What you don't know about PC security really can hurt you! Learn why you're at risk and what you can do to protect your precious personal and business data from the outside world. This course, taught by a security expert, will quickly bring you up to speed on the fundamentals of PC and network security.

You'll understand and explore the many vulnerabilities of operating systems, software, and networks. Then, you'll get into the minds of hackers and crackers, developing an understanding of the exploits they use to access your computer without your knowledge. You'll find out why, where, and how viruses, worms, and blended threats are created. You'll be able to identify and work to prevent DoS, SYN flooding, and other network attacks. You'll learn a safe way to share files and data across the Internet through a virtual private network. And you'll be able to install and configure a firewall to build an impenetrable moat around your computer or network.

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Recommended Courses:

Students who enrolled in Introduction to PC Security were also interested in the following courses:

Introduction to Networking

Introduction to the Internet

CompTIA Security+ Certification Prep

Introduction to PC Troubleshooting

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

In our first lesson, you'll learn the facts--and the myths--about PC security. Then, I'll introduce you to the language of security and explain what you need to know about each acronym. By the end of this lesson, you'll also be able to assess your own risk, whether you're an individual or manage a network of any size. You'll also perform a self-assessment to evaluate just how vulnerable you are to security flaws.

Friday - Lesson 02

If you ever wondered what technical gurus are speaking about when they talk about LANs, WANs, VPNs, and P2P, you'll find detailed answers in this lesson. Discover the basics of networks and how your PC connects to them.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Most of us don't stop to think about how a Mac can talk to a PC and vice versa. Yet, different types of machines talk to each other on a daily basis across networks. They also talk to printers, fax machines, and a host of other devices. The OSI model for network connections lets you accomplish this, and you'll learn all about it in this lesson. I'll also teach you how, why, and where the weak links of security are in software and operating systems.

Friday - Lesson 04

Get ready to investigate the world of viruses, worms, and blended threats. You'll learn what they are and the differences between all three. I'll also show you why people create them and where they come from. Of course, all this knowledge will also teach you how to protect yourself and your network from the hackers and crackers of the world.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

We’ll introduce you to the ware family in this lesson. Who is the ware family? They are the products that download themselves onto your computer without your consent or knowledge—spyware, scumware, malware, and adware. You'll meet them and learn all about their family traits and values. I'll also show you where they live, places they frequent, and how to remove these unwelcome guests that inhabit your PC.

Friday - Lesson 06

You may have heard of them: vulnerabilities, exploits, and exposure. But what are they? Have you ever wondered if someone really can control your computer without your knowledge? If you've been pondering these questions lately, then you'll find your answers here, along with priceless information on protecting your computer and your network to keep your business and personal data private.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

Have you ever tried to access the Web but received an error saying the page can't be displayed, you aren't connected, or you don't have access? If so, you may have been under an attack! Denial of Service attacks and SYN flooding are two types of network attacks that seem to go unnoticed on personal PCs and small networks. Why? Because beginners don't know what they are, why they're happening, or where they're coming from. After this lesson, you'll no longer be left wondering what happened to your Internet connection.

Friday - Lesson 08

This lesson will introduce you to firewalls. Join me in this lesson, and you'll soon start building an impenetrable moat around your network.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Now that you have your moat built, it's time to arm up and defend yourself. In this lesson, you'll learn how to configure your firewall and maximize your network security.

Friday - Lesson 10

You may want to check out this lesson before you grab your laptop and run off to the next Internet café, because what you learn today may surprise you! Laptops and wireless connectivity are the buzzwords of the moment, but these two technologies aren't as secure as they appear. You'll understand why in this lesson.

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

I'm going to share my love for VPNs with you today. You'll learn what a Virtual Private Network is, how it's different from standard networks, how it works, how to secure it, and how to set up your own. Just think about the possibilities! You can share files with family across the miles by allowing them to connect remotely to your designated shared folders. You can share music files, family pictures, and anything else you choose to give them access to.

Friday - Lesson 12

Now that you know what's out there, how can you possibly keep on top of security issues? There's so much information out there, how will you know what applies to you? Have no fear, for I'll show you a simple method for staying up-to-date with those security issues that only pertain to you. You'll also learn about emerging security technology, sources to use that will help make the job of managing and securing your network easier, and creating a checklist to keep handy. Finally, you can test yourself against the first security assessment to see how well you've secured your own PC or network.

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:

A familiarity with general PC terminology, an understanding of Windows and an ability to locate programs and change settings (or completion of Introduction to Windows XP), Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

Student Reviews:

"A course like this one gives you a good background in a very short time."

"Besides learning a lot of valuable information regarding how to maintain the security of my PC, I also enjoyed the instructor's writing style and especially her positive and friendly attitude! Thanks for a great class!"

"Debbie is an amazing instructor. The assignments are extremely relevant and useful. My home network is now much more secure thanks to her course. I was also impressed by her timely responses to my questions…You are an amazing person Debbie!! A true role model. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I look forward to taking [your] next course "Hack Your Way to Security.""

"Debbie is great!! She obviously enjoys teaching and takes her job seriously. She has a great sense of humor and it comes through! Really enjoyed the class and may take another she might have, depending on the topic at hand."

"Debbie, Thank you for an interesting an informative class. You are obviously very knowledgeable in this field. I have been an IT auditor for 3 years and recently passed my CISA exam.... My problem is I learn by doing and seeing, rather than reading. That's how this class helped me. I was able to see the results of the assignments. Anyway, thanks again for a great class."

"EVERYONE WHO USES A COMPUTER SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE! You owe it to yourself to acquire this valuable information, and we all owe it to each other to be responsible Internet users. Thank you for offering this important course."

"...excellent class...very useful..."

"Excellent Course. Covered a lot of topics that were relevent to me at home and at work. I hope that there will be another course offered by Debbie in the future."

"EXCELLENT!! EXCELLENT!!! EXCELLENT!!!! Instructor was most helpful and informative. THANKS VERY MUCH!!!!"

"Excellent instructor! Very effective teaching methods."

"Exceptionally marvelous instructor who made the course content challenging, yet easy to understand with her analogies. Incredible!"

"Great Course...I am 69 years old, and still trying to learn about computers...Didn’t realize that there was so much to PC Security... Nice meeting you Debbie and keep up the good work."

"Here's one for you! Thank you ed2go for providing such wonderful online courses."

"I appreciated this course. I didn't think too much about the insecure nature of my laptop connections in public places. I now know that I need to make major changes in how I connect to the Internet."

"I believe this instructor is extremely skilled in presenting the course material. I also am aware from the discussion area that she interacts very well with the students and is patient and generous in answers to questions.I would certainly take another course."

"I did not use the discussion area as much as classmates, but when I did, Debbie was very quick to answer and thorough. I read all of her responses to others and she walked people patiently through their problems. If one really focused hard in this class, they would have their system compeletely secured by the end. Debbie's humor and analogies really helped this class. Thank you Debbie!"

"I didn't just learn from this course;I enjoyed it. I believe that is a direct result of the instructor's teaching style, interaction, expertise and knowledge."

"If any other instructor taught this course, I don't believe I would have understood NEARLY as much of this very LARGE body of information that is so unfamiliar to me. She does a phenomenal job in translating all things technical to an easy to understand format for those of us who are so challenged by this subject matter! I would take another course from her just because she teaches it!"

"I have taken several of these internet courses. This instructor was the best, friendliest teacher I have ever had. She answered questions fully, completely, and spent time beyond the call of duty. I wish she was teaching more courses here. I might actually take a course I had not intended on just because she was teaching it. I learned a whole lot from this class, way more than I had imagined I would."

"I loved this course and have several friends planning to take it in the future. The Instructor was very informative and helpful when I had questions about certain subjects and responded very quickly. She performed very professionally and courteously. I would recommend her to any student."

"I love your class, I've taken many of the other online courses. Your layout is clear, direct, and just darn nice. I appreciate it. I hope to see more courses from you. Thanks."

"Instructor knows her stuff! She made it interesting and informative. Even her discussion groups were valuable! I would definitely take another course from her. One of the best online courses I've taken."

"I really enjoyed taking this course. Debbie is a wonderful teacher who takes time to answer each question completely. I learned a lot and plan on taking other courses from her."

"I really enjoyed this course. It helped me to decide whether I should move forward in my plans to pursue a career in computer technology."

"I thought Debbie did a wonderful job. She made a difficult subject a lot easier to understand. She had a simple way of explaining a complex subject and it works!"

"I was impressed by the amount of information offered in this course. It was all that I expected AND MORE!! The format of the lessons and quizzes was excellent. You had to really be able to grasp the content of the questions in order to be able to answer correctly. The instructor is very knowledgeable and presents a format that is highly informative, yet easy to understand. THANK YOU!!"

"I was pleased with the discussion area. I didn't think I could get the classroom "feel", but I did."

"I was very impressed with each lesson and the amount of knowledge presented. I was also taken with the expertise of writing style and examples of explaining in detail. I just retired from 32 years of teaching and I found Debbie to be very refreshing. Her teaching style showed the intellect, humor, patience and compassion for Internet Security. Thank you for sharing."

"Ms. Mahler is a natural-born teacher."

"please offer more courses from this instructor. She is awesome."

"Thanks - Whew! This is really a good CLASS!"

"The course was really informative, I didn't have a clue about PC Security went I started the course. Now, I consider myself very knowleageble on the topic. The instructor's writing style was simple to understand but very informative. I would definitely take other courses written by this professor."

"The course was very helpful to me. I got a great deal out of the course. The instructor provided a great many very helpful resources as well as a check list to help keep on top of computer security. that was more helpful than I can say. I am very grateful for the opportunity to take this on-line course. I think they are a great way to go for a busy person who wants to improve themselves."

"This class was a nice overview and explanations were very clear."

"This class was vey helpful, especially the discussion sections."

"This course has made my decision to further my interest in pc security for possible future employment. I have learned so much from you these past 6 weeks. I will definitely be recommend your course to friends and relatives."

"This course is great - this is exactly is what I was looking for. Debbie is without a doubt an expert in her area, and her writing style is above exellent which makes the subject is much easier to learn."

"This course was amazing. Our instructor, Debbie, made this class interesting and exciting. I will be signing up for her next course when it comes out. She took time to answer all our questions in detail. She also provided a lot of humor which made the course so much fun. If she was teaching at a local college in my area, I would be in her class in a second."

"This course was excellent. Every lesson kept me interested. The assignments taught me very useful things to be done on my computer. The material is challenging, and I expect to want to review it many times in the future. The instructor demonstrated that she really knows her stuff!!!"

"This is by far, the most useful ed2go class that I've ever taken."

"This should be an obligatory course for everyone. Very informative!"

"To Instructor Debbie: Someday we'll be saying "All the World's an Internet Stage, and all the people in it merely connected by secure WiFi Networks" When that day comes, a loud applause can be given you for your contributions to making a secure cyberspace for all - many thanks."

"Very educational and informative. Timely and up-to-date!!!"

"Very helpful for anyone using the internet. I highly recommend it!"

"Very informative course. The presentation and additional materials helped out a lot. At 31, it is my first step in a better career, and am very grateful for teachers like you!"

"Very informative course. The presentation and additional materials helped out a lot. At 31, it is my first step in a better career, and am very greatful for teachers like you!"

"Very, very beneficial. Resources provided will be helpful on an on-going basis. The instructor has a passion for her subject!"

"What a fantastic course. It has really made me stop and think about the nitty and gritty of my computers. No more using just the default settings on my security settings!"

"....your analogies have helped me so much through this course so far. Thank you. Your course should be an essential part of the education system through the teenaged grades; globally."

"Your lessons are so educational and I already got my money's worth. Thanks!"