Cybersecurity - Oxtech Academy

About Course

As more of our lives and businesses move online, the demand for people who can protect data, systems, and networks from attack keeps growing. Cybersecurity professionals are the ones standing between organisations and costly breaches.

This practical 12-week Cybersecurity programme is designed to take complete beginners from zero experience to confidently understanding how to protect systems and networks. You will learn the fundamentals of network security, threat detection, ethical hacking, and security operations (SOC), working hands-on with industry-standard tools throughout.

This is not a theory-only course. Each week includes hands-on labs and exercises that gradually build your practical skills, leading to a complete capstone project that demonstrates your ability to identify and respond to real security threats.

Course Content

Week 1: Foundations, the Threat Landscape, Ethics and Law
This week introduces the core ideas behind cybersecurity, including what we protect, the threats organisations face, the people behind attacks, and the legal and ethical boundaries every security professional must understand.

Module 1: Introduction to Cybersecurity
Module 2: Key Concepts and Risk
Module 3: Threat Actors and Today’s Threat Landscape
Module 4: Cyber Law and Ethics
Module 5: Personal Cyber Hygiene

Week 2: Virtualization, Networking and Operating System Essentials
This week helps you build a safe cybersecurity lab while introducing the networking and operating system knowledge needed to understand where attacks happen and how systems can be defended.

Week 3: Social Engineering, Phishing, Fraud and AI-Driven Scams
This week focuses on the human side of cybersecurity, helping you recognise, analyse, prevent, and report phishing, impersonation, financial fraud, deepfakes, and other social engineering attacks.

Week 4: Identity, Access, Cryptography and Data Protection
This week focuses on controlling access to systems and protecting sensitive information using strong authentication, access controls, encryption, and data protection practices.

Week 5: Malware, Ransomware and Endpoint Defence
This week explores how malicious software infects systems, how ransomware attacks develop, and how organisations protect computers and mobile devices from compromise.

Week 6: Web, Application, Cloud and Mobile Security
This week introduces the most common weaknesses found in websites, applications, APIs, cloud platforms, and mobile devices. You will learn how these environments are attacked and how organisations reduce their exposure.

Week 7: Security Operations, Monitoring and Incident Response
This week introduces the work of a Security Operations Centre and shows how analysts monitor systems, investigate alerts, respond to incidents, and support business recovery.

Week 8: Ethical Hacking Basics, Governance, Careers and Capstone
This final week brings together the technical and professional sides of cybersecurity. You will learn the fundamentals of authorised security testing, governance, emerging threats, career pathways, and how to present cybersecurity findings to non-technical decision-makers.

Week 9: Review & Revision
This week is dedicated to reinforcing everything you've learned throughout the cybersecurity course. You'll revisit key concepts such as threat identification, networking, access control, malware, web security, incident response, and ethical hacking. Through revision exercises and practical scenarios, you'll strengthen areas that need improvement. By the end of the week, you'll be better prepared for your capstone project and final assessment.

Week 10: Peer Review & Capstone Preparation
This week focuses on refining your final cybersecurity project through feedback and collaboration. You'll review other learners' work, receive constructive feedback on your own security assessment, and improve areas such as risk analysis, vulnerability findings, security recommendations, and incident response planning. By the end of the week, you'll have a stronger and more complete capstone project ready for final submission.

Week 11: Capstone Project Submission & Final Exam
This week marks the completion of your cybersecurity learning journey. You'll submit your capstone project, complete the final assessment, and demonstrate your ability to identify security risks, analyse vulnerabilities, recommend appropriate controls, and respond to common cybersecurity threats. By the end of the week, you'll have showcased the practical knowledge and skills developed throughout the course.

About Course

Course Content

Week 1: Foundations, the Threat Landscape, Ethics and Law This week introduces the core ideas behind cybersecurity, including what we protect, the threats organisations face, the people behind attacks, and the legal and ethical boundaries every security professional must understand.

Module 1: Introduction to Cybersecurity

Module 2: Key Concepts and Risk

Module 3: Threat Actors and Today’s Threat Landscape

Module 4: Cyber Law and Ethics

Module 5: Personal Cyber Hygiene

Week 2: Virtualization, Networking and Operating System Essentials This week helps you build a safe cybersecurity lab while introducing the networking and operating system knowledge needed to understand where attacks happen and how systems can be defended.

Module 1: Virtualization and Installing Virtual Machines

Module 2: Networking Fundamentals, Protocols and Ports

Module 3: Network Defences, Wireless Security and Common Network Attacks

Module 4: Linux Fundamentals for Security

Module 5: Windows Fundamentals for Security

Week 3: Social Engineering, Phishing, Fraud and AI-Driven Scams This week focuses on the human side of cybersecurity, helping you recognise, analyse, prevent, and report phishing, impersonation, financial fraud, deepfakes, and other social engineering attacks.

Module 1: The Psychology of Social Engineering and Phishing Types

Module 2: Business Email Compromise and Detecting Phishing

Module 3: AI-Powered Threats

Module 4: Financial, Identity and Online Scams

Module 5: Defences and Reporting

Week 4: Identity, Access, Cryptography and Data Protection This week focuses on controlling access to systems and protecting sensitive information using strong authentication, access controls, encryption, and data protection practices.

Module 1: Identity and Authentication

Module 2: Multi-Factor Authentication and Access Control

Module 3: Cryptography Fundamentals

Module 4: Applied Cryptography

Module 5: Data Protection and Privacy Law

Week 5: Malware, Ransomware and Endpoint Defence This week explores how malicious software infects systems, how ransomware attacks develop, and how organisations protect computers and mobile devices from compromise.

Module 1 : Malware Types and Infection Vectors

Module 2: Ransomware in Depth

Module 3: Mobile Malware and Malicious Apps

Module 4: Endpoint Defence and Hardening

Module 5: Ransomware Resilience and Intro to Malware Analysis

Week 6: Web, Application, Cloud and Mobile Security This week introduces the most common weaknesses found in websites, applications, APIs, cloud platforms, and mobile devices. You will learn how these environments are attacked and how organisations reduce their exposure.

Module 1: Web Applications and the OWASP Top 10

Module 2: API Security and Secure Development

Module 3: Cloud Security

Module 4: Mobile Security

Module 5: Supply Chain and AI Security

Week 7: Security Operations, Monitoring and Incident Response This week introduces the work of a Security Operations Centre and shows how analysts monitor systems, investigate alerts, respond to incidents, and support business recovery.

Module 1: The SOC, Logging and Monitoring

Module 2: SIEM Fundamentals

Module 3: Threat Intelligence and MITRE ATT&CK

Module 4: Incident Response Lifecycle and Playbooks

Module 5: Forensics, Crisis Communication and Business Continuity

Module 1: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing

Module 2: OSINT and Digital Footprint

Module 3: Governance, Risk and Compliance

Module 4: Emerging Issues in Cybersecurity

Module 5: Careers and Portfolio Building

Week 1 to 4 Review & Revision

Week 5 to 8 Review & Revision

Peer Review & Capstone Preparation