ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN Cybersecurity

Course Duration: 18 to 24 months (2 yr Course)
Course Fee: 30,000 Kenyan Shillings Per semester
Weekly Commitment: Minimum of 2 hours per day
Course Overview:

Year 1: Cybersecurity

Semester 1: Introduction to Cybersecurity (Weeks 1-16)

Unit 1: Cybersecurity Fundamentals (Weeks 1-4)

• Introduction to Cybersecurity
• Cybersecurity vs Information Security
• Cyber Threats & Attack Vectors
• Cybersecurity Frameworks & Standards (NIST, ISO 27001, CIS)
• Career Paths in Cybersecurity

Unit 2: Networking Basics (Weeks 5-8)

• Introduction to Computer Networks
• OSI & TCP/IP Models
• IP Addressing & Subnetting
• Network Devices (Routers, Switches, Firewalls)
• Common Network Protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, DNS, etc.)

Unit 3: Operating Systems & Security (Weeks 9-12)

• Windows & Linux Basics
• User Account Management
• File Systems & Permissions
• Process Management & System Logs
• Introduction to PowerShell & Bash Scripting

Unit 4: Cyber Threats & Malware (Weeks 13-16)

• Common Cyber Threats (Phishing, Ransomware, DDoS, etc.)
• Types of Malware & Their Behavior
• Malware Analysis Basics
• Case Studies of Cyber Attacks 

Semester 2: Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing (Weeks 17-32)

Unit 5: Introduction to Ethical Hacking (Weeks 17-20)

• Ethical Hacking vs Malicious Hacking
• Ethical Hacking Process & Methodologies
• Legal & Ethical Aspects of Hacking
• Virtual Labs Setup (Kali Linux, Metasploit, DVWA)

Unit 6: Reconnaissance & Scanning (Weeks 21-24)

• Information Gathering Techniques
• Footprinting & Reconnaissance
• Network Scanning Tools (Nmap, Wireshark)
• Vulnerability Scanning (Nessus, OpenVAS)

Unit 7: Exploitation & Gaining Access (Weeks 25-28)

• Exploiting Vulnerabilities
• Web Application Security Basics
• Password Cracking & Hashing
• Privilege Escalation Techniques

Unit 8: Post-Exploitation & Covering Tracks (Weeks 29-32)

• Maintaining Access (Backdoors, Rootkits)
• Clearing Logs & Covering Tracks
• Reporting & Documentation in Pen Testing
• Penetration Testing Project

Year 2: Advanced Cybersecurity & Specializations

Semester 3: Digital Forensics & Incident Response (Weeks 33-48)

Unit 9: Introduction to Digital Forensics (Weeks 33-36)

• Digital Forensics Basics
• Digital Evidence Collection
• Chain of Custody & Legal Considerations
• Digital Forensics Tools (Autopsy, FTK, EnCase)

Unit 10: Network Forensics (Weeks 37-40)

• Capturing & Analyzing Network Traffic
• Packet Analysis with Wireshark
• Identifying Malicious Traffic
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS/IPS)

Unit 11: Incident Response & Threat Intelligence (Weeks 41-44)

• Incident Response Life Cycle
• Threat Intelligence & Cyber Threat Hunting
• Security Information & Event Management (SIEM)
• Log Analysis & Threat Detection

Unit 12: Cybersecurity Policies & Compliance (Weeks 45-48)

• Cybersecurity Policies & Best Practices
• Compliance & Regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS)
• Risk Management & Business Continuity
• Security Awareness Training

Semester 4: Advanced Security Techniques (Weeks 49-64)

Unit 13: Secure Coding & Application Security (Weeks 49-52)

• Secure Coding Best Practices
• Common Web App Vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10)
• SQL Injection & Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Web Application Firewalls (WAF)

Unit 14: Cloud Security (Weeks 53-56)

• Cloud Computing Basics
• Cloud Security Challenges
• Identity & Access Management (IAM)
• Securing Cloud Environments (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Unit 15: Cryptography & Secure Communications (Weeks 57-60)

• Introduction to Cryptography
• Symmetric & Asymmetric Encryption
• Hashing & Digital Signatures
• SSL/TLS & Secure Protocols

Unit 16: IoT & Mobile Security (Weeks 61-64)

• IoT Security Challenges
• Securing IoT Devices
• Mobile Security Risks & Countermeasures
• Mobile Application Penetration Testing

Semester 5: Security Operations & Advanced Threats (Weeks 65-80)

Unit 17: Security Operations Center (SOC) & SIEM (Weeks 65-68)

• SOC Roles & Responsibilities
• SIEM Tools (Splunk, ELK)
• Real-Time Threat Monitoring
• Incident Response in SOC

Unit 18: Advanced Threats & Red Teaming (Weeks 69-72)

• Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
• Red Team vs Blue Team
• Social Engineering & Physical Security
• Adversary Emulation & Attack Simulation

Unit 19: Wireless & Network Security (Weeks 73-76)

• Wireless Network Security Basics
• WPA2/WPA3 Attacks & Defense
• Network Segmentation & Zero Trust Security
• VPNs & Secure Remote Access

Unit 20: Security Automation & AI in Cybersecurity (Weeks 77-80)

• Automation in Cybersecurity
• AI & Machine Learning for Threat Detection
• Scripting for Cybersecurity (Python, PowerShell)
• Automating Security Operations

Semester 6: Career Preparation (Weeks 81-96)

Unit 21: Red Team vs Blue Team Exercises (Weeks 81-84)

• Red Teaming Techniques
• Blue Team Defense Strategies
• Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenges
• Adversary Simulation Exercises

Unit 22: Cybersecurity Case Studies & Research (Weeks 85-88)

• Analysis of Major Cyber Attacks
• Lessons from Real-World Incidents
• Research on Emerging Cyber Threats
• Ethical & Legal Considerations

Unit 23: Certification Preparation (Weeks 89-92)

• CompTIA Security+ / CEH / CISSP Prep
• Exam Practice & Mock Tests
• Interview Preparation & Resume Building
• Cybersecurity Career Roadmap

Unit 24: Capstone Project & Final Assessment (Weeks 93-96)

• End-to-End Cybersecurity Project
• Ethical Hacking & Defense Strategy Implementation
• Report Writing & Presentation

• Final Assessment
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