
  • Demonstration: Observing Ransomware Impact via Controlled Sandbox Execution4 minutes
5 readingsTotal 50 minutes
  • Pre-Attack Reconnaissance and Exploitation Planning10 minutes
  • Organizational Controls and Behavioral Indicators in Phishing Defense10 minutes
  • Malware Distribution Channels in Modern Networks10 minutes
  • Ransomware Containment and Recovery Strategies10 minutes
  • Module Summary: Attack Vectors, Social Engineering, and Malware Analysis10 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 42 minutes
  • Test Your Knowledge: Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks6 minutes
  • Test Your Knowledge: Malware and Ransomware Threats6 minutes
  • Knowledge Check: Attack Vectors, Social Engineering, and Malware Analysis30 minutes

Implement secure system and network defenses by applying operating system hardening principles, privilege controls, and network security architectures. This module focuses on configuring secure baselines, designing segmented networks, and using monitoring tools such as IDS/IPS and traffic analysis utilities to detect anomalous or unauthorized activity.

What's included

10 videos5 readings3 assignments

10 videosTotal 48 minutes
  • Understanding Operating System Security Fundamentals5 minutes
  • Configuring Secure Accounts and System 4 minutes
  • Demonstration: Assessing Operating System Security Posture and Baseline Configuration5 minutes
  • Applying Privilege Management and Audit Controls4 minutes
  • Demonstration: Detecting Privilege Misuse Through System Activity4 minutes
  • Applying Network Security Principles 4 minutes
  • Designing Secure Network Architectures and Segmentation5 minutes
  • Exploring Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems4 minutes
  • Demonstration: Analyzing Network Traffic with Wireshark6 minutes
  • Demonstration: Enforcing Network Segmentation and Detecting Suspicious Traffic6 minutes
5 readingsTotal 50 minutes
  • Principles of Secure Configuration Management10 minutes
  • Hardening Linux and Windows Operating Systems10 minutes
  • Wireshark for Packet-Level Network Analysis10 minutes
  • Policy-Driven Intrusion Detection with Snort10 minutes
  • Module Summary: Network and Operating System Security Monitoring10 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 42 minutes
  • Test Your Knowledge: Operating System Security and Hardening6 minutes
  • Test Your Knowledge: Network Security and Monitoring6 minutes
  • Knowledge Check: Network and Operating System Security Monitoring30 minutes

This module is designed to assess an individual on the various concepts and teachings covered in this course. Evaluate your knowledge with a comprehensive graded quiz.

What's included

1 video1 reading2 assignments1 discussion prompt

1 videoTotal 3 minutes
  • Course Summary3 minutes
1 readingTotal 30 minutes
  • Practice Project: Threat Intelligence and Security Operations Defense Strategy30 minutes
2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes
  • End Course Knowledge Check: Cybersecurity and Network Defense Fundamentals30 minutes
  • Designing a Layered Cybersecurity Defense Framework30 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 5 minutes
  • Describe Your Learning Journey5 minutes

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Instructor

Edureka
211 Courses190,189 learners

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Frequently asked questions

This course is designed for aspiring SOC analysts, cybersecurity beginners, and IT professionals who want to build structured foundations in security operations and threat analysis.

No prior cybersecurity experience is required, although basic familiarity with networking or operating systems will be helpful.

You will analyze network traffic using Wireshark, understand intrusion detection and prevention systems, and apply segmentation principles to reduce attack surfaces.

This course prepares you for a SOC role by building your ability to analyze threats, interpret logs, monitor networks, assess vulnerabilities, and respond to security incidents using structured frameworks through both theory concepts and code along demonstrations.

The course covers the foundations of cyber threats, attack vectors, malware and ransomware behavior, operating system security, network defense, intrusion detection, Kali Linux commands and threat intelligence. You will learn how to analyze attacker tactics, harden OS configurations, monitor networks, and detect intrusions using real-world tools.

No. This course does not require programming or advanced security knowledge. All core concepts, tools, and defensive techniques are taught step-by-step with guided demos and real-world security examples.

The course can typically be completed in 4 weeks, with an estimated workload of 3–4 hours per week, depending on your pace and familiarity with cybersecurity tools.

Yes. After completing all modules, practice exercises, and the final assessment, you will receive a certificate of completion to validate your cybersecurity skills.

This course supports roles such as SOC Analyst, Cybersecurity Specialist, Network Security Engineer, Threat Intelligence Analyst, Security Operations Technician, and Junior Incident Responder.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

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.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,

¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.