Unit 606: Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity Fundamentals

1. Introduction to Ethical Hacking

• Definition and scope of ethical hacking
• Importance of ethical hacking in modern cybersecurity
• Roles and responsibilities of ethical hackers
• Differences between ethical hackers and malicious hackers

2. Types of Hackers

• White Hat Hackers
  • Definition and role
  • Motivation and methodologies
• Black Hat Hackers
  • Definition and role
  • Common attack techniques
• Grey Hat Hackers
  • Definition and ethical implications
  • Examples of grey hat activities
• Ethical implications of hacking activities

3. Penetration Testing

• Concept and objectives of penetration testing
• Phases of penetration testing
  • Planning and reconnaissance
  • Scanning and enumeration
  • Exploitation
  • Post-exploitation
  • Reporting
• Common penetration testing tools (e.g., Nmap, Metasploit, Wireshark)
• Types of penetration tests (black box, white box, grey box)

4. Social Engineering

• Definition and significance in cybersecurity
• Common social engineering techniques
  • Phishing
  • Pretexting
  • Baiting
  • Tailgating
• Psychological principles exploited
• Prevention strategies
  • Awareness programs
  • Training and simulations

5. Vulnerability Assessment

• Definition and purpose
• Vulnerability assessment vs penetration testing
• Tools and methodologies
  • Automated scanners (e.g., Nessus, OpenVAS)
  • Manual assessment techniques
• Prioritizing and mitigating vulnerabilities

6. Network Security

• Overview of network security principles
• Firewalls
  • Types and functions
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
• Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
• Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
• Network segmentation and access controls
• Common network threats and mitigation techniques

7. Cryptography

• Fundamentals of cryptography
• Symmetric vs asymmetric encryption
• Common encryption algorithms (AES, RSA, DES)
• Digital signatures and certificates
• Cryptographic protocols (SSL/TLS, IPsec)
• Applications in data confidentiality, integrity, and authentication

8. Incident Response and Forensics

• Incident response lifecycle
  • Preparation
  • Identification
  • Containment
  • Eradication
  • Recovery
• Roles and responsibilities during incidents
• Digital forensics fundamentals
  • Evidence collection and preservation
  • Analysis techniques
  • Reporting findings

9. Legal and Ethical Considerations in Ethical Hacking

• Overview of cybersecurity laws and regulations
• Ethical guidelines and professional codes of conduct
• Compliance and legal liabilities
• Consequences of unauthorized hacking
• Case studies and best practices