Security Operations from Coursera

In this comprehensive course on Security Operations, you will gain the skills necessary to manage and secure ongoing operations within an organization, aligned with the latest CISSP curriculum. You will start by exploring the fundamentals of operational security, including forensic investigation standards, logging, and monitoring activities. You'll dive into the importance of Configuration Management (CM) and the use of logging tools like IDPS, SIEM, and SOAR to detect and prevent security threats.

The course also covers essential topics such as incident management, detection, and preventive measures, ensuring you can handle and respond to security breaches effectively. You'll learn how to apply media protection methods, manage patches, and implement change management processes that help reduce vulnerabilities in your IT environment. The focus on recovery strategies will teach you how to maintain business continuity during disruptions, while disaster recovery planning ensures your organization is prepared for any major incident.

Physical security and personnel safety are key components of operational security, and this course provides detailed insights into the methods and controls used to protect both digital and physical assets. You’ll explore contingency planning and continuity strategies, ensuring you are ready to implement resilient security operations in your organization. By the end of this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of security operations, ensuring success in the CISSP exam and real-world cybersecurity environments.

This course is designed for IT professionals, security managers, and incident response teams preparing for the CISSP certification or seeking to enhance their expertise in Security Operations. A basic understanding of cybersecurity principles is recommended.

What's inside

Syllabus

Incident Management and Security Operations

This module covers the essential components of managing and securing operational environments. Learners will explore how to comply with digital forensic standards, set up effective logging and monitoring systems, and implement incident management processes. The module also delves into foundational security operations concepts, resource protection, and detection/prevention strategies. By mastering these topics, learners will develop the skills needed to maintain secure and resilient security operations.

Recovery, Continuity, and Physical Security

This module focuses on the processes and strategies needed to ensure business resilience through effective recovery, disaster planning, and physical security. Learners will explore patch and vulnerability management, change management processes, and the development of recovery strategies. Additionally, the module covers disaster recovery processes, testing disaster recovery plans, and business continuity planning. Learners will also gain insights into physical and personnel security, ensuring organizational safety and protection against physical threats.

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Covers incident management, detection, and preventive measures, which are essential for handling and responding to security breaches effectively

Explores Configuration Management (CM) and the use of logging tools like IDPS, SIEM, and SOAR, which are critical for detecting and preventing security threats

Teaches how to apply media protection methods, manage patches, and implement change management processes, which help reduce vulnerabilities in IT environments

Focuses on recovery strategies to maintain business continuity during disruptions, which is crucial for ensuring organizational resilience

Provides detailed insights into physical security and personnel safety methods and controls, which are key components of operational security

Requires a basic understanding of cybersecurity principles, which may necessitate additional introductory coursework for some learners

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 Security Operations with these activities:

Review Networking Fundamentals

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Reinforce your understanding of networking concepts, which are crucial for understanding security operations and incident response.

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Review the OSI model and its layers.
Study common networking protocols like TCP/IP, HTTP, and DNS.
Practice subnetting and network address translation (NAT).

Review 'The Practice of System and Network Administration'

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Gain insights into system and network administration best practices, which are essential for effective security operations.

View The Practice of System and Network... on Amazon

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Read chapters on monitoring and logging.
Study sections on configuration management.
Review best practices for incident handling.

Set Up a Home Lab for Security Monitoring

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Gain hands-on experience with security monitoring tools and techniques by setting up a home lab environment.

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Install a virtualization platform like VirtualBox or VMware.
Set up virtual machines for different operating systems (Windows, Linux).
Install and configure a SIEM tool like Splunk or ELK stack.
Configure network monitoring tools like Wireshark or tcpdump.

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Document an Incident Response Plan

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Solidify your understanding of incident response by creating a detailed plan for handling security incidents.

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Define incident categories and severity levels.
Outline roles and responsibilities for incident response team members.
Develop procedures for incident detection, analysis, containment, eradication, and recovery.
Create a communication plan for internal and external stakeholders.

Simulate Incident Response Scenarios

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Improve your incident response skills by participating in simulated security incidents.

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Use online resources or create your own incident scenarios.
Practice identifying, analyzing, and containing simulated incidents.
Document your actions and lessons learned.

Review 'Blue Team Handbook: Incident Response Edition'

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Learn practical techniques for incident response and security operations from a leading industry resource.

View Blue Team Handbook: Incident Response Edition:... on Amazon

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Read chapters on incident handling and threat intelligence.
Study sections on security monitoring and analysis.
Review best practices for building a SOC.

Contribute to a Security Tool Project

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Deepen your understanding of security tools by contributing to an open-source project.

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Identify an open-source security tool project that interests you.
Review the project's documentation and contribution guidelines.
Contribute code, documentation, or bug reports to the project.

Career center

Learners who complete Security Operations will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Disaster Recovery Specialist

A disaster recovery specialist focuses on creating and executing plans to recover from major disruptions. This course is explicitly relevant to the needs of a disaster recovery specialist, which includes exploration of disaster recovery processes, testing plans, and managing patch and vulnerability. A disaster recovery specialist must understand incident management, which is also a topic explored in this course. A disaster recovery specialist will find the course's detailed treatment of business continuity and recovery strategies to be highly beneficial.

See salaries and explore the career path for Disaster Recovery Specialist

Incident Responder

An incident responder is tasked with reacting to and mitigating security breaches and incidents. This course provides excellent preparation for this role, with its emphasis on incident management, detection, and response. The course delves deeply into creating and implementing incident management processes, which are critical for an incident responder to successfully address threats. The course also explores essential components of security operations, all of which are crucial to incident response. This course provides the tools necessary to handle and respond to security breaches effectively, making it a useful choice for anyone pursuing a career as an incident responder.

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Security Analyst

A security analyst is responsible for monitoring and protecting an organization's systems and data. This course's detailed content on setting up logging and monitoring systems is directly relevant to the work of a security analyst, as is the focus on incident management processes and detection and prevention strategies. Individuals interested in a career as a security analyst would benefit greatly from the course’s comprehensive exploration of incident management, detection, and preventive measures. The course's detailed look at logging tools such as IDPS, SIEM, and SOAR, in addition to its focus on forensic investigation standards, are invaluable for security analysts.

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Forensic Analyst

A forensic analyst is responsible for examining digital evidence to investigate security incidents and cyber crimes. This course provides a strong foundation for forensic analysts with a focus on digital forensic standards and incident management processes. A forensic analyst must be proficient in setting up logging and monitoring systems. The course's focus on incident management and response strategies is also particularly relevant to the work of a forensic analyst. This course provides invaluable information for anyone interested in becoming a forensic analyst.

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Security Engineer

A security engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing security systems. This course helps develop crucial skills for security engineers, such as setting up effective logging and monitoring systems, and implementing incident management processes. The detailed section on Configuration Management and the use of security tools make this course highly relevant to security engineers. Individuals who take this course can leverage their enhanced abilities in patch management and change management to succeed in a security engineering role.

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Security Specialist

A security specialist works to protect an organization's assets, both digital and physical. This course examines methods and controls used to protect both digital and physical assets, making it highly applicable to the responsibilities of a security specialist. The course covers various aspects of operational security, including forensic investigation, logging, and monitoring. A security specialist would greatly benefit from the course's detailed instruction on patch management and change management processes, in addition to the information on physical and personnel security.

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Information Security Analyst

An information security analyst focuses on implementing security measures to protect information systems from unauthorized access. This role aligns well with the course's focus on operational security, including logging, monitoring, and incident management. An information security analyst often deals with threat detection and prevention, which are explicitly covered in the course. An individual pursuing the role of information security analyst would find that this course's exploration of configuration management, as well as the use of tools such as IDPS, SIEM, and SOAR, provides excellent preparation for the tasks of securing information systems.

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IT Security Manager

An IT security manager is responsible for overseeing an organization's security operations and ensuring compliance with security policies. The course material aligns well with the high-level view required in this role, specifically in areas including incident management, detection, and preventive strategies. An IT security manager would find the exploration of contingency planning and continuity strategies particularly relevant, as well as the course's approach to ensuring business continuity during disruptions. The course’s focus on recovery strategies and disaster recovery planning provides an excellent foundation for those aiming to lead an organization's security efforts.

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Business Continuity Planner

A business continuity planner develops and implements plans to ensure an organization can continue operations during disruptions. This course helps build a foundation for business continuity planners with its detailed look at continuity strategies, patch management, and disaster recovery processes. Business continuity planners need to understand incident management, which is also a topic covered in the course. The course provides specific training in recovery strategies, business continuity planning, and physical security, all of which are particularly germane to the work of a business continuity planner.

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Cybersecurity Consultant

A cybersecurity consultant provides expert advice and guidance to organizations on how to improve their security posture. The comprehensive nature of this course, covering everything from operational security fundamentals to disaster recovery planning, is highly suitable for cybersecurity consultant roles. Consultants must have a broad understanding of security practices. This course covers several essential topics, such as incident management and physical security, and would be useful for anyone seeking a consulting role. A cybersecurity consultant could use the knowledge from this course to offer practical guidance and solutions to their clients.

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Network Administrator

A network administrator is responsible for the upkeep of an organization's computer network. This course provides insight into security operations that are relevant in the daily work of a network administrator. This course’s training on setting up effective logging and monitoring systems, and implementation of incident management processes will be useful skills. The course's focus on patch and vulnerability management, as well as change management processes, is also highly useful for a network administrator. A network administrator who takes this course will be better equipped to ensure the security of the network they manage.

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System Administrator

A system administrator maintains computer systems and networks. This course improves a system administrator's ability to manage and secure operational environments. Topics in this course, such as compliance with digital forensic standards, setting up logging and monitoring systems, and incident management, are all crucial for system administrators. A system administrator who takes this course will have a more secure and resilient understanding of system administration. This course covers resource protection and detection/prevention strategies, as well as patch and vulnerability management, all of which are key components of systems administration.

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Security Auditor

A security auditor evaluates an organization's security policies and practices to ensure their effectiveness. This course helps build a foundation for security auditors with its comprehensive look into security operations. Security auditors must understand topics such as incident management, logging, and monitoring; all topics covered in this course. The course's focus on compliance with forensic standards, change management, and recovery strategy information is also valuable for a security auditor. This course may be useful for anyone seeking a career as a security auditor.

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Risk Analyst

A risk analyst is responsible for identifying and assessing potential risks to an organization. This course, especially its sections on incident management, patch management, and disaster recovery, may be useful to a risk analyst. The course's wide-ranging view of security operations provides valuable context. This course’s coverage of security threats provides a risk analyst with a broad view of potential vulnerabilities. This course may be helpful to someone in a risk analyst role.

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Compliance Officer

A compliance officer ensures that an organization adheres to relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies. This course, which covers many aspects of cyber security, may be useful to a compliance officer. The course's coverage of incident management, media protection, and change management provides a useful perspective. A compliance officer may find the course's details about recovery strategies and disaster recovery planning to be valuable when assessing an organization's preparedness.

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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 Security Operations.

Blue Team Handbook: Incident Response Edition

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This handbook provides practical guidance on building and managing a security operations center (SOC) and handling incident response. It covers topics such as threat intelligence, security monitoring, and incident analysis. is particularly useful for understanding the day-to-day operations of a security team. It is commonly used as a reference by security analysts and incident responders.

Blue Team Handbook: Incident Response Edition: A...

Paperback

The Practice of System and Network Administration

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Provides a comprehensive overview of system and network administration practices. It is particularly useful for understanding the operational aspects of security, including configuration management, monitoring, and incident response. While not strictly a security book, it provides essential context for security operations. It is commonly used as a reference by system administrators and security professionals.

The Practice of System and Network Administration,...

Paperback

Practice of System and Network Administration, The:...

Kindle Edition

Security Operations

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