CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Course
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About the course and examAbout the course and certification
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About the course author
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Pre-requisites
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Tools and tips to help you study more efficiently
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Study techniques that will help you pass
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What surprised me the most about the exam
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Domain 1: Threats, Attacks, and VulnerabilitiesAbout threats, attacks, and vulnerabilities
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1.1: Compare and contrast social engineering techniquesWhat is social engineering?
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Principles
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Spam
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Blocking and Managing Spam
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Phishing
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Smishing
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Vishing
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Spear Phishing
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Whaling
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Impersonation
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Dumpster diving
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Shoulder surfing
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Pharming
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Tailgating
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Eliciting information
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Prepending
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Identity fraud
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Invoice scams
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Credentials harvesting
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Reconnaissance
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Hoax
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Watering hole attack
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Typo squatting and URL hijacking
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Influence campaigns
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Hybrid warfare
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Practical knowledge check
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1.2: Analyze potential indicators to determine the type of attackWhat is malware?
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Malware classification
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Virus
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Worms
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Backdoor
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Trojans
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Remote Access Trojan (RAT)
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Ransomware and Crypto Malware
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How does ransomware work?
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Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs)
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Spyware
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Adware and Malvertising
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Keyloggers
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Fileless malware
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Logic bombs
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Rootkit
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Bots and Botnets
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Command and control
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What are password attacks?
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Plaintext, encrypted, and hashed passwords
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Brute force
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Dictionary attacks
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Spraying attacks
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Rainbow and hash tables
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Credential stuffing
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What are physical attacks?
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Malicious universal serial bus (USB) cable
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Malicious flash drive
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Card cloning
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Skimming
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What is adversarial AI and tainted training for ML?
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Supply-chain attacks
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Cloud-based vs. on-premises attacks
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Cryptography concepts
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Cryptographic attacks
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Quiz: 1.23 Quizzes
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1.3: Analyze potential indicators associated with application attacksPrivilege escalation
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Improper input handling
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Improper error handling
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Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
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Structured Query Language (SQL) injections
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Dynamic Link Library (DLL) Injections
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Lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) Injections
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Extensible Markup Language (XML) and XPATH Injections
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XXE Injections
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Directory traversal
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Request forgeries (server-side, client-side, and cross-site)
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Application Programming Interface (API) attacks
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Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) stripping
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Replay attacks (session replays)
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Pass the hash
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Race conditions (time of check and time of use)
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Resource exhaustion
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Memory leak
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Pointer/object dereference
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Integer overflow
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Buffer overflows
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Driver manipulation (shimming and refactoring)
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Quiz 1.32 Quizzes
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1.4: Analyze potential indicators of network attacksWhat are wireless attacks?
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Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
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Rogue access point and Evil Twin
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Bluesnarfing and Bluejacking
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Disassociation and Jamming
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Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) attacks
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Near Field Communication (NFC)
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Initialization Vector (IV)
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Man in the middle (on-path)
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Man in the browser (on-path browser)
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What are layer 2 attacks?
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Address resolution protocol (ARP)
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Media access control (MAC) flooding
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MAC cloning
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What are Domain Name System (DNS) attacks and defenses?
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Domain hijacking
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DNS poisoning
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Universal resource locator (URL) redirection
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Domain reputation
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Quiz 1.41 Quiz
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1.5: Explain threat actors, vectors, and intelligence sourcesWhat are actors and threats?
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Attributes of actors
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Vectors
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Insider threats
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State actors
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Hacktivists
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Script kiddies
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Hackers (white hat, black hat, gray hat)
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Criminal syndicates
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Advanced persistent threats (APTs)
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Shadow IT
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Competitors
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Threat intelligence sources (OSINT and others)
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Using threat intelligence
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Research sources
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Quiz 1.51 Quiz
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1.6: Security concerns associated with various vulnerabilitiesCloud-based vs. on-premises vulnerabilities
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Zero-day vulnerabilities
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Weak configurations
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Weak encryption, hashing, and digital signatures
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Third-party risks
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Improper or weak patch management
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Legacy platforms
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Impacts
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Quiz 1.61 Quiz
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1.7: Summarizing techniques used in security assessmentsThreat hunting
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Vulnerability scans
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Security information and event management (SIEM) and Syslog
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Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR)
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Quiz 1.71 Quiz
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1.8: Explaining techniques used in penetration testingImportant pentesting concepts
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Bug bounties
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Exercise types (red, blue, white, and purple teams)
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Passive and active reconnaissance
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Quiz 1.81 Quiz
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Domain 2: Architecture and DesignAbout architecture and design
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2.1: Explaining the importance of security concepts in an enterprise environmentConfiguration management
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Data sovereignty
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Data protection
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Hardware security module (HSM) and Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
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Geographical considerations
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Cloud access security broker (CASB)
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Response and recovery controls
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Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) inspection
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Hashing
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API considerations
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Site resiliency
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Deception and disruption
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Quiz 2.11 Quiz
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2.2: Virtualization and cloud computing conceptsComparing cloud models
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Cloud service providers
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Virtualization
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Containers
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Microservices and APIs
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Serverless architecture
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MSPs and MSSPs
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On-premises vs. off-premises
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Edge computing
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Fog computing
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Thin client
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Infrastructure as Code
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Services integration
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Resource policies
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Transit gateway
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Quiz 2.21 Quiz
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2.3: Secure application development, deployment, and automation conceptsUnderstanding development environments
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Automation and scripting
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Version control
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Secure coding techniques
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Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)
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Integrity measurement
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Software diversity
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Provisioning and deprovisioning
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Elasticity
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Scalability
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Quiz 2.31 Quiz
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2.4: Authentication and authorization design conceptsImportant authentication and authorization concepts
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Multifactor authentication (MFA) factors and attributes
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Quiz: MFA factors and attributes1 Quiz
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Authentication technologies
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Biometrics techniques and concepts
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Authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA)
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Cloud vs. on-premises requirements
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Quiz 2.41 Quiz
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2.5: Implementing cybersecurity resilienceWhat is redundancy?
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Disk redundancy (RAID levels)
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Network redundancy
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Power redundancy
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Replication
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Backup types (full, incremental, differential, and snapshot)
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Backup types practice scenarios
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Backup devices and strategies
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Quiz: Backup types, devices, and strategies1 Quiz
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Non-persistence
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Restoration order
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Diversity
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Quiz 2.51 Quiz
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2.6: Security implications of embedded and specialized systemsWhat are embedded systems?
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System on a Chip (SoC)
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SCADA and ICS
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Internet of Things (IoT)
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Specialized systems
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VoIP, HVAC, Drones/AVs, MFP, RTOS, Surveillance systems
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Communication considerations
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Important constraints
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2.7: Importance of physical security controlsBollards/barricades, Mantraps, Badges, Alarms, Signage
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Lighting and fencing
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Cameras and Closed-circuit television (CCTV)
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Industrial camouflage
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Personnel, robots, drones/UAVs
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Locks
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Different sensors
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Fire suppression
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Protected cable distribution (PCD)
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Secure areas (air gap, faraday cages, DMZ, etc…)
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Hot and cold aisles
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Secure data destruction
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USB data blocker
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Quiz 2.71 Quiz
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2.8: Basics of cryptographyCommon use cases
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Key length
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Key stretching
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Salting, hashing, digital signatures
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Perfect forward secrecy
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Elliptic curve cryptography
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Ephemeral
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Symmetric vs. asymmetric encryption
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Key exchange
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Cipher suites
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Modes of operation
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Lightweight cryptography and Homomorphic encryption
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Steganography
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Blockchain
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Quantum and post-quantum
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Limitations
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Quizzes 2.82 Quizzes
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Domain 3: ImplementationAbout implementation
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3.1: Implement Secure ProtocolsImportant protocols to know and use cases
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Important email secure protocols
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IPsec and VPN
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FTPS, SFTP, SCP
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DNSSEC
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SRTP and NTPsec
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DHCP
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SNMP and SNMPv3
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Quiz 3.11 Quiz
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3.2: Implement host or application security solutionsEndpoint protection
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Self-encrypting drive (SED), full disk encryption (FDE), and file-level encryption
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Boot integrity
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Database and data security
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Application security
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Hardening hosts
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Sandboxing
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Quiz 3.21 Quiz
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3.3: Implement secure network designsDNS
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Load balancing
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Network segmentation
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East-West and North-South
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Jump servers (bastion hosts)
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Network Address Translation (NAT) Gateway
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Proxy servers
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Out-of-band management
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Quiz 3.3.11 Quiz
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Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and IPsec
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Network Access Control (NAC)
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Port security
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Network-based intrusion detection system (NIDS) and network-based intrusion prevention system (NIPS)
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Firewalls
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Next-Generation Firewalls
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Access Control List (ACL) and Security Groups (SGs)
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Quiz 3.3.21 Quiz
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Quality of Service (QoS)
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Implications of IPv6
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Port scanning and port mirroring
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File integrity monitors
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Quiz 3.3.31 Quiz
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3.4: Install and configure wireless security settingsCryptographic protocols
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Methods
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Authentication protocols
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Installation considerations
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Quiz 3.41 Quiz
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3.5: Implement secure mobile solutionsConnection methods and receivers
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Mobile deployment models
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Mobile device management (MDM)
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Mobile devices
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Enforcement and monitoring
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Quiz 3.51 Quiz
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3.6: Apply cybersecurity solutions to the cloudCloud security controls
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Secure cloud storage
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Secure cloud networking
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Secure cloud compute resources
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Secure cloud solutions
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Quiz 3.61 Quiz
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3.7: Implement identity and account management controlsUnderstanding identity
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Account types to consider
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Account policies to consider
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Quiz 3.71 Quiz
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3.8: Implement authentication and authorization solutionsAuthentication management
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Authentication protocols and considerations
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Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
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RADIUS and TACACS+
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Kerberos, LDAP, and NTLM
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Federated Identities
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Access control schemes
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Recap notes from this section
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Quiz 3.81 Quiz
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3.9: Implement public key infrastructureWhat is public key infrastructure?
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Types of certificates
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Certificate formats
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Important concepts
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Quiz 3.91 Quiz
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4.0: Operations and Incident ResponseAbout operations and incident response
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4.1: Use the appropriate tools to assess organizational securityNetwork reconnaissance and discovery part 1
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Network reconnaissance and discovery part 2
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File manipulation
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Shell and script environments
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Packet capture and replay
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Forensics tools
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Exploitation frameworks
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Password crackers
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Data sanitization
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Quiz 4.11 Quiz
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4.2: Policies, processes, and procedures for incident responseIncident response plans
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Incident response process
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Important exercises
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Important attack frameworks
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BCP, COOP, and DRP
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Incident response team and stakeholder management
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Retention policies
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Quiz 4.21 Quiz
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4.3: Using appropriate data sources to support investigations after an incidentVulnerability scan outputs
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SIEM dashboards
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Log files
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Syslog, rsyslog, syslog-ng
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Journald and journalctl
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NXLog
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Bandwidth and network monitors
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Important and useful metadata
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Quiz 4.31 Quiz
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4.4: Applying mitigation techniques or controls to secure environments during an incidentReconfiguring endpoint security solutions
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Configuration changes
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Isolation, containment, and segmentation
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Secure Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
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Quiz 4.41 Quiz
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4.5: Key aspects of digital forensicsDocumentation and evidence
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E-discovery, data recovery, and non-repudiation
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Integrity and preservation of information
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Acquisition
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On-premises vs. cloud
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Strategic intelligence and counterintelligence
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Quiz 4.51 Quiz
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Domain 5: Governance, Risk, and ComplianceAbout governance, risk and compliance
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5.1: Compare and contrast various types of controlsCategories
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Control types
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Quiz 5.11 Quiz
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5.2: Applicable regulations, standards, or frameworks that impact organizational security postureRegulations, standards, and legislation
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Key frameworks to know about
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Benchmarks and secure configuration guides
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Quiz 5.21 Quiz
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5.3: Importance of policies to organizational securityPersonnel
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User training
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Third-party risk management
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Data
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Credential policies
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Organizational policies
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Quiz 5.31 Quiz
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5.4 Risk management processes and conceptsTypes of risks
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Risk management strategies
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Risk analysis
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Disasters
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Business impact analysis
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Quiz 5.41 Quiz
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5.5: Privacy and sensitive data concepts in relation to securityOrganizational consequences of privacy breaches
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Notifications of breaches
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Data types
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Privacy enhancing technologies
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Roles and responsibilities
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Quiz 5.51 Quiz
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Course Recap and Next StepsLooking for the practice exams?
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Receiving your Certificate of Completion
Phishing is one of the most commonly talked about attacks because it happens to all of us on an almost daily basis, and despite its simplicity, it’s resulted in some of the costliest attacks.
With phishing, the attacker masquerades as a trusted entity in order to try and gain access to sensitive information, such as:
- Passwords
- Date of birth
- Credit card numbers
- Social security numbers
- Etc…
Phishing is also a popular technique used to spread malware. In fact, a lot of costly ransomware attacks found their entry point through phishing.
This type of social engineering attack is typically sent in bulk and isn’t targeting one specific group or person. The more people a phishing email reaches, the higher the chance that one person falls victim to the attack.
Examples of Phishing
If you pull up your email inbox right now, I’d be willing to bet that you have at least 1 phishing attempt from the past 7 days. It will likely be in your junk mail, but not always.
Here are some examples of mine:



The last one is better than most other phishing attacks I’ve received, because there are no obvious typos, the grammar is fine, and it seems to be coming from a legitimate email address.
While many attempts are poorly done and can usually be easily detected, even to someone without any training, since they have obvious spelling or design errors, they’ve been getting better and better over the years, and some of the attempts I’ve received have been quite convincing.
With that said, there are a number of tell-tale signs that make it easier to spot phishing attempts, and more importantly, to avoid them. Let’s talk about that:

- Obvious typos — many (although not all) phishing attempts will have typos or poor gramar
- Missing or messed up logos
- Non-company email domains — although sometimes it may look like a legitimate email, such as in the Mailgun example
- “To” email isn’t yours
- Odd formatting in the overall email, text, links, or buttons — although sometimes email clients can break legitimate emails
- URLs of buttons or other links are non-company domain names — although sometimes it can be their email service that uses special links to track clicks
- Lack of URLs in places you expect to see them, such as unsubscribe links in the footer — unsubscribe links are a requirement, so the lack of one is very suspicious
- Emails that just don’t seem right — like in the case of the Mailgun email, there’s no reason I could think of that my payment would have been declined, so that’s a bit fishy 🙂
In the case of the Mailgun phishing attempt, I was able to validate that it was a phishing attempt by logging into my account manually (instead of clicking whatever links were in the email), and seeing that all of my bills had been paid.
Curious, I did a little bit more digging and looked at the email message headers:

What I found was something you will typically see…the email is actually not coming from Mailgun or any Mailgun-authorized services. It is instead coming from an unrelated domain, but whoever sent this attempt spoofed — meaning faked — the from header to make it look like it was coming from Mailgun.com.
The original domain name has been blacked out for privacy reasons, but it was from a golfing club in Europe, which tells me that their email services were probably not very secure, and so someone managed to gain control and use their domain name as a way of sending out these phishing attempts.
This is not only bad for Mailgun since it’s targeting their customers, but it’s also bad for the golf club, because it’s going to ruin their domain and email reputation.
Phishing can also be used to spread malware
As I mentioned previously, Phishing can also be used to spread malware via attachments or links to downloads. This means that the attacker could try to link you to a website that contains a malware download or that tries to automatically download the malware through a browser vulnerability.
Or, they could simply upload attachments to the emails, and you might be tempted to download those attachments and then open them.
Defenses against phishing
- Be cautious of which emails you trust and what links you click — instead, type in the domain name manually or use bookmarks
- Only use credentials on websites you trust
- Use unique passwords for each website — this is easily done with password managers
- Enable two-factor authentication — that way, even if your password is compromised, they still can’t get into your account…this is especially important for accounts that contain sensitive information
Conclusion
It’s important that you train your entire organization on how to spot these attempts. There are many organizations that can help with this by providing 3rd party training which could involve actually sending out phishing attempts to employees and seeing who falls for it, and then giving them more direct training to prevent it from happening again.
This should not be done as a way to embarrass or reprimand the employees that fall for it, but instead, as a way of training them to not fall for it the next time.
Phishing is how many organizations become victims of nasty attacks such as Ransomware. All it takes is one employee click on a link and filling in information that they shouldn’t have.
So while this is a simple form of attack that may sometimes seem negligible, it can lead to very serious and costly consequences.
Case Study
As a real-world example of phishing attacks, I recommend reading this article: “IKEA email systems hit by ongoing cyberattack.“
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