Gain the real-world experience of cybersecurity analysis employers look for with this hands-on capstone course.

In this course, you’ll analyze real-life breach response case studies in areas such as phishing, vishing, point of sale (PoS) breaches, insider threats, AI-related breaches, and ransomware attacks.

You’ll discover how attackers exploit vulnerabilities and how organizations respond and prevent future incidents.

Additionally, you’ll gain expertise in incident response, digital forensics, penetration testing, and compliance through engaging case study analysis. You’ll complete several hands-on activities to assess response strategies and propose improvements.

The course concludes with a final project, where you’ll select a real-world data breach, identify vulnerabilities, and assess the root cause, actions taken, and response strategies. Plus, a structured template will guide you to critically record observations and propose actionable improvements for breach management. This capstone course is a fantastic experience to talk about in interviews!

If you’re keen to add practical cybersecurity experience to your resume, enroll today to complete this valuable capstone project in just six weeks!

Course Syllabus

Module 0: Welcome

Video: Course Introduction
Reading: Helpful Tips for Course Completion
General Information
Learning Objectives and Syllabus
Grading Scheme

Module 1: Analyzing Case Study Layouts & Phishing Case Studies

Module Introduction and Learning Objectives
Video: Exploring Case Studies
Video: How to Analyze Case Studies
Reading: Effective Layout for Analyzing Case Studies
Video: Overview of Phishing Scams
Reading: Can you spot the Difference
Reading: Cisco Cyberthreat Trends Report
Video: Phishing Case Study: Google & Facebook
Reading: Analyzing the Facebook and Google Case Study
Video: Vishing Case Study: South Korean Doctor
Activity: Identifying and Responding to Phishing Attacks
Practice Quiz: Analyzing Case Study Layouts & Phishing Case Studies
Reading: Summary and Highlights: Analyzing Case Study Layouts & Phishing Case Studies
Graded Assignment: Graded Quiz: Analyzing Case Study Layouts & Phishing Case Studies

Module 2: Analyzing PoS & Insider Breach Case Studies

Module Introduction and Learning Objectives
Video: Overview of PoS Breaches
Video: PoS Malware and Skimming
Video: PoS Case Study: Target
Reading: Cyber Kill Chain Analysis of the Target Breach
Video: Home Depot Point of Sale (POS) Case Study
Activity: Analyzing the Home Depot Case Study
Video: Overview of Insider Breaches
Video: Insider Threat Detection
Reading: Mitigating Insider Threats
Video: Insider Breach Case Study: Vault 7
Video: Insider Breach Case Study: Pegasus Airlines
Activity: Analyzing the Pegasus Airlines Case Study
Practice Quiz: Analyzing PoS & Insider Breach Case Studies
Reading: Summary and Highlights: Analyzing PoS & Insider Breach Case Studies
Graded Quiz: Analyzing PoS & Insider Breach Case Studies

Module 3: Analyzing AI-Related Breaches and Ransomware Case Studies

Module Introduction and Learning Objectives
Video: Overview of AI-Related Breaches
Reading: The Emerging Impact of AI on Data Breaches
Video: AI-Related Breach Case Study: Deepfake Conference Call
Activity: Analyzing the Deep Fake Case Study
Video: Notable AI-Related Breaches
Video: Overview of Ransomware Breaches
Reading: Emerging Trends in Ransomware
Video: Ransomware Case Study: City of Atlanta
Video: Ransomware Case Study: Colonial Pipeline
Activity: Navigating through a Ransomware Attack
Practice Quiz: Analyzing AI-Related Breaches and Ransomware Case Studies
Reading: Summary and Highlights: Analyzing AI-Related Breaches and Ransomware Case Studies
Graded Quiz: Analyzing AI-Related Breaches and Ransomware Case Studies

Module 4: Analyzing Incident Response and Digital Forensics Case Studies

Module Introduction and Learning Objectives
Video: Overview of Incident Response
Video: Incident Response Case Study: Google Home
Video: Incident Response Case Study: Lightning Strikes
Activity: Analyzing the Lightning Strikes Case Study
Reading: When Incident Response Goes Wrong
Video: Overview of Digital Forensics
Video: Digital Forensics Case Study: Bernard Madoff
Video: Digital Forensics Case Study: U.S. v. Ganias
Activity: Responding to a Digital Forensics Warrant
Reading: Digital Forensics Gone Wrong
Practice Quiz: Analyzing Incident Response and Digital Forensics Case Studies
Reading: Summary and Highlights: Analyzing Incident Response and Digital Forensics Case Studies
Graded Quiz: Analyzing Incident Response and Digital Forensics Case Studies

Module 5: Analyzing Penetration Testing and Compliance Case Studies

Module Introduction and Learning Objectives
Video: Overview of Penetration Testing
Video: Penetration Testing Case Study: Equifax
Video: Penetration Testing Case Study: X-Force Red
Activity: Analyzing the IBM X-Force Red Case Study
Video: Overview of Compliance
Video: Compliance Case Study: Marriott
Video: Compliance Case Study: Equiniti
Activity: Analyzing the Equiniti Case Study
Practice Quiz: Analyzing Penetration Testing and Compliance Case Studies
Reading: Summary and Highlights: Analyzing Penetration Testing and Compliance Case Studies
Graded Quiz: Analyzing Penetration Testing and Compliance Case Studies

Module 6: Final Project

Module Introduction and Learning Objectives
Reading: About the Course Project
Video: Introduction to the Peer-to-Peer Applied Project: Analyzing a Data Breach
Final Project: Applied Project: Analyzing a Data Breach
Final Project: Submission and Evaluation
Peer-Review

Module 7: Course Wrap Up

Video: Course Wrap-up
Reading: Congratulations and Next Steps
Reading: Team and Acknowledgments
Copyrights and Trademarks

Recommended Skills Prior to Taking this Course

Prior knowledge of network security, threat hunting, incident response, penetration testing, and digital forensics is recommended.

Cybersecurity Capstone and Case Studies

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