Detection Engineering Masterclass: Part 1 from Udemy

Welcome to the Detection Engineering Masterclass: Part 1.

Two Part Course Overview

This course will first teach the theory behind security operations and detection engineering. We’ll then start building out our home lab using VirtualBox and Elastic’s security offering. Then we’ll run through three different attack scenarios, each more complex than the one prior. We’ll make detections off of our attacks, and learn how to document our detections. Next we’ll dive more into coding and Python by writing validation scripts and learning out to interact with Elastic through their API. Wrapping everything up, we’ll host all our detections on GitHub and sync with Elastic through our own GitHub Action automations. As a cherry on top, we’ll have a final section on how to write scripts to gather important metrics and visualizations.

This course takes students from A-Z on the detection engineering lifecycle and technical implementation of a detection engineering architecture.

While this course is marketed as entry level, any prerequisite knowledge will help in the courses learning curve. Familiarity with security operations, searching logs, security analysis, or any related skillset will be helpful (but ultimately not required).

Part One Overview

This is part one of a two part series on Detection Engineering. This course is meant to kickstart anyone interested in security analysis, detection engineering, and security architecture.

The first part is the meat of the course, where we will go over:

Detection Engineering Theory
Setting Up our Lab
Working with Logging and our SIEM
Running Attack Scenarios to generate logs and create alerts
Learn how to use Atomic Red Team for testing

The second part deals with detection as code philosophies, which will be very Python and GitHub heavy (but don't worry. I'll walk you through everything step by step.)

By the end of this two part course, you'll have a full stack detection engineering architecture. You'll be able to:

Run offensive tests
Review the logs
Make alerts
Save alerts using a standardized template
Enforce template data through code
Programmatically push the alerts to the SIEM
Run periodic metrics off the detection data

The entire course runs ~11 or so hours in length, but should take ~20-40 hours to complete fully. All code written will be available on the course GitHub in case you'd like to skip the Python heavy sections.

Requirements

The ability to run 2-3 VMs on a local machine:

Ubuntu Linux
ParrotOS
Windows 11

Minimum Requirements

CPU Cores: 4

RAM: 8gb

Hard Drive Space: 50GB

Recommended Requirements

CPU Cores: 6+

RAM: 16GB+

Hard Drive Space: 50GB+

You can technically get by with the main host having only a couple cores and 8 gigs of RAM, but any additional resources that can be assigned to your VMs will make the process smoother.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

Understand a variety of security functions
Setup enhanced logging and siem functionality

Ability to trigger and create your own detections in a siem
Learn how to run attacks via atomic red team

Understand a variety of security functions
Setup enhanced logging and siem functionality
Ability to trigger and create your own detections in a siem
Learn how to run attacks via atomic red team

Syllabus

Introduction

Theory

Security Operations

Role Variety

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Provides hands-on experience with setting up a security lab using VirtualBox and Elastic's security tools, which is valuable for practical application

Covers the detection engineering lifecycle from A to Z, offering a comprehensive understanding of the field, which is useful for career development

Uses Atomic Red Team for testing, which is a popular framework for simulating attacks and validating security detections, making it highly relevant to industry practices

Requires running multiple virtual machines, which may demand significant computing resources, potentially posing a barrier for learners with limited hardware

Teaches Elastic SIEM, which is a popular tool, but the course does not specify the version, which may lead to compatibility issues if it is significantly outdated

Requires learners to install and configure software like Zeek and Sysmon, which may present a challenge for those with limited technical experience in system administration

Reviews summary

Practical hands-on detection engineering basics

According to learners, this course offers a solid practical introduction to detection engineering principles and workflow. Many highlight the hands-on labs using Elastic and Atomic Red Team as particularly valuable for gaining real-world experience. However, students frequently note that the lab setup process, involving multiple VMs, can be complex and resource-intensive, requiring significant hardware. While marketed as entry-level, some learners felt the course benefits greatly from prior security knowledge. It's important to note that this is Part 1, focusing on foundational theory and setup; the more advanced coding and automation aspects are covered in Part 2.

This course focuses on basics, setup, and alerts; coding is in Part 2.

"Realized this part is heavy on setup and basic alerting, not coding yet."

"Good foundation, but the detection-as-code part is clearly left for Part 2."

"Managed expectations knowing automation wasn't covered in this section."

"Felt like a solid introduction leading into the more advanced topics later."

Provides a clear understanding of detection engineering theory and process.

"The initial sections on theory and workflow were well explained."

"Helped me understand the 'why' behind detection engineering."

"Good overview of the MITRE ATT&CK framework and its use."

"Clearly outlines the steps in the detection lifecycle."

Practical exercises using industry tools are a major strength.

"The attack scenarios and creating detections in Elastic were extremely helpful."

"Using Atomic Red Team directly in the labs was a great way to learn."

"I really valued the practical experience gained from the hands-on sections."

"Building detections against actual attacks solidified the concepts for me."

Course pace and assumed knowledge might be challenging for absolute beginners.

"While it says entry-level, having some security background helps a lot."

"Moved a bit fast through some foundational concepts if you're completely new."

"Benefited greatly from my prior experience in a SOC."

"Might need supplemental learning if you have zero security or networking knowledge."

Setting up the required lab environment can be difficult and demanding.

"Getting the VMs and all the components like Sysmon and Zeek working was tricky."

"The hardware requirements mentioned are definitely accurate; you need a decent machine."

"Spent a lot of time troubleshooting lab setup issues before getting to the course content."

"Configuring Elastic and agents took more effort than I anticipated."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Detection Engineering Masterclass: Part 1 with these activities:

Review Security Operations Fundamentals

Show steps

Reinforce your understanding of core security operations concepts to better grasp the detection engineering workflow.

Browse courses on Security Operations

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Review common security roles and responsibilities.
Study the incident response lifecycle.
Familiarize yourself with common security tools.

Practice Basic Log Searching

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Sharpen your log searching skills to efficiently identify and analyze security events within the SIEM.

Browse courses on Log Analysis

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Practice writing basic queries in a SIEM environment.
Filter logs based on specific criteria.
Identify relevant events from large datasets.

Read 'Blue Team Handbook: SOC, SIEM, and Threat Hunting Use Cases'

Show steps

Gain practical insights into SOC operations, SIEM implementation, and threat hunting to enhance your detection engineering skills.

View Blue Team Handbook: SOC, SIEM, and Threat... on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
Identify relevant use cases for your lab environment.
Apply the book's recommendations to improve your detection strategies.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Atomic Red Team Exercises

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Practice running Atomic Red Team tests to generate logs and create detections based on real-world attack scenarios.

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Install and configure Atomic Red Team in your lab.
Execute various atomic tests and analyze the generated logs.
Create detection rules based on the observed attack patterns.

Document Detection Engineering Process

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Create a detailed document outlining your detection engineering process, including lab setup, attack scenarios, and detection strategies.

Show steps

Document your lab setup and configuration.
Describe the attack scenarios you used for testing.
Explain your detection strategies and alert configurations.
Include screenshots and code snippets for clarity.

Build a Custom Detection Dashboard

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Develop a custom dashboard to visualize key detection metrics and improve situational awareness.

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Identify key metrics to track in your dashboard.
Design the layout and visualizations for your dashboard.
Implement the dashboard using Elastic's visualization tools.
Test and refine your dashboard based on user feedback.

Read 'Practical Threat Intelligence and Data-Driven Threat Hunting'

Show steps

Learn how to leverage threat intelligence and data-driven techniques to proactively identify and mitigate security threats.

View Melania on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
Identify relevant threat intelligence sources for your environment.
Apply data-driven techniques to improve your detection strategies.

Career center

Learners who complete Detection Engineering Masterclass: Part 1 will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Detection Engineer

Detection engineers are responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining systems that detect and respond to security threats. This Detection Engineering Masterclass is specifically designed for individuals pursuing this career. The curriculum teaches the theory behind security operations and detection engineering. You'll learn to build a home lab, run attack scenarios to generate logs, create alerts, and document your detections. Someone who wants to make detections off of attacks should take this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Detection Engineer

Security Operations Center Analyst

A Security Operations Center Analyst monitors security systems and responds to security incidents. This Detection Engineering Masterclass directly aligns with the responsibilities of this role. The course teaches how to set up enhanced logging and Security Information and Event Management functionality and how to trigger and create your own detections in a Security Information and Event Management. The course also covers the detection engineering workflow and provides hands-on experience with attack scenarios. Security Operations Center Analysts should learn to use Atomic Red Team for testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Operations Center Analyst

Security Analyst

A security analyst protects organizations by monitoring networks for security breaches and investigating violations. This Detection Engineering Masterclass helps those interested in security analysis learn the fundamentals to protect their network. The course covers security operations and the detection engineering workflow. Understanding a variety of security functions and setting up enhanced logging and Security Information and Event Management functionality are covered in the course which will help immensely for a new Security Analyst. You will also learn how to trigger and create your own detections in a Security Information and Event Management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Analyst

Security Engineer

Security engineers implement and manage security systems and tools. This Detection Engineering Masterclass helps security engineers by providing them with practical skills in setting up, configuring, and managing security information and event management systems. The course covers topics such as setting up labs with VirtualBox and Elastic's security offering, running attack scenarios to generate logs and create alerts. Security engineers can use this knowledge to improve their ability to detect and respond to security threats. You will also learn how to use Atomic Red Team for testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Engineer

Incident Responder

Incident responders investigate and respond to security incidents. This Detection Engineering Masterclass can help incident responders by providing them with hands-on experience in detecting and analyzing attacks. The course teaches how to set up enhanced logging and Security Information and Event Management functionality along with how to trigger and create your own detections in a Security Information and Event Management. The course also covers topics such as setting up labs, running attack scenarios, and creating alerts which is crucial to an incident responder.

See salaries and explore the career path for Incident Responder

Threat Intelligence Analyst

Threat intelligence analysts research and analyze cyber threats to provide insights that help organizations improve their security posture. This Detection Engineering Masterclass enhances a threat intelligence analyst's understanding of attack scenarios and detection methods. The course teaches you how to run attacks using Atomic Red Team and create detections based on the logs generated. You will also save alerts using a standardized template. You will create, execute, and review attacks to improve your company's posture.

See salaries and explore the career path for Threat Intelligence Analyst

Network Security Engineer

Network Security Engineers design, implement, and manage network security systems. This Detection Engineering Masterclass enhances a Network Security Engineer's ability to detect and respond to network-based attacks. You will learn how to run attacks using Atomic Red Team and create detections based on the logs generated. This course teaches you how to trigger and create your own detections in a Security Information and Event Management. These engineers work to protect networks from unauthorized access and data breaches.

See salaries and explore the career path for Network Security Engineer

Security Architect

Security architects plan, design, and implement security systems and networks. This Detection Engineering Masterclass is valuable for security architects looking to deepen their knowledge of detection engineering principles. The course covers the detection engineering workflow, technology stacks, and the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Having a strong understanding of how to run offensive tests, review the logs, and make alerts is important for a Security Architect. Security architects will also benefit from the course's coverage of detection-as-code philosophies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Architect

Cloud Security Engineer

Cloud Security engineers implement and manage security measures for cloud-based systems and data. This Detection Engineering Masterclass helps cloud security engineers learn how to setup enhanced logging and Security Information and Event Management functionality in a cloud environment. You will learn how to trigger and create your own detections in a Security Information and Event Management and will also learn how to run attacks via Atomic Red Team. This ensures cloud environments are protected against threats.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Security Engineer

Security Consultant

Security consultants advise organizations on how to improve their cybersecurity posture. This Detection Engineering Masterclass helps consultants understand the technical aspects of detection engineering. The course provides hands-on experience setting up labs with VirtualBox and Elastic's security offering. Security consultants can use this knowledge to advise clients on implementing detection engineering architectures. The course takes students from A to Z on the detection engineering lifecycle and the technical implementation of a detection engineering architecture.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Consultant

Information Security Manager

Information Security Managers oversee the protection of an organization's information and assets. This Detection Engineering Masterclass helps these managers gain a deeper understanding of detection engineering principles and practices. The course covers the detection engineering workflow, technology stacks, and the MITRE ATT&CK framework. It also covers the importance of setting up enhanced logging and security information and event management functionality. They also learn how to trigger and create their own detections in a Security Information and Event Management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Security Manager

Cybersecurity Manager

Cybersecurity managers oversee the overall cybersecurity strategy and operations of an organization. This Detection Engineering Masterclass helps cybersecurity managers to develop a better understanding of the technical aspects of detection engineering. The course covers the detection engineering workflow, technology stacks, and the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Those in management will benefit from the course's coverage of detection-as-code philosophies and how to trigger and create your own detections in a Security Information and Event Management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cybersecurity Manager

Application Security Engineer

An Application Security Engineer focuses on securing software applications. This Detection Engineering Masterclass may be useful by providing a deeper understanding of how attacks are carried out and detected in an application environment. The course explores attack scenarios, logging practices, and alert creation which are essential for securing applications. You will also learn how to use Atomic Red Team for testing. Application Security Engineers ensure that applications are free from vulnerabilities and adhere to security best practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Application Security Engineer

Penetration Tester

Penetration testers simulate attacks to identify vulnerabilities in systems and networks. This Detection Engineering Masterclass can provide penetration testers with a better understanding of how their attacks are logged and detected. The course also teaches how to run attacks using Atomic Red Team and create detections based on the logs generated. Penetration testers can use this knowledge to improve their ability to evade detection and provide more realistic attack simulations. The course will also help them to create and execute attacks in a more streamlined fashion.

See salaries and explore the career path for Penetration Tester

Vulnerability Analyst

Vulnerability analysts identify and assess security vulnerabilities in systems and applications. This Detection Engineering Masterclass may be useful for vulnerability analysts by providing them with a deeper understanding of how vulnerabilities can be exploited and detected. The course covers attack scenarios, logging, and alert creation. Seeing the full spectrum of an attack is crucial to understanding the implications of a vulnerability. This course also covers how to use Atomic Red Team for testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Vulnerability Analyst

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Detection Engineering Masterclass: Part 1.

Blue Team Handbook: SOC, SIEM, and Threat Hunting...

Save

Provides practical guidance on building and operating a Security Operations Center (SOC). It covers SIEM implementation, threat hunting techniques, and incident response workflows. This book is particularly useful for understanding real-world use cases and applying detection engineering principles in a practical setting. It serves as a valuable reference for building a robust detection engineering architecture.

Blue Team Handbook: SOC, SIEM, and Threat Hunting...

Paperback

Detection Engineering Masterclass

Part 1

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

Traffic lights

Save this course

Reviews summary

Practical hands-on detection engineering basics

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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