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SEC301 Live Online March

  • Mon, Mar 8 - Fri, Mar 12, 2027
  • 1 Course
  • English
Virtual (ET)
SEC301 Live Online March
  • 5-Day Course: March 8 – 12, 2027

    Earn 30 CPEs.

  • GIAC Information Security Fundamentals

    (GISF)

    Learn about certification.

  • Beginner Level

    Course content applicable to people with limited or no cybersecurity experience.

  • 14 Hands-On Labs

    Apply what you learn with hands-on exercises and labs.

Jump to:

SEC301: Cybersecurity Fluency for Business Professionals - Live Online

Plenty of people are asked to make security decisions without ever being taught the vocabulary. Approving a vendor, writing a policy, signing off on a control, sitting in a breach meeting and trying to work out what everyone is arguing about.

SEC301 fixes that in five days of live, virtual instruction, without assuming a technical background. No prerequisites, no acronym drills, and every topic arrives with a scenario attached: a hospital weighing a delayed patch, a compliance lead deciding whether a lost device triggers notification, a factory floor that goes dark after a well-meant IT update. Labs run entirely in a browser, so any laptop with an internet connection will do.

During the Week, You'll Work Through:

  • 14 hands-on labs, all browser-based
  • Risk equation and breach notification decision exercises
  • Hashing, encryption, digital signature, and TLS certificate labs
  • DNS investigation, traceroute analysis, and Zero Trust design work
  • Malware identification case studies and ATT&CK to D3FEND mapping
  • A live SOC scenario following alerts through SIEM, EDR, and SOAR

How AI Is Changing Attacks

The course examines how AI is changing phishing, voice cloning, and malware generation, and has you weigh an AI-driven SOC pilot on its operational data rather than its marketing. You’ll get 30 CPE credits for this course, and it’s aligned to the GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF) certification.

Who Should Take This Course?

Anyone who needs to be fluent in security without being a practitioner: managers, HR, legal, auditors, compliance staff, and people moving into cybersecurity from another field. It also suits technical people who picked things up piecemeal and want the full picture in order.

Students Say

  • Slide 1 of 2
    Excellent! Mr. Thomas is the best instructor I’ve ever had. I am really happy that he was our instructor and that I could learn a lot this week. From the classes, I noticed that the topics are not so complicated as I thought, but that it is really important how they are explained. And Mr. Thomas explained the theory also with a lot of examples which was really helpful to imagine how the things work. Thank you!
    Iliyana B.Continental AG
  • Slide 2 of 2
    Exceptional. Truly exceptional. Learning from someone with actual experience is a game changer and Sean is built in every way to be a teacher. He is kind, compassionate, interesting, and most important, willing to be a little silly to get everyone involved.
    Katie B.HubSpot
Slide 1 of 0

Download the Course Syllabus or Letter to Justify this Training to Your Manager

To learn more about SEC301, business takeaways, laptop requirements and more, please visit the course page.

Early Bird Offer

Save $750 USD using the code "EarlyBirdNA" and pay for any 4-6 day course (excluding Beta Courses and 300 Level Courses) by November 17, 2026.

Courses

Looking for Group Purchasing? Contact Sales

GIAC Certification Exam Attempt

2 Free practice tests when you add a certification exam attempt to your course. Available for select courses below.

Extra 120 Days of Course Access

Add OnDemand Extended Access for 120 days to help you prepare for your GIAC exam. Available for select courses below.

Featured Speaker

Sean Thomas
Sean Thomas

Sean Thomas

Senior Information Security Analyst at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Sean Thomas, SANS Certified Instructor for SEC301, draws on 20+ years in higher education and IT to make cybersecurity approachable, practical, and confidence-building for new and aspiring defenders.

Read more about Sean Thomas

Three Reasons to Train Virtually

  • Ultimate Convenience

    Eliminate the hassle of daily commutes and wasted travel time. You’ll have everything you need right from your home.

  • Personalization

    Hands-on learning with the opportunity to ask questions and receive instant feedback from world-renowned experts. Afterward, reinforce your skills with 4-months of access to daily course lecture archives.

  • Hands-On Labs

    Learn cutting-edge cybersecurity knowledge with hands-on labs that provide you with techniques you can immediately use in your organization.

Woman at Laptop

Frequently Asked Questions

SEC301 Live Online March is taught live in Eastern Time from March 8-12, 2027. Seven days before class, download your digital materials and run the Test Connection check under SANS Live Online in your SANS Account; printed books ship to your registration address about 14 days ahead. Class chat and help run through your course Slack channel.

Other questions are answered in the SANS Live Training FAQ.

Yes. Sean Thomas of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University teaches SEC301 live online March 8-12, 2027, in Eastern Time: five days and 30 CPEs, aligned with GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF).

No. There are no prerequisites, and each topic is taught through a real scenario, such as a hospital deciding whether to delay a patch. All labs run in a browser, so any laptop with an internet connection works.

Managers, HR, legal, audit, and compliance staff who need to speak security fluently, people moving into cybersecurity from another field, and technical staff who learned security piecemeal and want the full picture in order.

Yes. It covers how AI is changing phishing, voice cloning, and malware, and has students evaluate an AI-driven SOC pilot on its operational data rather than its marketing.