Online cybersecurity microcredentials: beginner curriculum

5 CP – Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Gain basic cybersecurity skills to protect data, defend against potential cyber attacks and build a solid foundation for further study in cybersecurity. With no background knowledge required, you can apply from any field.

Upon successful completion of this short course, you’ll be able to:

• Describe key emerging cybersecurity practices, regulations and standards.
• Demonstrate foundation skills in safeguarding data, systems and networks.

Course topics

10 CP – Cyber and Data Security

Compare cyber risk management approaches including digital forensics, application security and network security.

Advancing on the learning outcomes, Cybersecurity Fundamentals, you’ll be able to:

• Compare approaches for cyber risk management used to address real-world problems.
• Identify approaches to digital forensics, application security and network security in the context of cyberspace.
• Show understanding of data security, web security and cryptography and possible solutions to cyber threats.

Recommended prerequisite: Cybersecurity Fundamentals.

5 CP – Cyber Technologies

Investigate the latest, most effective cybersecurity technologies that protect against cyber threats, such as firewalls, intrusion detection/protection systems and honeypots.

Upon successful completion of this short course, you’ll be able to:

• Investigate, evaluate and apply current cybersecurity technologies that protect against cyber threats.
• Describe the process of threat and vulnerability identification in cybersecurity environments.

Course topics

10 CP – Cyber Threats and Responses

Gain an insight into current industry threats and learn to coordinate cyber incident response methods using real case studies.

Advancing on the learning outcomes in Cyber Technologies, you’ll be able to:

• Formulate and coordinate basic cyber incident responses.
• Employ secure software design practices when working in teams.

Recommended prerequisite: Cyber Technologies.

Course topics

5 CP – Introduction to Data Security and Information Assurance

Practice the best tools used for data protection and learn to safeguard data, systems and networks.

Upon successful completion of this short course, you’ll be able to:

• Examine and analyse access controls in computer systems.
• Apply well-developed knowledge and skills to safeguard data, systems and networks.

10 CP – Data Security and Information Controls

Use simulation tools to analyse data security threats and implement data privacy and cryptography controls.

Advancing on the learning outcomes in Introduction to Data Security and Information Assurance, you’ll be able to:

• Analyse data security threats using simulation tools.
• Examine data privacy and cryptography controls to protect data.

Recommended prerequisite: Introduction to Data Security and Information Assurance.

5 CP – Introduction to Digital Forensics

Understand how digital forensics assists in the investigation of crimes and cybersecurity incidents, including data structures, evidence collection and validation.

Upon successful completion of this short course, you’ll be able to:

• Describe computer architectures and key concepts associated with data structures, evidence collection and validation.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the different forensics tools and techniques used on varying types of hardware when gathering and analysing digital evidence.

Course topics

10 CP – Digital Forensics and Investigation

Demonstrate how the latest forensic theories and practices are used in forensic discovery and analysis and lay the foundations for work as an investigator in the public or private sectors.

Advancing on the learning outcomes in Introduction to Digital Forensics, you’ll be able to:

• Apply legally compliant processes and procedures for forensically gathering and analysing digital evidence and deliver a presentation of findings.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the latest forensic theory and practice used in forensic discovery and analysis.

Recommended prerequisite: Introduction to Digital Forensics.

5 CP – Computer Hardware and Software

Analyse and critically evaluate the functionality of several computer hardware and software types and guide your next steps in IT.

Upon successful completion of this short course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify and critically evaluate functions of the main hardware components of computers.
• Analyse and evaluate the requirements and functionality of different types of software.
• Critically examine simple problems and develop spreadsheets to model these problems.

10 CP – Computer Networks and Website Development

Become more efficient by learning to analyse the purpose of major network components and determine and fix common computer network issues. Gain in-demand technical expertise in HTML, CSS and PHP for web development.

Advancing on the learning outcomes in Computer Hardware and Software, you’ll be able to:

• Differentiate between main types of computer networks and explain the purpose of major network components including any advantages and disadvantages of different data communication media.
• Design and construct basic web pages using HTML and style sheets based on specific requirements.
• Develop and interpret simple database tables, queries and reports based on specific requirements.

Recommended prerequisite: Computer Hardware and Software.

5 CP – Programming Fundamentals

Gain familiarity with the most commonly used programming languages, and apply basic programming constructs.

Upon successful completion of this short course, you’ll be able to:

• Analyse a simple data processing problem to correctly identify both the data and high-level processing involved.
• Apply the basic programming constructs of sequence, selection, and iteration to develop code that solves simple data processing problems.

10 CP – Intermediate Python Programming

Learn how to design and develop Python programs for complex cybersecurity problems such as malware analysis, spam scanning, and penetration testing tasks.

Advancing on the learning outcomes in Programming Fundamentals, you’ll be able to:

• Use basic data structures such as lists and dictionaries to solve more complex data processing problems.
• Organise code into functions and understand basic functional programming concepts.

Recommended prerequisite: Programming Fundamentals.

5 CP – Introduction to Digital Networks

Understand how networks work so that you can identify defence mechanisms for your network. Configure and test state-of-the-art industry networking devices.

Upon successful completion of this short course, you’ll be able to:

• Describe the fundamentals of networking and apply this knowledge to solve networking problems.
• Analyse the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model and TCP/IP models and compare the operation and performance of various layers in each.
• Configure and test state-of-the-art industry networking devices that meet network requirements and achieve optimal performance.

10 CP – Building Scalable Digital Networks

Develop skills in building small home networks to larger-scale networking, how to choose the correct network technology to address performance bottlenecks and how to secure a network using firewalls.

Advancing on the learning outcomes in Introduction to Digital Networks, you’ll be able to:

• Design appropriate addressing schemes to solve problems across different network sizes using different approaches.
• Analyse and compare the operation and performance of various network protocols.
• Employ professional skills to debug and troubleshoot errors in different LAN sizes using varied methodologies.

Recommended prerequisite: Introduction to Digitial Networks.

5 CP – Introduction to Database Design

Learn how to fundamentally manage data and design a relational database using EER diagram, transformation and normalisation to ensure your data is organised in a way that is easily understood by a range of audiences.

Upon successful completion of this short course, you’ll be able to:

• Design a relational database using an ER or EER diagram and use a transformation process to map the ER or EER diagram to a relational database design.
• Evaluate database design in terms of data anomalies and redundancies by applying the appropriate normalisation techniques.
• Evaluate the possible risks and ethical and social considerations relevant to designed systems.

10 CP – Database Design and SQL

Learn how to use SQL queries to efficiently retrieve data and understand and evaluate the possible cyber risks and ethical and social considerations relevant to designed systems.

Advancing on the learning outcomes in Introduction to Database Design, you’ll be able to:

• Implement database systems using SQL and advanced PL/SQL including stored procedures and triggers.
• Explain the underlying model of relational database operations using relational algebra.

Recommended prerequisite: Introduction to Database Design.