Information and Data Security Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Information & Data Security

• Definition of information security and data security
• Importance of securing data in organizations
• Security principles: CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability)
• Common security terminologies (threats, vulnerabilities, risks, exploits)
• Real-world security incidents and lessons learned

Module 2: Fundamentals of Cryptography

• History of cryptography
• Symmetric vs. Asymmetric encryption
• Hashing and digital signatures
• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
• Applications of cryptography in data security (SSL/TLS, VPN, email security)

Module 3: Threats, Vulnerabilities & Attacks

• Types of security threats (internal vs. external)
• Malware: viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware
• Social engineering and phishing attacks
• Denial of Service (DoS/DDoS)
• Advanced Persistent Threats (APT)
• Zero-day exploits

Module 4: Network & Infrastructure Security

• Network security basics (firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs)
• Secure network design (DMZ, segmentation)
• Wireless security (WEP, WPA2, WPA3)
• Securing cloud infrastructures
• Security for IoT devices

Module 5: Data Protection & Privacy

• Data classification and sensitivity levels
• Data loss prevention (DLP) strategies
• Secure data storage and backups
• Privacy regulations: GDPR, CCPA, NDPR (for Nigeria), HIPAA
• Data masking, tokenization, and anonymization

Module 6: Access Control & Identity Management

• Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA)
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems
• Single Sign-On (SSO)

Module 7: Security Policies & Governance

• Importance of security policies
• Types of policies: acceptable use, password, incident response
• Information Security Management Systems (ISMS)
• ISO/IEC 27001 standards
• Risk management and assessment

Module 8: Application & Web Security

• Secure software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities (SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, etc.)
• Secure coding practices
• API security best practices
• Mobile application security

Module 9: Incident Response & Disaster Recovery

• Incident detection and reporting
• Steps in incident response (preparation, detection, containment, eradication, recovery, lessons learned)
• Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP)
• Business Continuity Planning (BCP)
• Forensics and evidence handling

Module 10: Emerging Trends in Information Security

• Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity
• Blockchain for data security
• Zero Trust Architecture
• Security in DevOps (DevSecOps)
• Cybersecurity careers and certifications (CISSP, CISM, CEH, CompTIA Security+)

Final Project / Assessment

• Risk assessment case study
• Designing a security policy for an organization
• Simulated incident response exercise
• Presentation on an emerging data security challenge

Outcome: By the end of this course, learners will understand the foundations of information and data security, recognize threats, implement protective measures, and align with compliance frameworks.