SEC301: SANS Amsterdam May 2025

What You Will Learn
Jumpstart Your Cyber Security Journey with Confidence

To determine if the SANS SEC301 course is right for you, ask yourself five simple questions:

• Are you new to cyber security and in need of an introduction to the fundamentals?
• Are you bombarded with complex technical security terms that you don't understand?
• Do you need to be conversant in basic security concepts, principles, and terms, but do not need "deep in the weeds" detail?
• Have you decided to make a career change to take advantage of the job opportunities in cyber security and need formal training/certification?
• Are you a manager who lays awake at night worrying that your company may be the next mega-breach headline story on the 6 o'clock news?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, the SEC301: Introduction to Cyber Security training course is for you. Jump-start your cyber security knowledge by receiving insight and instruction from real-world security experts on critical topics that are fundamental to cyber security.

Some of the things this five-day comprehensive course covers includes core terminology, how computers and networks function, mobile device security, the Internet-of-Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), authentication including a new way of looking at passphrases, authorization including permissions, single-sign-on, & zero knowledge, cryptographic processes, social engineering, network attacks & malware, wireless security, firewalls and many other cyber security defense technologies, web & browser security, backups, virtual machines & cloud computing. All topics are covered at an easy-to-understand introductory level.

This course is for those who have very little knowledge of computers & technology with no prior knowledge of cyber security. The hands-on, step-by-step teaching approach enables you to grasp all the information presented, even if some of the topics are new to you. You will learn real-world cyber security fundamentals to serve as the foundation of your career skills and knowledge for years to come.

Written by a cyber security professional with four decades of industry experience in both the public and private sectors, SEC301 provides uncompromising real-world insight from start to finish. The course prepares you for the Global Information Security Fundamentals (GISF) certification test, as well as getting you ready for your next training course. It also delivers on the SANS promise: "You can use the knowledge and skills you learn in SEC301 as soon as you return to work."
Business Takeaways

This course will help your organization:

• Secure your organization's assets through the application of the Principle of Least Privilege
• Understand the fundamentals of authentication, authorization, cryptography, and defensive technologies such as firewalls
• Communicate a wide variety of attacks including social engineering, drive-by downloads, watering hole attacks, lateral movement, botnets, buffer overflows, and more
• Avoid being the next mega-breach headline story on the 6 o'clock news

You Will Be Able To

• Communicate with confidence regarding cyber security topics, terms, and concepts
• Have a fundamental grasp of any number of technical acronyms: TCP/IP, IP, TCP, UDP, DHCP, ARP, NAT, ICMP, and DNS, and the list goes on
• Understand and apply the Principle of Least Privilege
• Understand the application of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) for prioritization of critical security resources
• Understand the relationship between the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Command Line Interface (CLI) on both Windows and Linux
• Use the GUI and CLI to manipulate files and folders in both Windows and Linux
• Build better passphrases that are more secure while also being easier to remember and type -- and be able to help co-workers, family, and friends do the same
• Deploy a secure password manager in your organization and at home
• Grasp basic cryptographic principles, processes, procedures, and applications
• Implement cryptography tools
• Understand the cyber security impact of the Internet of Things (IoT)
• Discuss the cyber security impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Understand how a computer works including the role of the operating system, kernel, file systems, users, groups, hard-disk-drives, and Random Access Memory (RAM)
• Convert number systems utilized by computers including decimal, binary, and hexadecimal values
• Understand computer network basics including routing, default gateways, and common protocol packet headers
• Utilize built-in Windows tools to see your network settings
• Analyze network traffic using the popular Wireshark tool
• Understand how Windows and Linux implement file and directory permissions
• Set file permissions on a Linux system
• Understand wireless technologies including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile phones
• Secure a wireless access point using industry best practice settings
• Understand different types of malware
• Explain a variety of frequent attacks such as social engineering, drive-by downloads, watering hole attacks, living-off-the-land, lateral movement, buffer overflow, botnets, and other common attacks
• Understand the application of defensive technologies such as anti-malware firewalls, sinkholes, content filters, vulnerability scanners, penetration testing, active defense, threat hunting, and allow-listing
• Implement a simple firewall configuration
• Differentiate between the surface web, the deep web, and the dark web.
• Understand browser security and the privacy issues associated with web browsing
• Explain system hardening
• Discuss system patching
• Understand virtual machines and cloud computing
• Understand backups and create a backup plan for your personal life that helps you guard against having to pay a ransom to access your data

In this course, you receive the following:

• You will receive access to the labs on Skillable for 4 months to continue practicing and reinforcing the knowledge you gained during the course.
• Electronic Courseware for each day of training that includes the slides presented and notes to explain them plus an electronic lab workbook explaining the hands-on labs
• Access to the SEC301.com website containing 680+ quiz questions, videos of the author performing each lab, and additional helpful materials
• Five full days' worth of high-quality instruction and explanation
• MP3 audio files of the complete course lecture