This introductory course is intended to help prepare learners for the technical challenges associated with conducting vulnerability assessments and/or penetration testing. The six course modules introduce the basic skills learners will need to begin mastering in order to conduct or manage vulnerability assessments. These skills range from the “soft skills” of the ethics involved in vulnerability assessments, to the more technical skills of network scanning and packet analysis. In addition, learners are provided with an introduction to a common, open source tool, Metasploit, which is used by red teams, as well as blue teams to test networks. The content covered in this course provides learners with an understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to successfully learn how to conduct assessments in future, more technical and hands-on courses.
Target Audience
This course targets Information Technology Support Personnel and technically proficient mid-level management in the public sector. The audience can be comprised of individual participants, as well as organizational divisions or a combination of both. Participants include, but are not limited to, information technology support personnel from the following entities:
- Law Enforcement
- Emergency Management
- Emergency Medical Services
- Fire Service
- Public Safety
- Governmental Administrative
This course is appropriate for individuals working for state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations, and especially those at decision-making levels, such as line supervisors, and middle management. The course is not designed for firefighters, police officers or EMTs.
Prerequisites
Participants in this course should be currently serving in an Information Technology support capacity or come from an Information Technology middle management position. Although there are no prerequisites for this course, it is expected that participants have network and internet proficiency, as well as familiarity with both Windows and Linux file and operating systems, as well as basic command line use.