Course

Foundations in Cybersecurity

Time limit: 180 days
Instructor: Casey O'Brien

$995 Enroll

Full course description

This fully online course introduces the learner to the current risks and threats to an organization’s users, systems, and data, combined with structured tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for addressing the safeguarding of these critical assets. The course also provides a foundation for those new to cybersecurity by delivering the broad-based knowledge and skills necessary to prepare students for further study in other specialized cybersecurity courses/fields/domains.

 

Course content:

  1. Introduction to Cybersecurity
  2. Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities
  3. Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)
  4. Identity and Access Management (IdAM)
  5. Physical Security
  6. Cryptography and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
  7. Security Engineering
  8. Security Testing
  9. Security Operations

What You’ll Learn:

  • Define cybersecurity in enterprise settings and describe how it protects systems, data, and users.
  • Develop threat models, identify vulnerabilities, and apply governance, risk and compliance (GRC) frameworks.
  • Explore cryptography, public key infrastructure (PKI), identity & access management (IdAM), physical security, security testing and operations.
  • Create, enforce and monitor an organizational information security program, linking policy to real-world technical controls.

 

Who Should Enroll:

Perfect for learners who have already built foundational networking and system admin knowledge, or professionals from diverse backgrounds (engineering, business, social science) seeking to shift into cyber. This course serves as a bridge to cybersecurity mindset and practice.

 

Why It Matters:

This final course ties together the human, organizational and technical aspects of cybersecurity - equipping you to analyze risk, design security programs, respond to threats, and speak the language of policy, compliance and operations. Completion positions you for entry-level roles.

 

This course is part of the University of Illinois Cybersecurity Certificate, developed by the Information Trust Institute (ITI), a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. Learners may enroll in courses individually or complete all three to earn the full certificate.