IT and Cyber Security Foundations
This is beginner cyber security training in Toronto for people starting from zero. You will build a machine, trace a packet across a network, and see what an Internet Protocol (IP) address actually does.
Most of the eight weeks is lab time. You end with a working mental model of hardware, operating systems and networking, plus the security concepts that sit on top: confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication and least privilege.
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Format
- Live online, instructor-led
- Prerequisites
- None required
- Class size
- Capped at 12 learners
What you will be able to do
- Identify the main components inside a computer and explain what each one does
- Read an IP address and subnet mask and say which network a device belongs to
- Trace a request from a browser to a web server and name the protocols involved
- Install, update and configure both a Windows and a Linux system
- Set user accounts and file permissions using least privilege
- Explain confidentiality, integrity and availability using examples from your own systems
- Recognize common attacks including phishing, malware and password reuse
- Troubleshoot a network problem from the command line using ping, ipconfig and traceroute
Course outline
6 modules
- Processor, memory and storage and how they interact
- Motherboards, buses and peripherals
- Firmware, UEFI and the boot process
- Building and troubleshooting a virtual machine
- Recognizing symptoms of failing hardware
What you need before you start
- A laptop or desktop with 8 GB of memory and administrator rights
- A stable internet connection for the live sessions
- No previous IT or security experience of any kind
- Willingness to type commands rather than only click buttons
Who this course is for
- Career changers with no technical background who want a first step into security
- Students deciding whether IT or cyber security suits them
- Help desk and support staff who learned on the job and want the underlying theory
- Small business owners who look after their own systems
- Anyone who started a security course elsewhere and found it assumed too much
Where this leads
Prepares you for
Security+
Awarded by CompTIA
This course lays the groundwork for CompTIA Security+, though most learners take one further course before sitting it. The exam is administered and the certificate awarded by CompTIA, not by this academy.
Questions about this course
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Ready to launch your cyber security career?
Join the next live online cohort. No experience required, just bring the curiosity.