Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking Foundations
Every security career starts with the same foundation: how networks actually work, how attackers think, and how to build a lab safe enough to break things on purpose. This module gets you there — from OSI fundamentals to a fully operational penetration-testing environment.
What You Will Learn
A detailed, industry-aligned breakdown of every topic covered in this module.
- Cybersecurity vs Information Security — scope, terminology and where each discipline sits inside an organisation
- Types of hackers and threat actor profiles: white hat, grey hat, black hat, nation-state and insider threats
- The CIA Triad and the core principles that every security control is designed to protect
- Cyber Kill Chain concept and the stages of a typical attack lifecycle
- Networking fundamentals — the OSI model, the TCP/IP stack, ports and protocols
- 3-way and 2-way TCP handshakes, and the role of core networking devices
- Linux command-line essentials for security practitioners
- Windows command-line essentials and baseline system administration
- Building a lab environment using VirtualBox, Kali Linux and Parrot Security
- Installing and configuring vulnerable targets for safe, legal practice
- Cyber laws, compliance obligations and organisational security policy basics
- Ethical hacking methodology, scope definition and rules of engagement
- Introduction to the penetration testing lifecycle: recon, scanning, exploitation, reporting
Tools You Will Use
Hands-on time with the same tools used in professional security operations and penetration-testing engagements.
Kali Linux
Debian-based penetration testing distribution preloaded with the industry-standard offensive security toolset.
Parrot Security
Security-focused Linux distribution used for penetration testing, forensics and privacy-preserving lab work.
VirtualBox
Virtualization platform used to build and isolate the penetration-testing lab environment.
Linux/Windows CLI
Command-line fluency on both operating systems for reconnaissance, administration and exploitation tasks.
Hands-On Labs
Enterprise and SOC-style lab scenarios, run inside your isolated penetration-testing environment.
Build a fully functional, isolated penetration-testing lab using VirtualBox, Kali Linux and Parrot Security.
Deploy an intentionally vulnerable Windows target for safe, contained practice.
Run core Linux and Windows command-line operations used in day-to-day security work.
Capture a live TCP handshake and map observed traffic back to the OSI model.
Draft a baseline organisational security policy aligned to a named compliance framework.
Assessment
Knowledge Assessment
Written assessment covering the OSI/TCP-IP model, the Cyber Kill Chain, threat actor classification and core security principles.
Practical Evaluation
Students must stand up a working lab — Kali Linux and Parrot Security both reachable, a vulnerable target installed and network connectivity verified — and walk an assessor through it.
Projects
Industry-style deliverables added directly to your project portfolio.
Penetration Testing Lab Build & Network Baseline Report
Build the lab end-to-end and document network topology, IP allocation and baseline configuration.
Organisational Security Policy & Compliance Mapping
Draft a security policy for a fictional organisation, mapped explicitly to a named compliance framework.
Threat Actor Profiling Brief
Profile a threat actor archetype relevant to a chosen industry vertical and its likely attack objectives.
What This Module Builds
Students leave with a solid grounding in networking, operating systems and ethical-hacking methodology, plus a fully functional penetration-testing lab they will use for the rest of the program.