Cybersecurity vs. Software Engineering: What’s the Difference?
November 22, 2024
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Get ready for Cyber Security. Learn computer system and network security, evaluate the underlying psychological principles of social engineering in cybercrime and examine how incident management can enable better cyber security outcomes.
Instructors: Guido Schmitz
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(60 reviews)
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Beginner level
Good general knowledge and interest in Information and Communications Technology. No prior programming nor advanced mathematical knowledge required.
(60 reviews)
Recommended experience
Beginner level
Good general knowledge and interest in Information and Communications Technology. No prior programming nor advanced mathematical knowledge required.
Some of the issues in computer security, including learning about components of computer systems, the operating system, programs, data and networking
Key security threats and risks faced in computer networks by gaining understanding of digital networks and their operation
Integrate incident management and a rich knowledge of people into a real-world Information Security Management System for an organisation
National and organisational cybersecurity culture, training, and other components which affect cybercriminal activity
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This specialisation covers topics ranging from the security of computer system and networks, to the key role of human aspects in cybercrime. You will learn fundamental concepts related to computer system core components and how computers work, then extend this to consider a variety of topics from hardware to applications. Aspects of cybercriminal activity are explained in topics such as social engineering, arguably the most important attack vector in cybercrime, and the range of actors related to cybercrime: the criminals, the victims, and law enforcement. Finally, you will be presented with some of the key components of practical cyber security management and its governance. This includes what happens when things go wrong, understanding how organisations can respond to incidents, through to the essential role of people in achieving better cyber security outcomes.
The purpose of this short four-week course is to introduce the topic of computer system security. We initially look at a short basic introduction to computer system core components and functions and then extend this to consider a variety of topics from hardware to applications. Throughout we provide pointers to openly available materials for background and further reading to explore the topics. We refer to the Cyber Security Body of Knowledge (CyBOK) as a reference for cyber security knowledge, alongside other sources that are widely available.
In total, we have four weeks that cover this introduction to computer systems and security. No prior programming nor advanced mathematical knowledge Is required. There are a few examples of pseudocode and some basic computer logic (AND, OR, XOR, etc.) in our Week 1 Introduction to computer systems, but these are not essential to completing the course. In other lessons, we introduce basic concepts and provide pointers to online resources. The course includes active learning through four lab sessions. The first lab introduces the Linux operating system in general by exploring the Linux desktop and applications provided in the Coursera lab environment hosted in the AWS cloud. The second lab looks at the Linux command line and explores some of the file system and gathers system information, for example to explore processes. The third lab explores the network information, the system connectivity, and uses some Python scripts and Wireshark to examine the TCP and UDP transport protocols and the web/HTTP application protocol. Lastly we explore more about the network services using the Nmap tool to explore the network services in the system. The course is designed to provide a wide introduction to computer security, by outlining computer systems, including the operating system, programs, data and networking. We discuss some of the issues in computer security and introduce some of the vulnerabilities and threats as we progress through the four weeks. We include some optional readings and videos from a number of sources, including professional resources and vendor materials for additional study.
The security of computer networks is a key element in cyber security. Computer networking provides the foundational connectivity services that are used for the world wide web, distributed computer applications and services, operations and manufacturing, and national infrastructure.
This course provides understanding of key technologies used in computer networks and infrastructure. This includes protocols, computer networks, data centres, operational technologies that form key infrastructure critical to the success of organisations and services from a local to an international scale. The course discusses vulnerabilities and the exploits that target computer networks, systems, and the Internet infrastructure. By the end of this course learners will be able to: 1. Show a systematic understanding of digital networks and their operation, including the OSI 7 layer architecture and the TCP/IP protocol stack. 2. Discuss key security threats and risks faced in computer networks. 3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of network security architecture and design rationale of selected protocols, security technologies and how they are used in practice. 4. Identify attack models and analyse vulnerabilities in protocols, network systems, and applications. 5. Demonstrate how these vulnerabilities may be exploited in practice to penetrate a system.
In this course you will look at some of the key components of practical cyber security management and its governance. This includes what happens when things go wrong, understanding how organisations can respond to incidents, through to the essential role of people in achieving better cyber security outcomes. Together, you will examine how incident management, cyber resilience, and developing an effective appreciation of people, not simply as users but as active participants, can enable better cyber security outcomes.
The topics covered include: • Identifying what an incident is • Incident preparation, planning, and response • Cyber resilience • The role of people in security management • The building of trust and developing positive cyber security cultures By completing this course, you will learn how to integrate incident management and a rich knowledge of people into a real-world Information Security Management System for an organisation.
This course introduces fundamental notions of cybercrime. Namely, what cybercrime is, the main questions surrounding cybercrime, how cybercrime can be defined, and how it can be studied.
You will learn about the difficulties in measuring the occurrence, the frequency and the impact of cybercrime, and build a scepticism on the reliability and the interpretation of cybercrime reports. You will be introduced to discussion about human aspects of cybercrime, in particular, the actors related to cybercrime, that is, the criminals, the victims, and law enforcement. You will also learn about aspects such as personality, national and organisational culture, security culture, training, and other components which affect cybercriminal activity. Finally, you will dive into what is arguably the most important attack vector in cybercrime, that is, social engineering. You will gain an understanding of how it occurs, which techniques social engineers utilise, and which are the underlying psychological principles which make all of us – as humans – susceptible to social engineering attacks. By the end of the course you should be able to: • Reflect on the main questions related to cybercrime. • Explain the meaning, definitions, importance, and impact of cybercrime. • Assess the reliability and the interpretation of reports and surveys related to cybercrime. • Identify the various classifications of cybercrime, the related threats, and threat actors. • Explain the key role of human aspects in cybercrime. • Differentiate between the various actors involved in cybercrime and their associated perspectives. • Evaluate the underlying psychological principles which make social engineering the most successful attack vector in cybercrime. • Describe how deception and social engineering manifest and how they can be defended against.
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To complete all four courses in this Specialisation you will need to allocate approximately 4 months. Each week of a course in this Specialization has approximately 5 hours of the learning material to complete.
Good general knowledge and interest in Information and Communications Technology. No prior programming nor advanced mathematical knowledge required.
We strongly recommend to start the Specialisation with the 'Introduction to Computer Security' course .
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
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.
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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
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