Understand cyber threats and how attacks happen

Cybersecurity professionals need to understand how attackers think, operate, and exploit weaknesses. On this three-week cyber security course, you’ll build the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed to understand today’s cyber threat landscape.

You’ll explore different types of threat actors and examine how cyberattacks unfold using frameworks such as the Cyber Kill Chain and MITRE ATT&CK. You’ll also discover the role of threat intelligence and use OSINT techniques to investigate an organisation’s potential threat surface.

Explore ethical hacking and threat intelligence tools

Develop practical experience with some of the tools used across cybersecurity and ethical hacking. You’ll learn the fundamentals of Kali Linux, explore OSINT tools including Maltego and theHarvester, and discover how security professionals collect and analyse information about potential threats.

You’ll also investigate common attack methods, including social engineering, phishing, malware, and ransomware. Through sandbox-based detection techniques, you’ll learn how organisations can identify and respond to malicious activity.

Learn network security and cyber defence

Understanding threats is only one part of cybersecurity. You’ll also explore how to build stronger defences through secure configuration, operating system hardening, and network security principles.

Learn how to analyse network traffic using Wireshark and explore intrusion detection with Snort. You’ll examine secure network architecture and discover how monitoring and detection controls can help organisations identify suspicious activity and strengthen their cyber defences.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a structured, tool-backed understanding of the cybersecurity landscape.

Syllabus

Week 1
Cyber Threats, Intelligence, and Linux Foundations
- Understanding Threat Actors and Attack Lifecycles
  Analyse common cyber threats, attacker profiles, motivations, and the economic, legal, and geopolitical factors that influence cyberattacks. Explore the Cyber Kill Chain and MITRE ATT&CK framework to know how attacks progress.
- Linux Foundations and Threat Mapping
  Develop practical Linux skills by navigating Kali Linux, managing files, running essential commands, and applying regular expressions. Map adversary behaviours using MITRE ATT&CK Navigator and analyse logs for threat indicators.
- Threat Intelligence and OSINT
  Examine the threat intelligence lifecycle, intelligence feeds, and data-sharing standards such as STIX and TAXII. Use Maltego and theHarvester to collect OSINT data and identify potential digital exposure.
Week 2
Attack Vectors, Social Engineering, and Malware Analysis
- Social Engineering and Phishing Analysis
  Investigate reconnaissance, social engineering techniques, phishing indicators, and spear-phishing methods. Identify behavioural and technical warning signs in suspicious messages.
- Malware and Ransomware Analysis
  Explore malware categories, delivery mechanisms, ransomware lifecycles, and host-based indicators. Apply sandbox tools to observe malicious behaviour and review containment and recovery strategies.
Week 3
Network and Operating System Security Monitoring
- Operating System Hardening and Monitoring
  Apply operating system security principles, secure account configurations, system baselines, privilege management, and audit controls. Assess system security posture and detect potential privilege misuse.
- Network Security and Traffic Analysis
  Explore network security principles, segmentation, IDS and IPS technologies, and packet-level analysis. Use Wireshark and Snort to analyse traffic, enforce network controls, and detect suspicious activity.

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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...

Identify common cyber threats, threat actors, attack vectors, malware types, and social engineering techniques.
Explain cyber attack lifecycles using the Cyber Kill Chain and MITRE ATT&CK frameworks.
Apply Linux commands, OSINT techniques, and threat intelligence tools to support basic security investigations.
Demonstrate operating system hardening, access control, and network segmentation techniques.
Evaluate security events using logs, IDS/IPS alerts, packet captures, and threat intelligence sources.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for absolute beginners who want to build a solid foundation in cybersecurity. Whether a fresh graduate, a career switcher, or someone working in IT support or system administration with no formal security training, this course provides the structured starting point the industry demands.

For those looking to grow into roles such as SOC Analyst, Threat Intelligence Analyst, Network Security Engineer, or Junior Penetration Tester, this course establishes the technical and conceptual groundwork those careers are built on. It is equally relevant across sectors where cybersecurity talent is in high demand — financial services, healthcare, government, telecommunications, and technology.

This course also suits IT professionals, system administrators, and network engineers who work adjacent to security teams and want to formalize their understanding of the threat landscape, defensive architecture, and security monitoring. Prior familiarity with networking fundamentals and operating system concepts is recommended.

What software or tools do you need?

Learners should have basic computer, operating system, networking, and cybersecurity knowledge. A computer with a stable internet connection and support for virtual machines is required. Kali Linux and the security tools used in the practical activities are introduced during the course.

Who will you learn with?

Edureka Instructors

Who developed the course?

Edureka

Edureka is a global online learning platform offering industry-focused training in emerging technologies such as Cloud, AI, GenAI, Data Science, DevOps, and Cybersecurity, helping professionals upskill and advance their careers.

About this ExpertTrack

Build job-ready cybersecurity skills as you learn to defend networks, identify vulnerabilities, and respond to cyber incidents.

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