Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking Foundations

What you will be able to do

• Explain the ethical and legal limits of security testing, including the IT Act, 2000 at an overview level, and work only within an authorised scope
• Build and use an isolated virtual lab for safe practice
• Describe how networks work and analyse traffic with Wireshark in the lab
• Administer a Linux system from the command line and write simple Bash scripts
• Apply core security concepts: the CIA triad, cryptography, authentication and access control
• Threat-model a simple application and propose controls for the risks you find
• Identify and explain common web vulnerabilities from the OWASP Top 10 in deliberately vulnerable lab applications
• Run a scoped vulnerability assessment in the lab, rate findings with CVSS and write a clear report with remediation advice
• Follow responsible disclosure practice when reporting a vulnerability

About this course

Syllabus

This syllabus is a draft awaiting instructor review. Topics, order and schedule may change before the first batch is announced.

1. 01Security foundations, ethics and the law+3 live sessions · 6 hours · What cybersecurity covers, the legal and ethical limits of testing, and a safe lab to practise in.

   Learning objectives

   • Explain the CIA triad, common threats and the roles in a security team
   • Describe the difference between authorised testing and illegal access, including the IT Act, 2000 at an overview level
   • Build an isolated virtual lab with attacker and target machines

   Live sessions

   1. 01What cybersecurity is2 hConfidentiality, integrity and availability; threats, vulnerabilities and risk; common attack types such as phishing, malware and credential theft; defensive and offensive roles and how they work together.
   2. 02Ethics, authorisation and Indian law2 hWhy permission is everything: written authorisation, scope and rules of engagement; an overview of the IT Act, 2000 provisions on unauthorised access and damage to computer systems (such as Sections 43 and 66), the role of CERT-In and personal-data duties under the DPDP Act, 2023; the course code of conduct. Overview only, not legal advice.
   3. 03Building the lab and doubt-clearing2 hInstalling a hypervisor, Kali Linux and target virtual machines; host-only and NAT networks so lab traffic never reaches real systems; snapshots; open questions on ethics and setup.

   Practice

   Set up the isolated lab, take snapshots and confirm the target machines cannot reach the internet. Read and sign the course code of conduct.

   Assessment

   Quiz on security concepts, authorisation and the legal limits of testing, plus a screenshot checklist of a working, isolated lab.

   You will be able to

   You understand where the legal and ethical lines are and have a safe environment for every later exercise.

2. 02Networking for security+4 live sessions · 8 hours · How data moves across networks, and how to see it.

   Learning objectives

   • Explain the OSI and TCP/IP models and how packets are delivered
   • Work with IP addressing, subnets, ports and common protocols
   • Capture and analyse lab traffic with Wireshark

   Live sessions

   1. 04How networks work2 hOSI and TCP/IP models, Ethernet and MAC addresses, switches and routers, ARP, and the TCP three-way handshake versus UDP.
   2. 05IP addressing, subnets and ports2 hIPv4 addresses, subnet masks and CIDR, private and public ranges, NAT, a first look at IPv6, ports and services, and firewalls at a conceptual level.
   3. 06Core protocols: DNS, HTTP and TLS2 hHow DNS resolution works, HTTP requests and responses, HTTPS and the TLS handshake, email protocols, and where each protocol can be abused.
   4. 07Packet analysis lab and doubt-clearing2 hCapturing and filtering lab traffic in Wireshark, following TCP streams, spotting cleartext credentials in a lab capture; open questions on networking.

   Practice

   Subnetting exercises and a set of Wireshark questions answered from packet captures generated in your own lab.

   Assessment

   Assignment: annotated analysis of a provided lab packet capture.

   You will be able to

   You can explain what is happening on a network and read traffic at packet level.

3. 03Linux and the command line+3 live sessions · 6 hours · Run and inspect Linux systems confidently, the way security work requires.

   Learning objectives

   • Navigate the file system and manage files from the shell
   • Manage users, permissions, processes, services and logs
   • Automate small tasks with Bash scripts

   Live sessions

   1. 08Linux fundamentals2 hDistributions, the file-system hierarchy, shell navigation, file operations, pipes and redirection, and searching with grep and find.
   2. 09Users, permissions, processes and logs2 hUsers and groups, file permissions and sudo, processes and services with systemd, package management, SSH with keys, and reading system and authentication logs.
   3. 10Bash scripting and doubt-clearing2 hVariables, conditions, loops and arguments in Bash; writing a small script that summarises failed logins from a log file; open questions on Linux.

   Practice

   Harden a lab Ubuntu server: create users, fix weak permissions, disable password SSH logins and review its logs.

   Assessment

   Practical lab check on Linux administration tasks, plus a short Bash script.

   You will be able to

   You can administer and inspect a Linux system from the command line.

4. 04Security fundamentals and threat modelling+4 live sessions · 8 hours · The building blocks of protection, and a structured way to find risks before attackers do.

   Learning objectives

   • Explain hashing, encryption, digital signatures and certificates
   • Describe authentication, authorisation, MFA and least privilege
   • Threat-model an application with data-flow diagrams and STRIDE
   • Describe logging, monitoring and the basics of incident response

   Live sessions

   1. 11Cryptography in practice2 hHashing and salting, symmetric and asymmetric encryption, digital signatures, certificates and public key infrastructure, password storage, and common cryptographic mistakes.
   2. 12Identity, authentication and access control2 hAuthentication factors and MFA, sessions and tokens, password policies, authorisation models, least privilege, and how account takeover happens.
   3. 13Threat modelling2 hAssets, trust boundaries and data-flow diagrams; STRIDE; attack trees; rating and prioritising risks; choosing controls; working in OWASP Threat Dragon.
   4. 14Defensive controls, incident response and mid-course review2 hDefence in depth, patching, logging and monitoring, the incident-response lifecycle; checkpoint quiz on the first half of the course; doubt-clearing.

   Practice

   Threat-model a small online-learning application from a provided architecture description and propose controls for its top risks.

   Assessment

   Mid-course checkpoint quiz plus a threat-model submission with a data-flow diagram and risk table.

   You will be able to

   You can reason about risks systematically and explain which controls address them and why.

5. 05Web application security+4 live sessions · 8 hours · How web applications are attacked and defended, practised only on deliberately vulnerable lab applications.

   Learning objectives

   • Intercept and inspect web traffic with Burp Suite or ZAP in the lab
   • Explain and demonstrate common OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities on lab applications
   • Recommend the developer-side fix for each vulnerability class

   Live sessions

   1. 15How web applications work and the OWASP Top 102 hRequests, cookies, sessions and APIs; setting up an intercepting proxy against lab applications; an overview of the OWASP Top 10 and why each category matters.
   2. 16Injection flaws2 hSQL injection and command injection in DVWA and Juice Shop running in the lab; how parameterised queries, input validation and least privilege prevent them.
   3. 17Cross-site scripting, CSRF and broken access control2 hReflected and stored XSS, cross-site request forgery, insecure direct object references and missing authorisation checks in lab applications; output encoding, CSRF tokens and server-side authorisation as fixes.
   4. 18Web security lab and doubt-clearing2 hGuided challenges in the lab applications; authentication weaknesses and security misconfiguration; reviewing fixes; open questions.

   Practice

   Complete a set of Juice Shop and DVWA challenges inside the lab and write the developer fix for each one.

   Assessment

   Assignment: three vulnerability write-ups from the lab applications, each with steps, impact and remediation.

   You will be able to

   You can recognise common web vulnerabilities, explain their impact and advise developers on fixing them.

6. 06Vulnerability assessment and responsible disclosure+4 live sessions · 8 hours · Run a structured, authorised assessment from scope to report, and report issues the responsible way.

   Learning objectives

   • Define scope and rules of engagement before any testing begins
   • Discover hosts and services and run vulnerability scans on in-scope lab systems
   • Validate findings, rate them with CVSS and write a clear report
   • Follow responsible disclosure practice when reporting a vulnerability

   Live sessions

   1. 19Assessment methodology, scope and reconnaissance2 hAssessment phases, written scope and rules of engagement, what is never in scope, keeping an activity log, and passive and active reconnaissance limited to lab targets.
   2. 20Scanning and enumeration2 hHost discovery, port and service scanning with Nmap, and vulnerability scanning with Greenbone (OpenVAS) against in-scope lab machines only; reading and filtering scan results.
   3. 21Validating findings and rating risk2 hSeparating real issues from false positives, safe validation in the lab, CVE and CVSS scoring, business impact and prioritising remediation.
   4. 22Reporting, responsible disclosure and doubt-clearing2 hStructuring an assessment report for technical and non-technical readers; coordinated disclosure, vendor security contacts, reporting to CERT-In and bug-bounty programme rules; what to do if you find something by accident; open questions.

   Practice

   Run a full mini-assessment of a provided multi-machine lab with a written scope, logging every action.

   Assessment

   Assignment: a mini-assessment report with CVSS-rated findings and fixes.

   You will be able to

   You can carry out and report a scoped vulnerability assessment professionally and lawfully.

7. 07Capstone assessment+2 live sessions · 4 hours · Bring everything together in a scoped lab assessment and present the results.

   Learning objectives

   • Plan and run a complete assessment within a written scope
   • Present findings and recommendations clearly to a mixed audience

   Live sessions

   1. 23Capstone lab studio and doubt-clearing2 hWorking session on the capstone lab target with individual feedback on scope, method, evidence and report drafts.
   2. 24Capstone presentations and final assessment2 hLearners present their assessment findings for live review; final assessment covering the whole course, including ethics and the law.

   Practice

   Complete the capstone assessment and report in the provided lab environment.

   Assessment

   Capstone report and presentation, and a final assessment (pass mark 60%).

   You will be able to

   You can take an authorised assessment from scope to report and explain your work with confidence.

Teaching formats and fees

Every format teaches the full syllabus live, with the same projects, assessments and certificate rules. The fee is per student for the whole course.

Launch fee — GST treatment to be confirmed.

Fees are set in Indian rupees. Amounts in other currencies are estimates; the amount and currency you would pay are shown before payment once online enrolment opens.

Schedules and batches

Choose the schedule that fits your week. Both teach the same syllabus and the same 48 live hours; only the number of weeks differs.

• Weekday Intensive classes are one hour, so each 2 h syllabus session is taught across consecutive weekday classes.
• Weekend Evening classes run on Saturday and Sunday evenings; the exact time and time zone are set before a batch is confirmed.
• Public holidays are not class days unless the instructor confirms a class. Holidays, instructor leave and cancelled classes move the end date later so no live hours are lost.
• Plan about 5 hours a week of exercises, assignments and project work outside class.
• Group, Duo and One-to-One courses all follow one of these two schedules.

Final project

Certificate

Tools and skills

Where these skills apply

• Security operations and monitoring work
• Vulnerability assessment within authorised, scoped engagements
• Secure software development and security-aware testing
• System and network administration with a security focus
• Foundations for further specialised security study

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