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Associated Certification: GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF)
To determine if the SANS SEC301 course is right for you, ask yourself five simple questions:
If you answer yes to any of these questions, the SEC301: Introduction to Cyber Security training course is for you. Jump-start your security knowledge by receiving insight and instruction from real-world security experts on critical introductory topics that are fundamental to cyber security.
This five-day comprehensive course covers everything from core terminology to the how computers and networks function, security policies, risk management, a new way of looking at passwords, cryptographic principles, network attacks & malware, wireless security, firewalls and many other security technologies, web & browser security, backups, virtual machines & cloud computing. All topics are covered at an easy to understand introductory level.
This course is for those who have very little knowledge of computers & technology with no prior knowledge of cyber security. The hands-on, step-by-step teaching approach enables you to grasp all the information presented, even if some of the topics are new to you. You'll learn real-world cyber security fundamentals to serve as the foundation of your career skills and knowledge for years to come.
Written by a cyber security professional with over 35 years of industry experience in both the public and private sectors, SEC301 provides uncompromising real-world insight from start to finish. The course prepares you for the Global Information Security Fundamentals (GISF) certification test, as well as getting you ready for your next training course. It also delivers on the SANS promise: "You can use the knowledge and skills you learn in SEC301 as soon as you return to work."
You Will Be Able To
In this course, you receive the following:
Every good security practitioner and every good security program begins with the same mantra: learn the fundamentals. SEC301 starts by instilling familiarity with core security terms and principles. By the time you leave the classroom after the first day, you fully understand the Principle of Least Privilege and why it drives all security decisions. You know the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) method of prioritizing your security program. You understand the fundamentals of risk management, security policy, and authentication/authorization/accountability (AAA).
CPE/CMU Credits: 6
If you are going to secure a computer or a network, you must have at least a basic knowledge of how they work. Every attack uses something that exists for perfectly valid reasons and misuses it in invalid malicious ways. To work in cyber security, you have to understand the valid functions to understand the potential for invalid misuse.
The day begins with a discussion of how computers work. We cover the numbering system of decimal, binary, and hexadecimal - vital to understanding computers and networks. We also cover ASCII (the American Standard Code for Information Interchange). We also discuss what an operating system is. We talk about the terms kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte and what those terms mean. We cover the difference between the hard drive and Random Access Memory (RAM). In short, how a computer works.
From there, we move to a discussion of how information moves from point A to point B across a network without using any technical terminology of any kind. This discussion includes both Internet and Local Area Network (LAN) examples. As we move on through the day, we slowly add the technical aspects of those explanations, including the terms and acronyms of networking. We discuss the origins of the Internet and why that origin matters to modern-day cyber security. We explain what a protocol is, and what both the OSI and TCP/IP stacks are and why they matter. You learn about standard network hardware such as a network interface card, a switch, and a router. We progress to topics such as IP addresses, network masks, default gateways, and routing. We explain, compare, and contrast the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and why you might want to use one over the other. Eventually, we get to network protocols such as the Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP), Domain Name System (DNS), and Network Address Translation (NAT).
While the above description sounds exceptionally technical, rest assured that we present the material in the most non-technical way possible. We cover each topic at a very high-level without getting into the nitty-gritty details.
CPE/CMU Credits: 6
Cryptography is one of the most complex issues faced by security practitioners. It is not a topic you can explain in passing; we spend a full day on it. You do not need a calculator for this day since we do not delve into the math behind crypto. We introduce you to cryptographic terms. We explain what steganography is. We then look at historical examples of cryptography. We do this because even the most advanced cryptographic systems today utilize methods of encrypting data that were used hundreds of years B.C. So we explain the historical examples that are very easy to understand to make it easier to understand modern cryptographic methods and principles.
We cover the "work factor" - the length of time necessary to break cryptography and why understanding this concept is so important. We cover some of the potential attacks against crypto and which ones are viable against modern cryptography and which attacks are nonviable. We cover hashing, symmetric & asymmetric cryptography and how each works. We then show real-world examples of how those cryptographic systems work. We cover the secure key exchange mechanism called Diffie-Hellman. We even briefly cover digital certificates and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
Once we have thoroughly explained how cryptography works, we end the day with a discussion of data encrypting protocols. Things that use cryptography to secure data on our networks and across the Internet. Here we cover email encryption, secure remote administration, secure file transfer, and three examples of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
Again, we do not spend our time on the mathematics behind cryptography, but instead, we are highly process focused. We explain the steps required to make crypto work, the order those steps must occur in, and which key you must use for each step.
CPE/CMU Credits: 6
Our fourth day in the classroom begins our exploration of cyber security technologies. We begin with wireless network security (WiFi and Bluetooth), and mobile device security (i.e., mobile phones & tablets). We compare and contrast the security models of Apple's iPhone and Google's Android phones. We also discuss the almost total lack of security in the Internet of Things (IoT). We follow that with a look at some frequent attacks, including open-source intelligence gathering, social engineering, drive-by download attacks, watering hole attacks, buffer overflow attacks, Denial of Service (DoS), and other frequent attacks. We then move into a discussion of malware. What is a virus versus a worm or a trojan horse? What is ransomware, and what is cryptojacking. We then cover both anti-malware and host firewalls that try to counter these problems.
CPE/CMU Credits: 6
The final day of our SEC301 journey continues the discussion of Cyber Security Technologies. The day begins by looking at several security technologies, including compartmentalization, firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS), sniffers, content filters, sinkholes, ethical hacking, active defense, threat hunting and many more. We then take a solid look at Browser and Web security, and the difficulties of securing the web environment. For example, students understand why and how their browser connects to anywhere from 5 to 100+ different Internet locations each time they load a single web page. We end the day with a look at system security to include hardening operating systems, patching, virtual machines, cloud computing, and backup. We include solid real-world examples of how to implement these.
CPE/CMU Credits: 6
Important! Bring your own system configured according to these instructions!
A properly configured system is required to fully participate in this course. If you do not carefully read and follow these instructions, you will likely leave the class unsatisfied because you will not be able to participate in hands-on exercises that are essential to this course. Therefore, we strongly urge you to arrive with a system meeting all the requirements specified for the course.
SEC301 includes both lecture and hands-on labs. There are specific computer configuration requirements to perform hands-on labs. If you take SEC301 live in the classroom, you utilize a classroom network to connect to a lab server. If you take SEC301 online via OnDemand, you connect to the lab environment via the Internet. To accomplish this, you need the following:
NOTE: Administrative (or "Admin") permission is NOT required to perform any of the labs you do in class.
If you have additional questions about the laptop specifications, please contact laptop_prep@sans.org.
The SEC301 Introduction to Information Security course is designed to address the needs of:
"SEC301 was my first SANS course, and I was not disappointed! Keith was exceptional in presenting this information in a clear and concise manner. He took the time to really explain concepts and challenged us to think things through. I learned a great deal and look forward to future SANS events." - Rebekah Wolf, TenWolf Technology Information Services
Why choose a SANS course?
The SEC301 course lives up to its name: Introduction to Cyber Security. The course is for those who have very little or no background in Information Technology and who need to understand security concepts, principles, and terms. If you fall into that category, SEC301 serves your needs well.
Which course is right for you?
SANS recommends this course for those just starting in security.
Following SEC301, Introduction to Cyber Security, you may move on to the SEC401, Security Essentials course. You may also choose more of a management track and go to MGT512: Security Leadership Essentials For Managers. You might also choose to attend SEC487: Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Gathering and Analysis. Perhaps LEG523: Law of Data Security and Investigations will better suit your interests. The SEC301 course prepares you for whatever path you may choose to follow in the cyber security world.
"If you want to be good at something, whether it be sports, music, science, math, or cyber security, you MUST have a solid grasp of the fundamentals. In fact, the better you understand the fundamentals, the better you become at a particular skillset. Without that foundation to build on, it is almost impossible to become a master at something. The Introduction to Cyber Security course is all about building those fundamentals and creating that foundation.
One of the things I enjoy most is seeing a student have that "ah-ha" moment. The moment when they suddenly understand a topic for the first time - often a topic they have wondered about for years. You can almost literally see the "light-bulb" of understanding appear over their heads. There are "ah-ha" moments at every turn and on every day of the SEC301: Introduction to Cyber Security course."
- Keith Palmgren
"Mr. Palmgren is incredibly knowledgeable and had very interesting stories and personal experiences to share. He was great at making even the dryer topics interesting." - Brendan Hurley, Dell