Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Develop both the theoretical foundation and practical skills needed for cybersecurity careers. You’ll explore the complete evolution of hacking culture from the 1960s MIT collaborative environment through today’s professional cybersecurity industry, gaining insight into the motivations and methodologies of different threat actors. You’ll study the psychological frameworks behind hacking behaviors, learning to distinguish between white hat, black hat, and gray hat hackers, while developing skills to identify and counter various attack vectors including social engineering, insider threats, and advanced persistent threats.

On the technical side, you’ll learn about cryptographic systems including symmetric and asymmetric encryption, digital signatures, and public key infrastructure (PKI). You’ll be introduced to penetration testing methodologies following industry standards like PTES and develop basic vulnerability assessment techniques through hands-on laboratory exercises that simulate real-world scenarios. Your coursework will culminate in creating a penetration testing report that demonstrates your developing ability to identify security weaknesses, assess business risk, and provide remediation recommendations. Throughout the course, you’ll learn about ethical boundaries and legal compliance, building the foundation for potential roles in penetration testing, security consulting, and cybersecurity analysis where you can help organizations defend against evolving threats.

Who Is This Course For?

• Cybersecurity Pros
• Network Administrators
• IT Security Specialists
• IT Support Specialists
• Compliance Auditors
• Security Consultants

Acquire Essential Skills in Ethical Hacking

Designed by JHU Faculty, this course delves into advanced decision tree learning techniques, equipping learners with the skills to tackle complex classification and regression challenges. Key skills include:

• Cryptography Fundamentals
• Threat Analysis and Psychology
• Penetration Testing Methods
• Technical Security Concepts
• Security Assessment & Reporting

Built for Cybersecurity Practitioners

Monthly LIVE Seminars

Enhance your learning experience through monthly live seminars designed to deepen your expertise and allow you to engage directly with faculty experts at the forefront of their fields, gaining valuable insights, practical advice, and real-world perspectives.

Engaging Materials

Learn at your own pace with engaging and helpful learning materials such as video lectures, relevant readings, and case studies.

Dedicated Program Support

Johns Hopkins University faculty are readily accessible to address your questions directly through the course platform, ensuring personalized guidance and a seamless learning experience.

Hands-On Projects & Case Studies

Hands-on activities that help you demonstrate competence and enabling reskilling and upskilling.

No Risk: Satisfaction Guaranteed

Feel confident in your learning journey! If the course content is too advanced, not advanced enough, or simply doesn’t meet your expectations, we’ve got you covered with our money-back guarantee. Just contact our team within 7 days from purchase to receive a full refund—no questions asked.

Course Delivery and Support

The courses are delivered entirely online through the industry-leading Canvas Learning Management System. This system is supported by the same instructional design team behind Johns Hopkins’ renowned Engineering for Professionals program, which serves thousands of online graduate students each year. Upon registration, you will receive an email with instructions to create your Hopkins Canvas account and access the videos, readings, files and quizzes.