The basics of cyber securitySyllabus

Subject code

İF-2201y

Credits

6

Student workload

120

Semester

Spring semester

Academic year

1

Subject type

Mandatory

Form of education

Full-time

Language of instruction

Azerbaijani

In-class hours

a) 30 saat - mühazirə b) 15 saat - seminar c) 15 saat - laboratoriya

Out-of-class hours

a) 70 saat - TSİ b) 50 saat - MRTSİ

The subject provides students with the formation of fundamental theoretical knowledge and practical skills on the conceptual basis of cyber security, its role and importance in the modern digital environment. within the scope of the subject, the concepts of cyber security and information security, their different and interconnected features, the basic principles of protection of information systems, networks and user data are studied. various cyber attack vectors and threat actors, vulnerability, threat and risk concepts, stages of the cyber attack chain and technical and organizational defenses against each stage are reviewed. students are introduced to basic penetration testing methodologies, operating in a linux environment, open source intelligence gathering (osint), network scanning, vulnerability identification and management, system security assessment, and access control principles. also explored are social engineering, ddos attacks and defenses, security of web applications and wireless networks, privilege management, ethical and legal aspects of cybersecurity, and the opportunities and risks posed by generative artificial intelligence technologies. the subject is aimed at developing students basic practical skills in vulnerability analysis, conducting security tests, evaluating results and preparing reports, as well as a systematic and analytical approach to cyber security problems.

• lecture
• laboratory work
• presentations
• seminar
• interactive discussion

1. 1

   CLO 1: Must know basic concepts and concepts of cyber security.

2. 2

   CLO 2: The importance of managing cyber security needs to be understood. must know organizational forms and methods for ensuring cyber security.

3. 3

   CLO 3: He should know the basic principles and also learn technical methods and tools to ensure his cyber security. he should also be aware of vulnerabilities, gaps, threats and risks, and have a general knowledge of their characteristics and management.

4. 4

   CLO 4: Must know the functions of the necessary tools in the field of defensive and offensive cyber security.

5. 5

   CLO 5: Must be able to implement security policies by applying security management tools ("controls, methods and tools). must have general knowledge of the relevance, formation features and implementation of cyber security policies, as well as know how to ensure them.

6. 6

   CLO 6: Must know global regional and national norms, standards and best practices in the field of cyber security, and be able to monitor their development

1. 1.
   Basic concepts of cyber securityLecture

   Within the framework of the topic, the fundamental concepts, goals and role of cyber security in the modern digital environment are studied. concepts of cyber security and information security, their different and interrelated features are reviewed. key concepts such as asset, threat, vulnerability, risk, attack and security incident are explained. the CIA triad of ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and availability is explored, as well as key security principles such as authentication, authorization, and accountability. the interaction of human, process and technology factors in ensuring cyber security is also considered.

2. 2.
   Gnu/linux operating system. kali linuxLecture

   Within the subject, the basic concepts, architecture and working principles of the gnu/linux operating system are studied. basic features of the linux kernel, the file system, user and group concepts, access rights, processes, and the command line interface are reviewed. basic linux commands, file and directory management, obtaining system information, and checking network settings are explained. it also examines the main features, usage areas, and general categories of security tools included in the kali linux distribution designed for cyber security and security testing.

3. 3.
   Leak test methodologyLecture

   Within the scope of the topic, the essence, purpose and role of penetration testing in assessing the security level of information systems are studied. the stages of penetration testing planning, scoping and test definition, data collection, scanning and vulnerability analysis, controlled exploitation, evaluation of results, and reporting are reviewed. the characteristics and application differences of black-box, white-box, and gray-box testing approaches are explained. it also examines the main methodological approaches used in penetration testing, legal and ethical requirements, documenting test results, and developing recommendations for vulnerability remediation.

4. 4.
   Intelligence and data collectionLecture

   Within the framework of the topic, the nature and purpose of the intelligence and information gathering stage in the process of cyber security and penetration testing is studied. passive and active data collection approaches used to obtain information about a target system, network, and organization are reviewed. open source intelligence (osint), domain and IP addresses, DNS records, network infrastructure, and open services collection techniques are explained. systematization, analysis, and use of the obtained data in the subsequent security assessment stages, as well as compliance with legal and ethical requirements in the data collection process, are also investigated.

5. 5.
   Gap managementLecture

   Within the framework of the topic, the process of identifying, evaluating and managing security gaps in information systems is studied. the causes of security gaps, their main types and the risks they pose to systems are reviewed. the principles of detection, validation, risk assessment and prioritization of gaps are explained. vulnerability identification and assessment mechanisms such as CVE and cvss, automated scan results analysis, and false positive identification are explored. it also reviews the principles of closing gaps, applying updates and security fixes, selecting compensatory control measures, and validating measures taken through retesting.

6. 6.
   System hacking methodologyLecture

   The main stages and principles of the system hacking methodology used in the system security evaluation process are studied within the subject. the issues of analyzing the information obtained about the target system and the identified vulnerabilities, gaining access to the system in a controlled manner and assessing the current level of access are considered. the risks associated with user accounts and credentials, vulnerabilities in authentication mechanisms, and the concepts of access and privilege escalation are explained. it also examines the principles of determining the security impact of a system intrusion, documenting actions, and restoring the system to its initial state after testing is complete.

7. 7.
   Social engineering and the human factorLecture

   Within the framework of the topic, the concept of social engineering and the role of the human factor in cyber security are studied. approaches to obtaining information and bypassing security mechanisms by exploiting people's trust, behavioral characteristics, and psychological tendencies are considered by attackers. the main features of phishing, spear phishing, pretexting, baiting and other common social engineering techniques are explained. it also examines key defenses to identify signs of social engineering attacks, increase user awareness, implement security policies, and mitigate human-caused risks.

8. 8.
   Elevating privileges and providing accessLecture

   Within the framework of the subject, the evaluation of the level of access obtained in information systems, the increase of privileges and access control mechanisms are studied. the concepts of horizontal and vertical privilege escalation, the differences between user and administrator authority, and the risks of privilege escalation stemming from misconfigurations and security vulnerabilities are reviewed. the role of user accounts, access rights, authentication and authorization mechanisms in system security is explained. it also examines the principle of least privilege, limiting access rights, protecting privileged accounts, and basic security measures to prevent unauthorized access.

9. 9.
   Ddos attacks and defense methodsLecture

   Within the scope of the topic, the essence, main characteristics and impact on the availability of information systems of distributed denial of service (ddos) attacks are studied. the differences between dos and ddos attacks, the role of botnet infrastructures in launching attacks, and the main characteristics of volume-based, protocol-level, and application-level ddos attacks are reviewed. the principles of differentiating between attack traffic and normal user traffic, identifying key indicators of ddos attacks and assessing their impact are explained. basic ddos defense techniques such as traffic filtering, rate limiting, firewall and ids/ips systems, load balancing, and distributed defense mechanisms are also explored.

10. 10.
    Attacks targeting web applications. OWASP top 10Lecture

    Within the framework of the topic, the main security risks of web applications and the widespread types of attacks aimed at them are studied. security risks related to the architecture of web applications, the attack surface, and the exchange of information between users, servers, databases, and other components are reviewed. the main web application security risks classified under the OWASP top 10 are explained, including problems related to access control, authentication, data protection, injection, insecure design, and incorrect security configurations. it also examines the principles of identifying web application vulnerabilities, assessing their potential impact, and mitigating risks through secure programming, access control, proper configuration, and other defensive measures.

11. 11.
    Security of wireless networksLecture

    Within the scope of the topic, the main security features of wireless networks, threats aimed at them and defense mechanisms are studied. security risks arising from the characteristics of the wireless communication environment, such as unauthorized access, traffic interception, rogue access points, and communication disruption, are considered. the main features of wep, wpa, wpa2 and wpa3 security mechanisms and the differences between them are explained. it also examines authentication, access control, and encryption mechanisms, secure configuration principles, and basic defenses in wireless networks.

12. 12.
    Ethical and legal issues in cyber securityLecture

    Within the framework of the topic, the main ethical principles and legal requirements to be considered during the implementation of cyber security activities are studied. differences between authorized and unauthorized access to information systems, professional responsibility, privacy and personal data protection principles are reviewed. it explains the issues of conducting security tests only within the framework of pre-defined authority and scope, protecting the obtained data and using it responsibly. basic legal approaches to cybercrime, unauthorized access and modification of data, system intrusion, and other illegal activities are explored. also, the principles of professional ethics of cyber security specialists, responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities and implementation of activities in accordance with national and international legal frameworks are reviewed.

13. 13.
    Generative artificial intelligence in cyber ​​security: opportunities and risksLecture

    Within the framework of the topic, opportunities and security risks created by generative artificial intelligence technologies in the field of cyber security are studied. the main working principles of generative artificial intelligence and the directions of using large language models in cyber security are reviewed. the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence in security data analysis, threat detection, incident response, vulnerability analysis, and security process automation are explained. at the same time, the risks associated with the use of these technologies for social engineering, creating fake content and other malicious purposes are being investigated. prompt injection, data leakage, invalid results, model abuse, and privacy risks are also reviewed, as well as the principles of safe and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence systems.

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