Introduction to Cyber Security | Jez Phipps¶

The Introduction to Cyber Security course is a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) created by the Open University and hosted by FutureLearn, a UK-based social learning platform.

Although the course assumes no prior knowledge of computer security, it is a UK Government-backed MOOC intended 'to inspire and educate the next generation of cyber security professionals in the UK'. The course supports the UK Government’s aim to 'improve cyber security skills at all levels and ensure the UK has the knowledge and capability to meet current and future challenges'. The course has been funded through the UK Government’s 2011 National Cyber Security Programme, which included a 5-year £860 million investment plan to protect and promote the UK in cyber space. Further investments continue to be made by the UK Government as part of its National Cyber Security Strategy and also its Cyber Vulnerability Investigations programme, which aims to help the UK MOD better understand and build defences against cyber risks and threats.

This course is double accredited; as well as being a GCHQ Certified Training course, it is also accredited by the Institute of Information Security Professionals (IISP).

The course consists of 8 modules delivered over 8 weeks, covering the following aspects of cyber security:

The current security threat landscape
The importance of authentication to cyber security
The different types of malware, their characteristics, and ways to prevent infection
The technologies that underpin network communications
How cryptography is used for securing information
Securing communication networks from attack
Steps the victim of an attack can take
Assessing and mitigating cyber security risks

To test learning and knowledge gained, learners are required to complete end-of-week tests and, finally, an end-of-course assessment.

Having successfully completed the course, I subsequently decided to create this online record of my learning.

My FutureLearn profile can be found here: Jez Phipps

Week 1: Threat landscape¶

Increasingly, the systems that underpin our daily lives are connected to the internet. To ensure users adequately protect themselves from the security risks associated with their online activities, it is imperative that they gain a good understanding of the threats that exist.

With this in mind, in the first week, we:

began exploring the security threats that could affect our digital information and use of online services including online banking and shopping and use of social media
were introduced to some of the basic terms used in the cyber domain, including malware, ransomware, spyware, botnets and phishing
learned how to keep our knowledge of these threats up to date
started looking at how the threats relate to our own information assets and online activities
discovered the main countermeasures that can be put in place to guard against the threats that exist
learned about the wider world of cyber security and how attacks can affect a variety of systems
found out about the importance of 'CIA' (confidentiality, integrity and availability) within the context of information security
looked at some cyber security breach case studies including the 2010 'Stuxnet' attack in Iran and the 2013 spearphishing attack on Target in the US
considered the various motivations for each type of attacker (e.g. financial, political, commercial, revenge, protest etc.)
learned how to extract key information from security notices published by the likes of Microsoft and Apple

Week 2: Authentication¶

Many security threats depend on the attackers being able to impersonate us online. The most common method of authentication for users online is the password (i.e. something only you know)

In the second week, we covered:

the purpose of passwords and the different situations in which they are used
how password transmission security is provided by encryption such as SSL (Secure Socket Layer) used in ‘https’
how passwords can be stored more securely using 'hashing' and 'salting'
the ways in which attackers try to learn your password including using 'brute force' and 'dictionary' attacks
how authentication works and the role of passwords in the operation of authentication mechanisms
the techniques for creating strong passwords
the OAuth (Open Authentication) authentication mechanism and how it can simplify password management
the advantages and disadvantages of using of password managers and the options available
the benefits of using of two-factor authentication (2FA)

In addition, to extend my learning, I also:

created a Python 3 Trinket to demonstrate password salting and hashing
researched the importance of password entropy and how password strength meters can be misleading
clarified the key differences between 2FA and two-step verification (2SV)
explores the mechanics of some real world attacks in 'Play by Play: Ethical Hacking - Deconstructing the Hack' on Pluralsight

Week 3: Malware¶

In the third week, we:

learned the characteristics of the 3 main malware types: viruses, worms and Trojans
discussed the methods used by attackers to get malware on your device
looked into how phishing attacks operate and exploit the weaknesses of SMTP
found out how spammers use 'spoofing' to disguise their real email addresses
learned ways to spot phishing emails
discovered how malware can be used to facilitate click fraud
found out how botnets spread using malware
looked at some malware case studies including the 2008 'Conficker' worm
learned how 'sandboxing' and 'code signing' can help mitigate malware threats
covered the main ways users can keep their devices protected, including:
- using reputable antivirus software
- keeping software up to date
- not clicking on links you are unsure of
- implementing new security developments

In addition, I also:

looked into how the SMTP envelope data in email headers can be used to detect spoofing
created this pen to demonstrate how web link hovers can be disguised
researched whether antivirus is still regarded as essential and effective, given the advances in smart malware

Week 4: Networking and communications¶

In the fourth week, we covered:

how the TCP/IP protocol suite governs the transmission and reception of data
the use of traceroute tools for tracing packets from source to destination
the vulnerabilities of using public Wi-Fi
the use of encryption for wireless network security
the need for internet standards to ensure interoperability
the use of IP addresses and DNS for identifying network resources

In addition, to extend my learning a little further, I also:

investigated the usefulness of common network utilities such as tracert, nslookup, and ipconfig
reflected on the cyber security implications for the adoption of Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN)
saw how vulnerable Wi-Fi can be to session hijacking in 'Play by Play: Ethical Hacking with Troy Hunt' on Pluralsight

Week 5: Cryptography¶

In Week 5, we covered:

how cryptography can be used to provide data confidentiality and integrity
why short encryption keys are vulnerable to brute force attacks
the features and pros and cons of symmetric and asymmetric encryption
where cryptography is used to secure our online activities
how email can be encrypted using OpenPGP-based utilities
some of the notable cryptography schemes in use today
how cryptographic hashing can be used to create digital signatures for authenticating data
the information a website digital certificate contains
the role of Certificate Authorities (CA) in public key ownership validation
how TLS/SSL provides secure browser-based communications over a computer network

In addition, to extend my learning, I also:

learned how to use the Security Panel in Chrome DevTools to obtain website security information
created a Python 3 Trinket to experiment with message hashing algorithms
researched how Android Pay relies on cryptography (i.e. the Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme) to ensure secure transactions

Week 6: Network security¶

In Week 6, we covered:

the role of firewalls in protecting networks
how to configure a personal firewall
how networks can be automatically monitored and protected using IDS/IPS
how VPNs use an encrypted IP tunneling approach to provide user confidentiality

In addition, I also:

carried out checks on my personal firewall using ShieldsUp
researched which ports should be blocked and why
looked into Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems

Week 7: When your defences fail¶

In this penultimate week, the course covered:

how to recognise the signs of a security breach
the UK laws which protect users against cyber security threats
what you can do to recover from a security breach
how you can minimise the risk of a breach in your security
how to make your information less vulnerable to attack
the importance of remote data backups for large organisations
the pros and cons of backing up to the Cloud

Week 8: Managing security risks¶

In the final week, we:

learned how to identify and analyse the risks to our own information assets
carried out an audit on our own information security practices
discovered the countermeasures that can be employed as part of a risk management strategy
reflected on what we had learned about cyber security over the eight weeks of the course

Course result¶

My overall (averaged) assessment score was 97% - Eligibility for a Certificate of Achievement confirmed.

Note: This record does not imply the conferment of a University qualification; nor does it verify the identity of the learner. For more information about the effort required to become eligible, visit FutureLearn's Certificates and Statements FAQ.

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