Networking Fundamentals for Security Course

Module 1: Introduction to Networking for Security Professionals

• Lessons:
  • Why Networking Knowledge Matters in Security
  • How This Course Is Organized
  • A First Look at a Network: Hosts, Media, and Data Flow
• Applied activity: Learners trace a simple request, their own computer loading a web page, and identify, in plain language, every hop and component that request likely passes through, from their laptop to the web server and back.

Module 2: The OSI and TCP/IP Models

• Lessons:
  • The Seven Layers of the OSI Model
  • The TCP/IP Model and How It Maps to OSI
  • Encapsulation and De-encapsulation Walkthrough
  • Why Security Tools Are Organized by Layer
• Applied activity: Given a short, plain-text packet description, learners identify which OSI layer each listed field belongs to, for example a MAC address, an IP address, a port number, and an HTTP request line.

Module 3: IP Addressing and Subnetting Fundamentals

• Lessons:
  • IPv4 Addressing: Structure and Classes
  • Subnet Masks and CIDR Notation
  • Subnetting a Network, Step by Step
  • Public, Private, and NAT Addressing
• Applied activity: Learners are given a small organization's addressing requirement, a set number of hosts across three departments, and subnet a provided address block to fit, then identify which addresses in the range are unusable.

Module 4: Network Devices and Infrastructure

• Lessons:
  • Hubs, Switches, and How Switching Works
  • Routers and Routing Basics
  • Firewalls and Their Placement in a Network
  • Load Balancers, Proxies, and Other Intermediary Devices
• Applied activity: Learners label a simple, text-described network diagram, placing a router, switch, firewall, and DMZ segment correctly based on a short design scenario.

Module 5: Core Network Protocols and Services

• Lessons:
  • TCP and UDP: Connection-Oriented versus Connectionless
  • DNS: How Name Resolution Works
  • DHCP: How Hosts Get an Address
  • HTTP, HTTPS, and Common Application Protocols
• Applied activity: Learners walk through a short, annotated sequence describing a browser loading a secure website, including the DNS lookup, the TCP handshake, the TLS negotiation, and the HTTP request, and label each step with the protocol responsible.

Module 6: Network Topologies and Architecture

• Lessons:
  • Physical and Logical Topologies
  • Star, Mesh, and Hybrid Designs
  • Network Segmentation and VLANs
• Applied activity: Learners redesign a described flat network, with all devices on one segment, into a segmented design using VLANs, based on a short scenario involving a guest network and a finance department.

Module 7: Wireless Networking Fundamentals

• Lessons:
  • How Wireless Networking Works
  • Wireless Standards and Frequency Bands
  • Wireless Security Protocols: WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3
  • Common Wireless Risks and Misconfigurations
• Applied activity: Learners review a short description of a small office's wireless setup and identify which choices, including protocol, SSID broadcast, and default credentials, create risk, and what they would change.

Module 8: Network Security Fundamentals and Defense in Depth

• Lessons:
  • Defense in Depth: Layered Security Concepts
  • Zero Trust Networking Principles
  • Access Control at the Network Layer
  • Putting It Together: A Layered Network Design
• Applied activity: Learners evaluate a short case description of an organization relying on a single perimeter firewall and propose at least two additional layers of defense, explaining the risk each addresses.

Module 9: Common Network Threats and Attack Techniques

• Lessons:
  • Reconnaissance and Scanning
  • Sniffing and Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
  • Spoofing Techniques: ARP, DNS, and IP
  • Denial-of-Service and Distributed Denial-of-Service
  • Recognizing Attack Patterns in Everyday Traffic
• Applied activity: Learners review a short, described sequence of unusual network activity, such as a spike in ARP replies or a host suddenly resolving a domain to an unexpected address, and identify which attack technique best matches the pattern.

Module 10: Network Monitoring and Basic Defense

• Lessons:
  • What Network Monitoring Tools Actually Do
  • Firewalls, IDS, and IPS: Roles and Differences
  • Building Security Habits: What to Watch For
• Applied activity: Learners review a short, simplified log excerpt, described in text rather than a live tool, and identify which entries warrant a closer look, based on concepts covered earlier in the course.