Foundations of cybersecurity ultimate

compiled modules

Cybersecurity

The practice of ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information by protecting networks, devices, people, and data from unauthorized access

Threat actor

any person or group who presents a security risk

Benefits of security

protects from internal and external threats

maintains and improves business productivity

reduces expenses

maintains brand trust

reduces expenses

external threat

someone outside of the organization who is trying to gain access to private information

internal threat

a risk originating from within the organization, such as employees or contractors, that compromises data security. Can be accidental or intentional

Common security based roles

security analyst or specialist

security operations center analyst (SOC)

Information security analyst

job responsibilities of entry level security analyst

monitoring and protection information and systems

installing prevention software

conducting security audits

reviewing organizations security record and other documents

security professional duties

operations: responding to detections and doing investigations

projects: working with other teams to build or improve detections

compliance

adhering to laws, regulations, and standards related to information security and privacy

security frameworks

structured guidelines for managing security risks and controls.

security posture

a measure of an organizations ability to manage its defense of critical assets and data and react to change

security controls

the safeguards or countermeasures implemented to protect assets and reduce security risks. Used with security frameworks to build a strong security posture

network security

the practice of keeping an organizations network infrastructure secure from unauthorized access

Cloud security

The process of ensuring assets stored in the cloud are properly configured and access to those assets is limited to authorized users

The cloud

a network made up of a collection of servers or computers that store resources and data in remote physical locations that can be accessed with the internet

programming

a process that can be used to create a specific set of instructions for a computer to execute tasks

Confidentiality

ensures sensitive information is accessed only by authorized individuals

integrity

guarantees data remains accurate and unalted by unauthorized users

availability

ensures information and resources are accessible to authorized users when needed

CIA triad

a model that defines the three core principles of cybersecurity: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Risk management

The process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks followed by coordinated efforts to minimize, monitor, and control the probability or impact of unfortunate events

Adversarial artificial intelligence (AI)

A technique that manipulates AI and machine-learning technology to conduct attacks more efficiently.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

A phishing attack in which a threat actor impersonates a trusted source to gain financial advantage.

CISSP

Certified Information Systems Security Professional— a globally recognized information-security certification awarded by (ISC)².

Computer virus

Malicious code written to interfere with computer operations and damage data or software.

Cryptographic attack

An attack aimed at compromising secure communications between a sender and intended recipient.

Hacker

A person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to systems, networks, or data.

Malware

Software designed to harm devices or networks.

Password attack

An attempt to gain access to password secured devices, systems, networks, or data.

Phishing

The use of digital communications to trick people into revealing sensitive data or deploying malicious software

Physical attack

A security incident that impacts both digital assets and the physical environment where it occurs.

Physical social engineering

An attack where a threat actor impersonates an employee, vendor, or customer to gain unauthorized physical access.

Social engineering

A manipulation technique that exploits human error to obtain private information, access, or valuables.

Social media phishing

An attack in which a threat actor gathers detailed information about a target from social media before striking.

Spear phishing

A malicious email attack targeting a specific user or group, appearing to come from a trusted source.

Supply-chain attack

An attack that targets systems, applications, hardware, or software in the supply chain to introduce malware.

USB baiting

An attack where a threat actor leaves a malware-infected USB drive for someone to plug in, compromising the network.

Vishing

Exploiting voice communication channels to obtain sensitive information or impersonate a trusted source.

Watering hole attack

Compromising a website frequently visited by a specific group of users to infect their systems.