Last Updated on January 2, 2023
Security professionals and those interested in the field can learn from a number of free online security intelligence courses. These will help you develop the skills you need to protect your organization – and keep it running smoothly.
Perhaps you have heard of the term “cybersecurity,” whether it made it to the news headlines, or you came across the word on social media, the internet, in IT forums, or your techie friends may have discussed it at some point. But have you ever thought about what Cybersecurity is? Haven’t you wondered why your company’s network and security administrators are so severe when they start discussing the importance of Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the technology, process, and practice created to protect an organization’s network, systems, data, or program from potential cyber risks such as cyber damages, attacks, and unauthorized access. Cybersecurity, in its simplest form, is the security of information technology. Today, cyber-attacks are evolving each day. These attacks are security threats to employees, organizations, and customers. Thus, Cybersecurity has a very critical role in preventing different forms of security breaches.
Counterterrorism is the actions of a state or governing body to defend citizens against attacks by terrorist organizations. This includes the coordinated actions of the military, intelligence agencies, police departments, fire departments and community leaders to deter and counteract terrorist threats. Since 9/11, the US is reported as having spent over $500 billion on intelligence*. National governments, international bodies and major corporations recognise the need for personnel with a strong grasp of intelligence and security issues, and increasingly organisations require staff who can also demonstrate exceptional knowledge, research and analysis skills.
This course provides an overview of analytical investigative tools and techniques. The course introduces the role of the analyst and the analytical process for narcotic law enforcement officers. A brief overview of drugs of abuse is followed by a set of analytical ‘tools’ including methods for acquiring information, techniques for representing and analyzing information, and an overview of financial investigations.
Course Objectives
- Understand the role of the analyst, the components of the analytical process, and the importance of critical thinking.
- Identify drugs of abuse, their primary sources and the primary methods of distribution.
- Identify sources of information, including federal state and local sources, major computer databases and confidential sources.
- Understand the purpose of flow-charting, and learn to create event, commodity, and activity flowcharts.
- Learn the purpose of link analysis, how to organize data into an association chart, and how to create a link analysis chart.
- Understand the purpose of telephone toll analysis, identify methods of electronic surveillance and procedures to perform telephone toll analysis.
- Describe the purpose of financial analysis, money laundering, and procedures to launder money.
- Learn about the Posse Comitatus Act.
The study of United States intelligence and national security operations is an analysis of how the various branches of government work together and, as a check upon each other, how they work to protect and promote American interests at home and abroad. The purpose of this course is to provide you with an overview of national security policy analysis and the United States intelligence community. As you progress through this course, you will learn about strategic thought and strategy formulation, develop the ability to assess national security issues and threats, and cultivate an understanding of the political and military institutions involved in the formulation and execution of national security policy through diplomacy, intelligence operations, and military force.
What follows are the 10 best free online courses in Internet security. Admittedly, some of these courses are well, let’s just say “on the dark side,” but in terms of quality, they’re all tops.
HACKViDHi (http://hackvidhi.com/courses.php) HACKViDHi is a website that offers a course in web programming basics and what they call “ethical hacking,” but in terms of what you learn, it’s top notch. This website offers an 11-week, 2 classes a week course covering different web technologies along with potential ways in which these technologies can be exploited. Of course, “exploited” is the operative word here, so think of it as a programming course on everything your programming professor didn’t teach you because he didn’t have the nerve. The plus side is that you will learn a lot of cool things and how to apply them towards things you can use. The site warns that the “seating” is limited, so hurry to enroll, although with an online course, what the “seating” is is anyone’s guess.
Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/courses?cats=cs-systems) Despite being such a young technology, Coursera is the gold standard when it comes to online education. Think of the subject, and chances are very good that you will find exactly what you want to learn on Coursera’s class listing. What is most interesting, however, is the list of sponsors of the coursework available. Granted, there are those average Joes who are willing to share what they know with the world, but there are also some very reputable institutions offering up some excellent course fare. This is not to say that there aren’t gold in both hills, but the quality of the education available from both is amazing. Want to learn Internet security via a distance education, check here at some point.
EBest Internet Security (http://www.ebestinternetsecurity.com) Even in the world of online courses, looks can be deceiving. Take for example, EBest, where what first appears to be a totally strange approach to online learning is actually quite good. One look at the EBest website and you have to wonder at first what they are selling, if they are selling anything at all. Look a little harder, and you will find some excellent content as well as some very user-friendly approaches to learning it. “EBest” of all, it’s all free.
SearchSecurity (searchsecurity.techtarget.com) SearchSecurity is another group that offers free online courses in Internet security and other areas that at first glance you have to wonder about their sales skills. Upon closer examination, however, and you will not only find some excellent courses, but the instructors are also on a level that you can’t doubt their authority. Another impressive feature of the SearchSecurity coursework is their emphasis on the latest technology, including that for cloud computing, which nobody, at least not lately, has been able to get enough of. Fortunately, at this web site, there’s plenty for everyone.
OpenCulture (http://www.openculture.com/free_certificate_courses) OpenCulture is another take on the same concept at Coursera, which takes offerings by leading institutions in the world and put them on the web for free. Interestingly, there are even diplomas that you can earn, all free of charge, of course.
CyberAces (http://www.cyberaces.org) One look at the CyberAces website and although you know that they’re on the up and up, you have to wonder how they are making a living, with all the wonderful Internet security courses they are offering free of charge. Not only do CyberAces encourage anyone with an interest in Internet Security to take their free online courses, but they promote the idea of taking their programs to schools and anywhere else there might be a need.
LifeHacker U (http://lifehacker.com/plan-your-free-online-education-at-lifehacker-u-summer-506542454) By now, LifeHacker is more than just a website, it’s an American institution. Whether you want to learn how to make everything you have ever needed or wanted from chewing gum wrappers or wanted to learn Internet security, the chances are good that you will find a distance education program for free. And if you are wondering about the quality of the coursework offered here, check out the sponsors of the individual courses. You will find a number of names you will recognize such as Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins, and many more.
VMware Training (http://mylearn.vmware.com/portals/www/mL.cfm?menu=topfreecourses) Internet security is one of many free online courses that are offered by WMware Training, which offers a suite of courses having to do with computers and a business environment.
Saylor.org (http://www.saylor.org/courses/cs406/) Saylor is another group that offers free online courses in Internet security and a lot of other subjects related to computing. The Saylor site is well laid out, providing everything you need to get started, from the very basics of Internet security, all the way up to assessing threats and defending your systems against them.
Free Video Lectures (http://freevideolectures.com/free-college-courses-online/#) Got a minute? Think of Free Video Lectures as educational YouTube on steroids. It’s really that simple. All together in one place the site promotes “1000+” college level lectures in one place. Better yet, all of the courses are taught by instructors who are tops in their fields. The coursework goes far beyond just computer subjects, which includes Internet security, but it’s there too. If you are looking to get through Internet security with a fine toothed comb you will probably come up short with this site, but for overviews there’s a lot here, all for free.
So, there are ten free websites that promise Internet security courses. Of course, some are better than others. Some go into much greater detail than others, but it’s all there for the asking. The good, the better, and the best, all for free.
This course will examine problems and issues regarding United States national security policy. A large section of the course will deal with the major actors and institutions involved in making and creating national security policy and the intelligence community. National security is the most critical role of your government, without which, all other policies could not be created. You will begin this course with an overview of national security interests in unit 1. In units 2 – 4, you will learn about the roles and powers possessed by each actor in the United States national security process, including responsibilities of the president, the executive branch, Congress, the military, and intelligence agencies. In unit 5, you will review the policymaking process and will consider policy analysis. In units 6 – 9, you will study specific types of national security issues and strategies that the government has used to solve these problems. Some problems include the threat of nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare; the impact of regional, sectarian, and tribal conflicts on national security interests; the threat of terrorism; and the impact of economic strife and scarce resources.
Free Online Security Intelligence Courses
Why is Cybersecurity Significant in 2022?
We have to admit that today, we are living in a digital world. Our personal lives, careers, and finances are beginning to gravitate toward cyberlife. From electronic media to mobile computing, we have gradually evolved in technology. However, no matter how convenient it is, this digital phenomenon makes everything more vulnerable than ever to fraud, malicious attacks, invasion of privacy, and so much more.
That is the very reason why Cybersecurity plays a critical part in a well-ordered, safe, and secure digital world. Cybersecurity is there to keep everybody safe from cybercriminals, hackers, and other agents of fraud.
Research said that in 2019, the world had lost more than $2 trillion because of cybercrimes. This is expected to hit $6 trillion by the end of 2021. This means there’s expected global spending of about $10 billion in cybersecurity measures by 2027 to be safe from these magnanimous losses.
The Biggest Cybersecurity Threats in 2022
Over the years, cybersecurity threats have continued to persist and emergy. By this time, you may have heard about phishing. But do you have any idea about polyglot files? Here are the biggest cybersecurity threats in 2022:
1. COVID 19-Related Phishing Attacks. Phishing is just a simple digital message where you click a link inside of it. There are so many reported possibilities why malicious actors do such campaigns. Though this will depend on the intention of the cybercrime, the basic ones usually have harmful installed data, or the link takes you to sensitive data.
During the Coronavirus crisis, everybody is at home most of the time. Plus, employees began to work from home more than ever. This poses itself as a tempting breeding ground for cybercrimes. Phishing attacks are presented where you are directed to websites that have fake information about the global pandemic. These sites are usually using the victim’s system resources to gain cryptocurrency such as bitcoin– without your approval, of course.
2. Ransomware. Ransomware was very active back in 2020, and because of its profitability, don’t expect it to fade anytime soon. Ransomware encrypts computer files. It will ask you for a ‘ransom’ before you can get your original files back. Because of the rise of cryptocurrency, ransomware attacks have become popular since these cybercriminals can easily remain anonymous.
This year and onwards, it’s highly probable to see better and more improved attacks. Ransomware can ask the victims for a dynamic ransom, though this will depend on the environment it has performed. For instance, ransomware running on Windows only asks a lesser ransom than on one running on a Mac. Why so? Because Mac setups are more expensive than Windows setups.
3. Polyglot Files. These are valid forms of different file types. For example, a file can either be opened as an image or run like JavaScript within your browser. This is the method usually used in advertising fraud, and it is expected to worsen by the time no skills are needed to build this type of malware. However, this malware is not limited to the web. A destructive JAR file, for instance, can be appended to a windows installer file (.MSI).
4. IoT Attacks. IoT ( the Internet of Things) multiplies in several connected devices every year. A study suggests that by 2025, the number of connected IoT devices is expected to balloon up to 75 billion– a threefold increase from 2019.
We have to admit; connected devices make everything very comfortable. How do you feel about waking up on an already prepared coffee because your alarm clock is connected with your coffee machine? Convenient, yes. But this convenience comes with a cath. If your IoT device is not secured correctly, this can open the doors to cybercriminals.
5. Social Engineering. When an attack utilizes social engineering, technology is not just the focus of this attack. It targets the human aspect as well. One famous example is phishing. Social engineering happened in any form sensitive information may be gathered: an email, face-to-face, or even through a phone call.
Sim swapping, for instance, is when a cybercriminal gains access to your SIM card. Because of clever social engineering, your mobile carrier is tricked into believing that the cybercriminal is you, the actual owner. If it goes successful, these criminals can take control of your SIM card. They can receive text messages and phone calls and even access your cryptocurrency wallets and social media accounts.
6. Deepfakes. A video or image is taken to display something that did not happen in reality through artificial intelligence. This is called a deepfake. While these are entertaining, deepfakes are cybersecurity threats that should be taken seriously. These can be in fraudulently verifying the identity or creating a genuine account on behalf of someone. These are also used in creating fake videos of celebrities, politicians, and other notable personalities in compromising situations.
