1. Security & Risk Management (The Foundation)

This is the “why” and “governance” of security.

Core ideas

  • CIA Triad:
    • Confidentiality (keep data secret)
    • Integrity (keep data accurate)
    • Availability (keep systems running)
  • Risk = Threat × Vulnerability × Impact
  • Risk responses:
    • Avoid (stop doing it)
    • Mitigate (reduce risk)
    • Transfer (insurance/vendor)
    • Accept (live with it)

Real-world example

A company stores customer data:

  • Threat: hackers
  • Vulnerability: weak passwords
  • Mitigation: enforce MFA

2. Asset Security (Protecting Data)

Focuses on data classification and handling.

Key concepts

  • Data classification levels:
    • Public
    • Internal
    • Confidential
    • Restricted
  • Data lifecycle:
    Create → Store → Use → Share → Archive → Destroy
  • Protection methods:
    • Encryption
    • Data masking
    • Tokenization

Example

Credit card numbers → encrypted at rest + masked in apps.

3. Security Architecture & Engineering

This is about building secure systems.

Core ideas

  • Secure design principles:
    • Least privilege
    • Defense in depth
    • Zero trust
  • Security models:
    • Bell-LaPadula (confidentiality)
    • Biba (integrity)
  • Encryption basics:
    • Symmetric (fast, e.g., AES)
    • Asymmetric (secure exchange, e.g., RSA)

Example

A banking system uses:

  • TLS encryption
  • Hardware security modules (HSMs)
  • Layered defenses

4. Communication & Network Security

Focuses on protecting data in transit.

Key topics

  • Network devices:
    • Firewalls
    • Routers
    • IDS/IPS
  • Protocols:
    • HTTPS (secure web)
    • VPN (secure remote access)
    • DNS, TCP/IP
  • Attacks:
    • Man-in-the-middle
    • DDoS
    • Packet sniffing

Example

Employees connect remotely → VPN + MFA + firewall rules.

5. Identity & Access Management (IAM)

Controls who can access what.

Core concepts

  • Authentication (prove identity):
    • Something you know (password)
    • Something you have (token)
    • Something you are (biometrics)
  • Authorization:
    • RBAC (role-based)
    • ABAC (attribute-based)
  • Principles:
    • Least privilege
    • Separation of duties

Example

HR system:

  • Employees → view own data
  • HR staff → edit records

6. Security Assessment & Testing

Ensures security is actually working.

Methods

  • Vulnerability scanning
  • Penetration testing
  • Security audits

Key difference

  • Vuln scan = find weaknesses
  • Pen test = exploit them

Example

Company runs quarterly scans and yearly pen tests.

7. Security Operations (Day-to-Day Defense)

This is real-world security work.

Key areas

  • Monitoring (SIEM tools)
  • Incident response:
    1. Detect
    2. Respond
    3. Recover
  • Disaster recovery:
    • RTO (how fast to recover)
    • RPO (how much data you can lose)

Example

Ransomware attack:

  • Detect unusual activity
  • Isolate systems
  • Restore from backups

8. Software Development Security

Secure coding and protecting applications.

Concepts

  • SDLC (Secure Development Lifecycle):
    • Design → Build → Test → Deploy
  • Common vulnerabilities:
    • SQL injection
    • Cross-site scripting (XSS)
    • Buffer overflow
  • Best practices:
    • Code reviews
    • Input validation
    • Security testing

Example

Login form:

  • Validate inputs
  • Hash passwords
  • Prevent injection attacks

How it all fits together

Think of it like layers:

  • Risk Management → defines strategy
  • Asset Security → protects data
  • Architecture & Network → build secure systems
  • IAM → controls access
  • Testing → checks weaknesses
  • Operations → defends daily
  • Development → prevents flaws early

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