• Coventry University logo
  • Institute of Coding logo

Basics of Network Security

Explore the basic concepts of networks and network security and the tools used by network engineers and attackers.

26,519 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    6 hours
This course is part of the program Network Security, which is one of the building blocks that leads to a degree in MSc Cyber Security. Find out more.

Understand the threats posed to organisations' networks and how to secure them

On this course you will examine the theory and practice of network fundamentals from the defender’s and attacker’s perspectives. You will have the opportunity to use tools for networking that allow you to query services, test routing and more.

At the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to challenge yourself to a network security boot camp – can you work with a virtual networked device to make it secure?

What topics will you cover?

  • The basic principles of network security and cyber attacks
  • Real-world security case studies
  • Protecting assets
  • Intrusion detection systems
  • Assessing security threats from a practical and theoretical viewpoint

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the concepts of network security and cyber-attacks
  • Evaluate real-world security case studies
  • Apply cyber security principles to protect assets
  • Assess security threats from a practical and theoretical viewpoint

Who is the course for?

The Institute of Coding supported the development of this course in response to consultation with industry representatives from the healthcare, manufacturing and automotive sectors.

This course is designed for people familiar with basic computing who want to learn about the techniques and technologies of network security.

Please note that the individuals detailed in the ‘Who will you learn with?’ section below, are current staff members and may be subject to change.

What software or tools do you need?

In order to complete the labs you will need a PC capable of running Virtual Machines (VMs). We recommend at least a dual core CPU and 8GB of memory. You would also need about 100GB of hard disk space to store the VMs.

In order to run the virtual machines you will need to download and install VMware Workstation Player (if you are running on Windows or Linux). It is free for non-commercial/educational use and you can get it from the VMware website. If you are running a Mac you will need VMware Fusion.

You will also use Linux. If you are not already familiar with the Linux environment and its command line, there are plenty of online resources and tutorials to get you started. We would recommend that you look into some of these before starting the modules. You need to be familiar with the core linux commands, input/output redirecting and piping, file manipulation, basic network configuration and user account management.

Who will you learn with?

Dr. Christo Panchev is a Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security at Coventry University with more than 20 years experience in industry and higher education, research and teaching in A.I. and Cyber Security.

Dr John Filippas is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Networking at Coventry University. His research interests include Biomedical Computing, Parallel Computing and Computer Games.

Antal Goldschmidt

Course Director, MSc Cyber Security; Coventry University
ab2216@coventry.ac.uk

Who developed the course?

Coventry University

Coventry secured 5 QS Stars for Teaching and Online Learning in the QS World University Ranking 2020 and has received No. 1 in the world for Massive Open Online Courses in MoocLab’s World University Ranking 2021.

  • Established

    1992
  • Location

    Coventry

Institute of Coding

The Institute of Coding is a family of learners, businesses and educators creating a new way to develop the digital skills needed at work and beyond.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Learner reviews

Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.

Advance your career with a degree

Since 2017 you have been able to take a degree on FutureLearn. This free course is a bit like a starter course for a degree — it should give you a flavour of the degree subject but can also be your first step towards a degree qualification.

If you enjoy this course you can apply to join the program it’s part of to start working towards a degree on FutureLearn.

Don’t worry, you can still take the course without doing a full degree!

Do the free course
Join and complete the program
Get academic credit for an online degree from Coventry University
This course is part of the program Network Security, which is one of the building blocks that leads to a degree in MSc Cyber Security.

Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...

You can use the hashtag #BasicsNetworkSecurity to talk about this course on social media.