Diploma in Cyber Security

A foundations course that ranges across most areas of defensive security in about 6 to 10 hours, Alison's stated average. It starts with why cyber security matters in the digital age and a survey of threats and attack vectors, then moves to vulnerability assessment and patch management, hardening operating systems and managing user accounts, and network defences such as firewalls and VPNs. Further modules cover cloud security and protecting data during migration, the Internet of Things and the weaknesses of common devices, cryptography for securing communications, web application security frameworks and secure coding, and mobile security including building secure mobile apps.

The legal and ethical side of security work, including ethical hacking, is also addressed. The course is self-paced, rated Beginner Level, CPD-accredited and offered in English and Spanish, and Alison's diploma courses include several assessments along the way. Studying it is free in full; the Alison Diploma awarded on completion is an optional paid extra in digital or printed form, and a free Learner Record is available as proof instead.