This course teaches fundamental concepts in computing security, focusing on cross-cutting concepts spanning: vulnerability metrics and terminology, utilizing open source intelligence, authentication mechanisms/factors, and authorization & access control protocols. You can expect to gain fundamental conceptual knowledge as well as practical skills needed by everyone, not least those who are entering the field of Cybersecurity -- this will put you on the path to completing the Intro to Computing Security Specialization.
Basic Ideas in Computing Security
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
Recommended experience
7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
You will learn how to use prominent sources of cyber threat intelligence in the open source domain to identify current threats and prioritize action.
You will learn what the basic working terminology is in computing security, and how to analyze vulnerability disclosures and their impact.
You will study authorization mechanisms as applied to Unix, and use them to set and change permission access levels on a modern operating system.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
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Recently updated!
March 2026
Assessments
6 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 4 modules in this course
An introduction to the world of cybersecurity terminology, objectives, and the contrast between vulnerabilities/bugs and weakness enumeration in the security community. Learn how vulnerabilities are scored using objective, quantitative measures of impact.
What's included
4 videos4 readings1 assignment
Discover what organizations keep track of known, actively exploited vulnerabilities and malware campaigns, and how to use that information to make decisions affecting critical systems. We discuss how prioritization is not always a simple quantitative procedure. Also find out how to use public tools to quickly check any un-trusted files, URLs, and file signatures against hundreds of anti-malware engines and community notes.
What's included
2 videos1 reading2 assignments
What are the main factors of authentication based on? What is multi-factor authentication, and how does it relate to authentication protocols? How can authentication factors be vulnerable even when based on advanced tech?
What's included
3 videos2 readings2 assignments
Maintaining access control is a critical feature of security and a driving force of all cryptographic systems. Here we explore two basic forms of authorization models (Mandatory and Discretionary), and dive into the world of Unix filesystem access control as an example of the latter.
What's included
3 videos1 assignment1 ungraded lab
Instructor
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Frequently asked questions
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