Lesson Structure: Information Security BIT206

There are 11 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Information Security
   • Need for Security
   • Basic Security Concepts
   • Security Breaches and Intrusions
   • Types of Threats
   • Threat Assessment
   • Vulnerability Assessment
   • Security through Obscurity
   • Hackers
   • Crackers
   • The Difference between Hackers and Crackers
   • IP Spoofing
   • Blind Spoofing
   • Man in the Middle Attack
   • Denial of Service
   • Distributed Denial of Service
   • Phishing
   • How to Defend against Spoofing
   • What is a Botnet
   • Types of bots and their Malicious Use
2. Information Security Ethics
   • Ethical Issues facing IT Professionals
   • Legal Issues facing IT Professionals
   • Intellectual Property Rights
3. Data Integrity and Backing up
   • What is Data Integrity
   • Protection
   • Detection
   • Correction
   • What is Data backup
   • Full backup
   • Incremental backup
   • Mirror backup
   • Offsite backup
   • Offsite versus Onsite Backup
   • Disk based versus Tape based Backup
   • Online backup
4. Vulnerabilities of Operating Systems and Information Systems
   • What is Vulnerability
   • Operating Systems and Software Vulnerability
   • Running Virus Protection Software
   • Updating Security Patches for Software
   • Approved Software
   • FTP Vulnerability
   • Trojan Horses
   • Who is at Risk of Trojan Horses
   • Protection against Trojans
5. Risk Management
   • What is Risk Management
   • Key Roles in the Risk Management Process
   • Risk Assessment
   • Characterising the System
   • Identifying Threats
   • Control Analysis
   • Determining Likelihood Ratings
   • Analyzing the Impact
   • Determining the Risks
   • Controls Recommendations
   • Risk Mitigation
   • Risk Evaluation
6. Information Security Technologies, Developments and Initiatives
   • What is VPN (Virtual Private Network)
   • Features and Benefits of VPN
   • Components of Remote Access VPN
   • Protocols Used in VPN Connections
   • Advantages and Disadvantages of VPN
   • What is a Firewall
   • Main Functions of Firewalls
   • Packet Filtering
   • Circuit Relay
   • Application Gateway
   • Firewall Rules
   • What are Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
   • Types of IDS
   • IDS versus Firewalls
7. Physical Security
   • What is Physical Security?
   • Natural Disasters and Controls
   • Lightning
   • Power Loss
   • Fire
   • Earthquake
   • Liquid Leakage
   • The Human Factor
   • Locks
   • Tokens
   • Challenge-response Tokens
   • Dumb Cards
   • Smart Cards
   • Biometric Devices
   • Fingerprint Scanners
   • Retnal Scan Devices
   • Palm Scan Devices
   • Hand Geometry Devices
   • Facial Recognition Devices
8. Developing a security Policy
   • Introduction
   • Need for Security
   • Importance of Security Policy
   • Developing a Security Policy
9. Implementing and revising a security policy
   • Introduction
   • Communicating the Security Policy
   • Enforcing the Security Policy
   • Assessing the Security Policy
   • Common Security Policies
   • Password Policy
   • Access Control Policy
   • Displaying a Warning Notice
   • Audit Policy
   • Server Security Policy
   • Automatically Forwarded Emailsa Policy
   • Information Sensitivity Policy
   • Anti Virus Policy
   • Remote Access Policy
   • Wireless Communication Policy
10. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning
    • Difference between disaster recover and business continuity?
    • Disaster recovery plan
    • Business continuity plan
11. Information Security Maintenance
    • Time Management
    • Networking
    • Management
    • Attitude
    • Procedures
    • Products and Services
    • The Law

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Please see lesson titles for your learning goals.

Key Issues

A key issue with displaying information on the internet or on any other information system is to make sure that only the authorised people are able to view that information, because confidentiality is a very important attribute when it comes to information security.  In some countries, there is a need to protect the privacy of individuals and prevent unlawful access to their information. This includes, but is not limited to: information stored in banks, hospitals and medical records, medical laboratories and medical research data, the tax office and many others.

When private information is circulating on an insecure network, it may be subject to many forms of misuse, including theft and corruption. Data corruption occurs when information is modified by a third-party, thus resulting in the loss of integrity for this data. It is important to note that information can be modified by people with or without malicious intent; for this reason, it is important to keep confidential information secure at all times, to avoid any accidental tampering (such as human error) or intentional tampering.

Needless to say, it is always important to maintain data integrity during any type of communication, but in critical cases such as EFT (electronic funds transfer), army and security agencies communications, and air traffic control, maintaining data integrity becomes an absolute necessity. This means that extreme care should be taken to prevent data from being deleted, modified, or becoming inaccessible, this resulting in loss of data availability and people won’t be able to access the information when required.

To secure data availability on the network, it is important to reduce network outages as much as possible, because the availability of the network itself is extremely important. If the network is down, network users will not be able to access the network and any resources available on that network.

Most organizations nowadays apply some form of security to restrict unlawful access to data stored on their networks. This is mainly achieved by using authentication and authorisation which will be explained below:

Authentication on a network provides a proof that a network user is indeed the person they are claiming to be, either by asking the user to input a password (something they know), a smartcard (something they have), or a biometric identity print (such as a finger print).

Authorization on a network provides a proof that a certain network user has the right to read a file, run a program, delete a folder, or perform other network activities.

It is important to understand that authentication and authorization work together, because a user needs to be authenticated first before they can be authorised to perform network activities

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.

General

Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.

Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.

Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.

Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.

Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.

Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.

Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.

Enrolment

Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.

Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.

Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.

Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.

Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.

Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.

Qualifications

Q. What qualification will I receive?
A. For individual modules, you would be awarded a Certificate endorsed by TQUK (Training Qualifications, UK), providing you complete all assignments and the exam. If you just want to complete only the assignments and not sit for the exam or finish a Project, then a Letter of Achievement would be awarded. For more details on qualifications available please click here.

Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?
A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.

Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

Tutors

Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.

Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.

Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.