This cybersecurity course from security@cambridge provides an in-depth understanding of how cyber attacks work and how attackers exploit system vulnerabilities. It is designed to help learners think like attackers in order to build stronger defensive security skills.
The course starts with the concept of security mindset and adversarial thinking, which teaches how hackers analyze systems. It then explores file system security and access control in Unix environments, showing how improper permissions can lead to serious security risks. Learners also study privilege escalation techniques, which allow attackers to gain higher system access than intended.
In addition, the course explains critical vulnerabilities such as buffer overflow attacks, return-to-libc techniques, and how cybercriminals can take control of systems. It also covers SQL injection attacks, demonstrating how poorly secured databases can be exploited.
Password security is another key topic, including password hashing, rainbow tables, and methods used to crack weak credentials. The course also discusses why passwords remain widely used despite their weaknesses and how attackers exploit them in online banking and real systems.
By the end of this course, learners will understand common cyber attack techniques and vulnerabilities, helping them develop stronger defensive coding and cybersecurity awareness. This course is ideal for students, developers, and cybersecurity beginners.