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Alton Teaches LLC and Alton Hardin | 200,000+ Enrollments Worldwide

If so, you’ve come to the right place.

In this 4-hour course, I'll show you step-by-step the fundamentals of Zero Trust, teaching you essential Zero Trust security principles you need to know.

If you're looking to advance your career in cyber security, this course is a must because Zero Trust is now becoming the preferred security model within cyber security.

WHAT YOU'

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • The fundamentals of zero trust & conceptual zero trust architectural framework
  • The importance of an effective zero trust strategy
  • The pitfalls of the conventional perimeter-based security model
  • Strategies for designing and migrating to zero trust
  • The trust architecture use cases & maturity models

Syllabus

Course Introduction
Welcome to the Course!
Quick Course Overview
Why Learn Cyber Security from Me?
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Explores the NIST Zero Trust Architectural (ZTA) Model, which is a widely recognized framework for implementing zero trust security
Examines real-life ZTA solutions, providing practical insights into how zero trust principles can be applied in various scenarios
Discusses the SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline cyber attacks as case studies, offering valuable lessons on the importance of zero trust in preventing breaches
Covers various Zero Trust Maturity Models, including those from Microsoft, NSA, and CISA, which helps organizations assess and improve their zero trust implementations
Requires learners to analyze case studies, which may require additional research and familiarity with cybersecurity concepts
Teaches about the pillars of zero trust, which are essential for designing and implementing a comprehensive security strategy

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Reviews summary

Zero trust fundamentals for it pros

According to learners, this course provides a clear and solid introduction to Zero Trust security fundamentals, particularly suited for IT professionals new to the concept. Students value the logical structure, clear explanations, and feel it provides a strong foundational understanding. The inclusion of relevant case studies is also highlighted. While effective for beginners, some experienced professionals find it too basic, noting a lack of technical depth, practical examples, or labs for implementation details. Overall, it's considered a highly valuable starting point.
Excellent intro, but basic for experts.
"It's definitely geared towards fundamentals, so experienced ZT pros might find it a bit basic."
"Decent course for beginners, but lacks depth..."
"This is okay for absolute beginners, but not for experienced IT security staff."
"As someone new to the topic, I felt the level was just right to get started."
Applies ZT theory to real-world events.
"...the case studies are very relevant to current industry challenges like SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline."
"Covered the fundamentals well. The case studies were a highlight."
"The case studies were a highlight. Pacing was good."
"I found the discussions of incidents like SolarWinds very useful for understanding why Zero Trust is needed."
Provides a solid grasp of ZT concepts.
"Excellent foundational course on Zero Trust principles. The instructor explains concepts clearly..."
"Fantastic introduction! As someone new to Zero Trust, this course laid out the concepts logically and comprehensively."
"Exactly what I needed to get a grasp on Zero Trust. The explanations are easy to follow, and the structure is logical."
"Excellent course. Clear, concise, and directly relevant to current IT security trends."
Focuses on theory, needs more real-world demo.
"...lacks depth and real-world examples."
"I wish there were some practical demos or labs to accompany the theory."
"It's useful for understanding 'what' ZT is, but not 'how' to do it."
"I was expecting more technical details and practical application guidance."

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 Zero Trust Security Fundamentals for IT Professionals with these activities:
Review Networking Fundamentals
Reinforce your understanding of networking concepts, which are foundational to understanding Zero Trust network segmentation and security.
Browse courses on Network Security
Show steps
  • Review the OSI model and TCP/IP suite.
  • Study common networking protocols (e.g., HTTP, DNS, SSH).
  • Research network security best practices.
Review Identity and Access Management (IAM) Concepts
Strengthen your knowledge of IAM principles, crucial for understanding the 'Never Trust, Always Verify' tenet of Zero Trust.
Browse courses on IAM
Show steps
  • Study different authentication methods.
  • Review access control models (e.g., RBAC, ABAC).
  • Research IAM best practices and technologies.
Zero Trust Networks: Building Secure Systems in Untrusted Networks
Gain a deeper understanding of Zero Trust principles and implementation strategies by reading this comprehensive guide.
Show steps
  • Read the book cover to cover.
  • Take notes on key concepts and implementation strategies.
  • Relate the book's content to the course materials.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Compile a List of Zero Trust Security Tools
Familiarize yourself with the landscape of Zero Trust security tools and technologies by creating a curated list.
Show steps
  • Research different Zero Trust security vendors.
  • Categorize tools based on Zero Trust pillars.
  • Write a short description of each tool's functionality.
Design a Zero Trust Architecture for a Small Business
Apply your knowledge of Zero Trust principles to a practical scenario by designing an architecture for a small business.
Show steps
  • Assess the business's security needs and risks.
  • Design a Zero Trust architecture based on NIST guidelines.
  • Select appropriate security tools and technologies.
  • Document your design and justify your choices.
Write a Blog Post on a Specific Zero Trust Pillar
Deepen your understanding of a specific Zero Trust pillar by researching and writing a blog post about it.
Show steps
  • Choose a Zero Trust pillar (e.g., Identity, Devices, Network).
  • Research the pillar and its key components.
  • Write a blog post explaining the pillar and its importance.
  • Publish your blog post on a platform like Medium or LinkedIn.
The Practice of Network Security Monitoring: Understanding Incident Detection and Response
Understand how network security monitoring plays a role in a Zero Trust environment.
Show steps
  • Read the book cover to cover.
  • Take notes on key concepts and implementation strategies.
  • Relate the book's content to the course materials.

Career center

Learners who complete Zero Trust Security Fundamentals for IT Professionals will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Identity and Access Management Engineer
Identity and Access Management Engineers are responsible for designing, implementing, and managing systems that control user access to resources. This course helps them to build their IAM practices on Zero Trust. The course discusses Zero Trust principles and the importance of moving away from traditional perimeter security. You'll learn about Zero Trust Architecture and its components. A key element is securing the users and identity pillar. You will learn about Conditional Authentication and Authorization. Understanding migration strategies, use cases such as secure access from anywhere, and maturity models help an IAM engineer.
Security Consultant
Security Consultants advise organizations on how to improve their security posture. This course helps Consultants guide clients through Zero Trust implementations. The course discusses Zero Trust principles and challenges of traditional perimeter-based security. You'll learn about designing Zero Trust Architectures, migration strategies, and maturity models. The course introduces multiple real world case studies. Understanding Zero Trust design principles and the five-step methodology enables a Security Consultant to build effective solutions for their clients. Learning the NIST model is useful.
Security Architect
As a Security Architect, you are tasked with planning, designing, and implementing security systems within an organization. This course helps you understand the fundamentals of Zero Trust, now a preferred security model. The course introduces you to Zero Trust Architecture and its components. You'll learn about designing a Zero Trust Architecture, migration strategies, and maturity models. Understanding the pillars of Zero Trust, securing identities, devices, networks, applications, and data, as discussed in the course, helps build a foundation for implementing Zero Trust in security architectures. Learning about Zero Trust design principles is essential for a Security Architect.
Application Security Engineer
Application Security Engineers specialize in securing software applications throughout their lifecycle. This course helps them to build their application security practices on Zero Trust. The course introduces you to the Zero Trust Architecture and its components. An important element is securing the applications and workloads pillar. You will learn about Conditional Authentication and Authorization, Zero Trust design principles, and NIST Architectural Approaches. All of this helps an engineer.
DevSecOps Engineer
DevSecOps Engineers integrate security practices into the software development lifecycle. This course helps them to build their DevSecOps practices on Zero Trust. The course introduces the fundamentals of Zero Trust and principles important for secure development. You'll learn about Zero Trust Architecture and its components. A key element is securing the applications and workloads pillar. You will learn about Conditional Authentication and Authorization, Zero Trust design principles, and NIST Architectural Approaches. All of this helps an engineer.
Data Security Analyst
Data Security Analysts focus on protecting an organization's data from unauthorized access and breaches. This course helps them to build their data security practices on Zero Trust. The course discusses Zero Trust principles and the importance of moving away from traditional perimeter security. You'll learn about Zero Trust Architecture and its components. Understanding the pillars of Zero Trust, specifically securing the data pillar, enables a Data Security Analyst to implement robust data protection strategies within a Zero Trust framework. Learning about Conditional Authentication and Authorization is key.
Cybersecurity Analyst
Cybersecurity Analysts monitor and protect an organization's networks and systems from security breaches. This course helps analysts understand Zero Trust principles crucial for modern cybersecurity. The course introduces you to the pillars of Zero Trust and the importance tenets, along with exploring the pitfalls of traditional perimeter-based security. You'll learn about the Zero Trust Architecture Model. Understanding Zero Trust design principles and migration strategies can significantly improve a Cybersecurity Analyst's ability to identify and address vulnerabilities within a Zero Trust environment. Case studies can inform the analyst.
Cloud Security Engineer
Cloud Security Engineers specialize in securing cloud-based infrastructure and data. This course helps them understand the Zero Trust model which is increasingly important in cloud environments. The course introduces you to the Zero Trust Architecture. You'll learn about the pillars of Zero Trust, securing identities, devices, networks, applications, and data in a cloud context. Understanding Zero Trust design principles and approaches to migrate to a cloud-based Zero Trust environment is essential for this role. Learning Zero Trust models improves security.
Chief Information Security Officer
The Chief Information Security Officer is responsible for an organization's overall security strategy and posture. This course helps CISOs understand and implement Zero Trust. The course introduces you to Zero Trust Architecture. You'll learn about the pillars of Zero Trust, and how to secure identities, devices, networks, applications, and data. Understanding Zero Trust design principles and approaches to migrate to a Zero Trust environment is essential for this executive leadership role.
Security Operations Center Analyst
A role of the Security Operations Center Analyst is to monitor and respond to security events. This course will help them understand the importance of Zero Trust. The course introduces the Zero Trust Architecture and its components. You'll learn about the pillars of Zero Trust. This includes: securing identities, devices, networks, applications, and data. It is important to understand Zero Trust design principles, and use cases such as VPN-less implementation. Learning the Microsoft and NSA Zero Trust Maturity Models is also helpful.
IT Auditor
IT Auditors evaluate an organization's IT controls and processes to ensure they are effective and compliant. This course helps IT Auditors understand the fundamentals of Zero Trust. The course introduces you to the the principles of Zero Trust. Understanding Zero Trust design principles and the pillars of Zero Trust helps build a foundation for auditors. Learning about maturity models may also be valuable. This background assists the auditor in assessing how well an organization has implemented security measures.
IT Manager
An IT Manager oversees an organization's information technology infrastructure and operations. This course may be useful for IT Managers. The course introduces you to the importance of an effective Zero Trust strategy. You'll learn about designing and migrating to Zero Trust. Understanding the challenges of change when implementing Zero Trust and how to build a business case for Zero Trust can greatly assist an IT Manager in guiding their team. Learning the pillars of Zero Trust allows the manager to organize staff into different areas of responsibility.
Systems Administrator
Systems Administrators manage and maintain an organization's computer systems and servers. This course may be useful for Systems Administrators seeking to integrate Zero Trust principles into their systems management practices. The course discusses securing the users and identity pillar which is key to system access. You will learn about ZTA use cases and maturity models. Understanding how to secure devices, applications, and data within a Zero Trust framework allows a systems administrator to create more robust security protocols. The case studies inform the administrator.
Network Engineer
A Network Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing an organization's network infrastructure. This course may be useful for Network Engineers looking to modernize their approach to network security. Specifically, the course addresses securing the network environment pillar within a Zero Trust framework. Familiarity with Zero Trust design principles and the ability to explore use cases such as VPN-less implementation and east-west segmentation can greatly enhance a Network Engineer's ability to build secure networks and reduce risk. The course introduces strategies for migrating to Zero Trust which may benefit an engineer.
Compliance Officer
Compliance Officers ensure that an organization adheres to relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies. This course may be useful for Compliance Officers. The course introduces the Zero Trust Architecture and its tenets. Understanding Zero Trust design principles, and the importance of an effective Zero Trust strategy helps a Compliance Officer better understand how to implement Zero Trust to follow policy. You will learn about Zero Trust maturity models. The CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model is specifically reviewed.

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 Zero Trust Security Fundamentals for IT Professionals.
Provides a comprehensive guide to implementing Zero Trust networks. It covers the principles, architectures, and technologies involved in building secure systems in untrusted environments. This book is commonly used as a reference by security professionals. It adds depth to the course by providing practical guidance and real-world examples.
Provides a comprehensive guide to network security monitoring (NSM). It covers the principles, architectures, and technologies involved in detecting and responding to security incidents. While not directly about Zero Trust, NSM critical component of a Zero Trust strategy. This book is more valuable as additional reading than it is as a current reference.

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