When is hacking legal? When you use it to secure your own network. This new method of hacking, called ethical hacking or white-hat hacking, uses common and readily available hacking tools and techniques to audit your network so you can locate and close security holes. Whether you're running a small home network or you're an enterprise network administrator, this course will teach you how to better protect your system against those who wish to gain unauthorized access.

You'll gain an understanding of the complex method of electronic breaking and entering. You'll learn the terms and programming behind the interaction between hardware and software when communicating through a network. You'll follow packets of data from one point to another through an entire network, and find out where the flaws exist for data loss and security breaches. You'll discover the role of the seven layers of the OSI model, and the dependencies of hardware and software interaction through packet transmission. And you'll find out how private data can quickly become public knowledge.

Hackers are costing businesses around the globe several billions of dollars every year. Don't become part of that sad statistic. Sooner or later, you know that somebody is going to try and break into your network. Why not learn how hackers think so you can harden your defenses against them?

Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

If you've ever wondered about the different types of hackers, what motivates them, and when hacking is considered ethical, this lesson answers these questions and more! You'll learn about the white-, black-, and gray-hat hackers, why they hack, the methods they use, and the ethics of computing and hacking. You'll also get your feet wet by learning how to conduct a security audit on your network by trying to penetrate it just as a hacker would!

Friday - Lesson 02

This is the lesson where you'll learn about people hacking! Social engineering is the official term for the physical and psychological methods hackers use to gain entry to your system. Intrigued? Good. Get ready to learn the insider techniques of how hackers gain information about your networks through preying on the weakest link in any organization—its employees!

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

If you've ever used the Google search engine to find information on the Internet, you know how powerful it is. Hackers know this too, and they have found a way to use the built-in power of Google to gather information about your network! By learning how the search engine works, you'll see why and how Google stores so much public and private information. Then, you'll learn how hackers extract this wealth of information and how they use it against you.

Friday - Lesson 04

In this lesson, you'll learn advanced Google hacking techniques so that you can perform a Google hack for your security audit. Get a full list of advanced hacking operators and discover—in depth—the advanced method of querying Google. Through a step-by-step example, you'll see how a search query is performed and what results look like. And of course, you'll learn how to incorporate this hacking method into your own security audit!

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

Have you ever wondered what really goes on within your network? The OSI 7 Layer Network Model is the standard on which networks are built, so in order to fully understand how networks are hacked, you need to understand this model. But have no fear! You'll learn the purpose, function, and communication methods of each layer within the model. And I assure you it will be painless!

Friday - Lesson 06

Have you ever wanted to see what kind of information your network is sending out into cyberspace? Well, it's all in the packets. Once you understand the OSI 7 Layer Network Model, you can now understand packets that travel across a network. It's in those packets that hackers can gain the most information about your network. You'll learn how communication between two networks takes place—from the initial handshake to the termination of the connection—and how you can capture packets from your network just as a hacker would.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

Now that you've learned how a hacker scouts out your network and gains information, it would be nice to know from what direction they'll attack you from, won't it? Learn how to look for signs that your network has been exposed or penetrated. By understanding the levels of security, from vulnerability through exposure, you'll view a hack through the eyes of a real hacker.

Friday - Lesson 08

We all know that common ports connect printers, USB devices, and the like. But, did you know that there are also ports hidden inside your computer? And more importantly, do you know how these hidden ports can endanger you if they are left exposed on your network? In this lesson, we'll look at a PC from the inside out. This lavishly illustrated lesson will help you understand what ports are, where they are located, and what they do. Then, it's a short step to understanding how leaving these ports open can result in a hacker learning the services and software running on your network.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

While the term necessary evil is a cliché, we do have a few necessary evils in the computing world. In order to make networks function, sometimes we need to run programs that might not be good for our security. You'll need to learn to manage the risk involved with running these services by understanding what they do, how they operate, and what you can do to keep them from exposing your network core.

Friday - Lesson 10

Get ready to learn about rootkits in this information-packed lesson! A hacker's best friend, these malicious programs run undetected in the background of your system, launching malicious attacks, sometimes even without your knowledge. It's both hard to find and hard to get rid of rootkits, so for the sake of your PC's security, get ready to apply this lesson today!

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Have you ever analyzed your risk? In this lesson, you'll learn how to conduct a risk analysis in order to determine the most vulnerable points within your network. Hand in hand with the analysis is your audit plan, where you can probe your computer or network for the weakest links. And then, we'll talk about what to do once you've found them.

Friday - Lesson 12

If you like forensics television shows like CSI, this lesson is for you. No PC security course could be complete without an introduction to computer forensics, which is a precise science used to contain security breaches and minimize loss in the event of an attack. Learn how to become a computer investigator so that you'll be prepared if a hacker ever violates your system.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Debbie Mahler.

Debbie Mahler teaches students at the college and university level on a wide range of business-related topics, worked for nearly 15 years in the PC repair business, has a successful online IT business, has written six books, and writes for several newsletters and other publications. Long before PC security was a front-page topic, Debbie Mahler was reporting on, and educating the public about, viruses and other security threats. It was this early groundwork that earned her the title of Symantec Software Partner and Security Specialist. Debbie holds a B.A. in Applied Behavioral Psychology with graduate work in Organizational Psychology and Computer Information Systems. She was a presidential scholar and graduated with high academic honors including Phi Theta Kappa.

Requirements:

Completion of Debbie Mahler's online Introduction to PC Security course (or equivalent experience), or completion of David Iseminger's online Introduction to Networking course (or equivalent experience). You must be familiar with PC and networking terminology and have at least a basic knowledge of how networks function. You will also need access to one or more networked computers that do not contain any data you consider sensitive. You will also need Internet access, e-mail, and the Netscape or Firefox or Internet Explorer Web browser.

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