Course Grade Received: A
Basic Cybersecurity Networking & Programming (aka, Python)
This course introduces the basic operations in major Linux distros for cybersecurity using both graphical interface and command line interface. Students will learn about the basic installation and configuration, file systems management, shell scripts, and user authentication in Linux systems. This course is the technical base for students to take cybersecurity major courses.
Course Objectives
- Networking Fundamentals
- Grasp the purpose of networking and its components, especially for cybersecurity.
- Understand network types (LAN, WAN, MAN, PAN, Wi-Fi) and models (OSI, TCP/IP) with hands-on design using tools like Microsoft Visio.
- Protocols & Addressing
- Distinguish between OSI and TCP/IP models.
- Learn about layers, protocols, IP addressing, and subnetting for secure network design.
- Network Hardware & Simulation
- Explore repeaters, hubs, switches, access points, NICs, and routers through Cisco Packet Tracer simulations.
- Network Security Basics
- Develop security policies and strategies to protect hardware, data, and against malware. Use attacker tools for vulnerability assessment.
- Programming Foundations
- Understand computer systems, algorithm design, and the value of programming for cybersecurity.
- Get hands-on with Python: setting up IDEs, writing basic scripts, using data types, inputs/outputs, and conditional statements.
- Python Coding Essentials
- Master control flow (if-else, loops), data structures (lists, dictionaries, tuples), and reusable functions for scripting security tasks.
- File Handling & OOP
- Learn to read/write files and understand object-oriented programming basics in Python.
- Networking with Python
- Build client-server applications, perform socket programming, and establish secure network communications with Python.
Course Material
Milestone Project — Secure File Sharing System
Built a comprehensive secure file sharing system from scratch using Python, demonstrating core cybersecurity principles through practical implementation. The system features TCP client-server architecture with Caesar cipher encryption, persistent user authentication, and isolated file storage per user. This project synthesizes key course concepts including socket programming, encryption/decryption, secure authentication, and file operations into a working system that prioritizes both functionality and security.
Click Image or Button to view source code and implementation details on GitHub.