Byte-Sized : Cyber Security Fundamentals

Bite-Sized Lessons, Hands-On Labs, Real-World Skills

What you'll learn

Understand the structure of the course, the learning journey, and what skills will be developed.

Gain a foundational understanding of cybersecurity concepts, the threat landscape, and why security matters.

Learn how to protect devices such as laptops, mobiles, and IoT from cyber threats using policies, tools, and monitoring.

Explore the hardware and software components that make up computing systems and their security implications.

Understand the basics of networking, protocols, and how data flows across networks with a security perspective.

Understand authentication, authorisation, and access control methods their layers, and common vulnerabilities at each level.

Grasp the basics of encryption, hashing, and key management in practical, non-mathematical terms.

Identify and categorise common cyber threats, from malware to insider risks.

Build a vocabulary of cybersecurity terms to communicate clearly with technical and non-technical audiences.

Understand how to respond to security incidents and the fundamentals of digital evidence handling.

Learn the stages of penetration testing, basic tools, and ethical considerations.

Explore how AI is used in cyber defence and cybercrime, and future implications.

Identify relevant cybersecurity certifications and how to choose the right one for career goals.

Learn strategies for job searching, building a portfolio, and networking in the cybersecurity field.

Understand human-focused attacks and how to recognise and defend against them.

Learn basic scripting for automation, security testing, and incident response.

Conduct safe open-source intelligence (OSINT) gathering to identify targets and vulnerabilities.

Use network scanning and enumeration tools to map systems and detect weaknesses.

Understand how vulnerabilities are exploited and the importance of patching and mitigation.

Learn common web application vulnerabilities and how to test for and prevent them.

Explore mobile security risks, attack methods, and protective measures.

Understand cloud service models, risks, and shared responsibility.

Learn wireless network security basics, attack vectors, and defence strategies.

Explore privilege escalation, root access, and post-exploitation activities ethically.

Requirements

This course is designed for anyone curious about cybersecurity, whether you’re completely new to the topic or looking to build a solid foundation. You don’t need any prior technical knowledge or programming skills to get started. A basic comfort with using computers and the internet is all that’s needed. It helps if you have an open mind and a willingness to explore how digital security works in everyday life from your phone and laptop to networks and the web. If you’re interested in understanding how cyber threats happen and how to protect yourself or others, this course is a perfect fit.

Description

Byte-Sized : Cyber Security FundamentalsStep into the world of cybersecurity with this beginner-friendly, hands-on course designed to take you from foundational knowledge to practical skills. Whether you’re looking to kickstart a career in cybersecurity, prepare for certifications, or simply understand how to protect yourself online, this course has you covered.We start with Cybersecurity Fundamentals, exploring how computers, networks, and operating systems work, before diving into Firewalls, Antivirus, and Cryptography, your first line of defense against digital threats. You’ll also learn to recognise the subtle tactics of Social Engineering, giving you the edge to stay one step ahead of attackers.From there, we move into Scripting & Automation, Reconnaissance, Scanning, and Exploitation Basics, helping you understand the mindset and techniques of ethical hackers. Explore Web, Mobile, Cloud, and Wireless Security, and learn about Post-Exploitation and Privilege Escalation.Hands-on Labs & Practice sections allow you to apply your knowledge safely, while modules on Incident Response, Reporting, and Communication prepare you to handle real-world scenarios. Finally, we look at Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity and guidance on Certifications That Get You Hired, so you know the next steps for your career.With over 20 modules, practical labs, demos, and career advice, this course is the perfect starting point to build confidence, skills, and a pathway into the cybersecurity world.

Overview

Section 1: Byte One Cybersecurity Unplugged ( Cybersecurity Fundamentals )

Lecture 1 What is Cybersecurity?

Lecture 2 Introduction

Lecture 3 Threat Actors & Motivations

Lecture 4 The CIA Triad: Protecting Data with Confidentiality, Integrity & Availability

Lecture 5 Common Cyber Attack Types: Know Your Enemies

Lecture 6 Security Controls: Technical, Physical & Administrative Layers

Lecture 7 The Kill Chain & MITRE ATT&CK: Mapping Cyberattack Tactics

Lecture 8 Types of Cyber Attacks

Section 2: Bits & Bobs What’s Under the Hood ( Beyond the Screen: Inside Your Machine )

Lecture 9 What Happens When You Power On?

Lecture 10 The Key Components Inside a Computer

Lecture 11 How the OS Manages Processes & Resources

Lecture 12 User Accounts, Admins & Permissions

Lecture 13 Why It Matters to Cybersecurity

Lecture 14 Build A PC

Lecture 15 BIOS Simulation

Lecture 16 What is a Virtual Machine

Section 3: NetWork It Out ( Network Fundamentals )

Lecture 17 What Is an IP Address?

Lecture 18 Unlocking the Digital Doors: Ports & Protocols Explained

Lecture 19 DNS Demystified: The Internet’s Phonebook

Lecture 20 LAN, WAN & The Internet: What’s the Difference?

Lecture 21 Ping: The Digital Echo

Lecture 22 Tools of the Trade

Lecture 23 Wireshark

Section 4: Operating System Basics ( The OS Layer Cake )

Lecture 24 What is an Operating System, Really?

Lecture 25 Windows vs. Linux: A Friendly Introduction

Lecture 26 Your Digital ID & Access Levels

Lecture 27 Understanding Permissions and File Structures

Lecture 28 Recognising Key System Folders and Commands

Lecture 29 Staying Safe: OS Hardening & Basic Security Practices

Lecture 30 Linux Terminal Demo

Lecture 31 Windows CMD Demo

Section 5: Firewalls & Antivirus ( Your Digital Doormen )

Lecture 32 How Do Firewalls Protect You?

Lecture 33 What Antivirus Software Does

Lecture 34 Why You Need Both Firewalls & Antivirus

Lecture 35 Tips to Maximize Your Digital Security

Lecture 36 Staying Safe: OS Hardening & Basic Security Practices

Lecture 37 Windows Defender Demo

Section 6: Cryptography Basics ( Crack the Code Crypto for Mortals )

Lecture 38 What Is Cryptography?

Lecture 39 Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Encryption

Lecture 40 Common Cryptographic Algorithms

Lecture 41 Why Cryptography Matters

Lecture 42 Weaknesses & Real World Risks

Lecture 43 John The Ripper Demo

Section 7: The Many Shades of Cyber ( Fifty Shades of Threat )

Lecture 44 Red Team : Offensive Security in Action

Lecture 45 Blue Team : Defensive Security Experts

Lecture 46 Different Goals, Same Mission

Lecture 47 Tools & Tactics Vary

Lecture 48 Beyond Red & Blue - The Lesser Known Cybersecurity Teams

Lecture 49 Understanding Hacker Roles

Section 8: Endpoint Security ( First Line of Defence )

Lecture 50 Common Endpoint Threats

Lecture 51 Key Security Tools & Solutions

Lecture 52 Best Practices for Users

Lecture 53 Why Endpoint Security Matters

Lecture 54 Tools of the Trade

Section 9: Social Engineering ( Hack the Human )

Lecture 55 What Is Social Engineering?

Lecture 56 Common Social Engineering Attacks

Lecture 57 Red Flags to Watch For

Lecture 58 The Psychology Behind It

Lecture 59 How to Defend Yourself

Lecture 60 Tools of the Trade

Lecture 61 AI, Faces & the Death of Anonymity

Lecture 62 Phishing Demo

Section 10: Scripting & Automation ( Byte Me Scripts That Do the Work )

Lecture 63 What is a Script?

Lecture 64 Basic Bash & PowerShell Concepts

Lecture 65 Automating Recon or Scanning

Lecture 66 Getting Started with Your First Script

Lecture 67 Why Learn Python for Cybersecurity?

Lecture 68 Tools of the Trade

Lecture 69 Bash Script Demo

Section 11: Reconnaissance & Intelligence Gathering ( Spy Before You Strike )

Lecture 70 Passive vs. Active Reconnaissance

Lecture 71 WHOIS, nslookup, Shodan, theHarvester, Recon-ng

Lecture 72 Social Engineering Basics

Lecture 73 OSINT: Open Source Intelligence

Lecture 74 More Tools of the Trade

Lecture 75 theHarvester Demo

Section 12: Scanning & Enumeration ( Ping, Probe, and Peek )

Lecture 76 Scanning & Enumeration

Lecture 77 Port Scanning & Banner Grabbing

Lecture 78 Common Scanning Tools Explained

Lecture 79 Vulnerability Scanning vs. Manual Discovery

Lecture 80 Understanding CVEs: The Vulnerability Playbook

Lecture 81 nmap demo

Section 13: Exploitation Basics ( The Art of the Exploit )

Lecture 82 What Is an Exploit?

Lecture 83 Exploit vs. Vulnerability

Lecture 84 The Ethical Hacking Process

Lecture 85 Tools: Metasploit, SQLmap, John the Ripper, Hydra

Lecture 86 Common Vulnerabilities (Examples)

Lecture 87 Post-Exploitation Essentials

Lecture 88 Post-Exploitation Essentials

Lecture 89 SQLMap Demo

Section 14: Web Application Attacks ( 404 Web Security Not Found )

Lecture 90 What is OWASP?

Lecture 91 OWASP Top 10 (Simplified)

Lecture 92 Tools: Burp Suite & OWASP ZAP

Lecture 93 Cookie Tampering & Input Validation

Lecture 94 Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

Lecture 95 OWASP ZAP Lab

Section 15: Mobile Security ( Pocket-Sized Threats )

Lecture 96 Why Mobile Security Matters

Lecture 97 Common Mobile Threats

Lecture 98 Simple Steps to Stay Safe

Lecture 99 Spot the Signs of Trouble

Lecture 100 BYOD & Work Phones

Section 16: Cloud Security Fundamentals ( The Fog of Cloud )

Lecture 101 What Is Cloud Computing?

Lecture 102 Cloud Security Basics

Lecture 103 The Shared Responsibility Model

Lecture 104 Common Cloud Threats

Lecture 105 Best Practices for Cloud Security

Section 17: Wireless Attacks ( Wi-Fight the Power )

Lecture 106 Wireless Standards & Weaknesses

Lecture 107 Cracking Wi-Fi with Aircrack-ng

Lecture 108 Evil Twin Attacks

Lecture 109 De-authentication (Deauth) Attacks

Lecture 110 Tools of the Trade

Section 18: Post-Exploitation & Privilege Escalation ( Now You’re (In)Root )

Lecture 111 What to Do After Access

Lecture 112 Windows vs. Linux Privilege Escalation (PrivEsc)

Lecture 113 Mimikatz, PowerView, LinPEAS

Lecture 114 Honeypots, Honeytokens & Fake Asset

Lecture 115 Cowrei Demo

Section 19: Reporting & Communication ( Cyber Speak Translate the Threat )

Lecture 116 Writing a Clear PenTest Report

Lecture 117 Risk Ratings Explained Simply

Lecture 118 Presenting to Non-Technical Stakeholders

Lecture 119 Provide Detailed Technical Info

Section 20: Incident Response & Forensics Basics

Lecture 120 What Is Incident Response?

Lecture 121 The 6 Phases of Incident Response

Lecture 122 What Is Digital Forensics?

Lecture 123 Common Forensics Techniques

Lecture 124 Best Practices & Real-World Tips

Lecture 125 Tools of the trade

Section 21: Introduction to Penetration Testing ( First Blood Pen Testing Primer )

Lecture 126 What is Penetration Testing?

Lecture 127 Ethical Hacking vs. Malicious Hacking

Lecture 128 Legal & Compliance Considerations

Lecture 129 The PenTest+ Exam Overview

Section 22: Artificial Intelligence & Cybersecurity ( Rise of the Bots AI vs Cyber Threats )

Lecture 130 AI in Cybersecurity A Double-Edged Sword

Lecture 131 How AI Defends Systems

Lecture 132 How Attackers Use AI

Lecture 133 Machine Learning in Cybersecurity

Lecture 134 The Future AI vs. AI?

Lecture 135 Tools of the Trade

Lecture 136 Deep Fake Voice Demo

Section 23: Unlocking Your Next Level ( Hack Your Career )

Lecture 137 Why Certifications Matter

Lecture 138 Beginner-Friendly Certifications

Lecture 139 Role-Specific Certifications

Lecture 140 Certification Tips & Mistakes to Avoid

Lecture 141 Google Dorks: Your Hidden Job Search Superpower

Lecture 142 Google Dorks: Your Hidden Job Search Superpower Pt 2

Lecture 143 DORKING FOR JOB HUNTING

Section 24: The Cyber Career Map: Steps to Success ( Cyber Job Steps )

Lecture 144 Why Cybersecurity Is a Great Career

Lecture 145 What Employers Look For

Lecture 146 Build Skills with TryHackMe & Hack The Box

Lecture 147 Other Ways to Gain Experience

Lecture 148 Bug Bounties: Get Paid to Hack (Legally!)

Lecture 149 Cybersecurity Career Paths Find Your Fit

Lecture 150 Your Next Steps

Lecture 151 Hack The Box Demo

This course is perfect for anyone who wants to understand cybersecurity from the ground up, whether you’re a total beginner or someone curious about how the digital world stays safe.,This course is ideal for small and medium-sized business (SME) owners and managers who want to understand the cybersecurity risks their business might face.