Understanding Cybersecurity Using the OSI Model

All training runs from 9:00 to 16:30 and conducted in English unless otherwise stated and on request, for a group, it is possible in Dutch.

About The Understanding Cybersecurity Using the OSI Model

IT professionals of all types need to have a deep understanding of security and this impact their work in their areas of expertise. They could start this journey by looking at security from a comprehensive understanding of the OSI model. It is by doing this professional can have a holistic view of security which they can apply in their areas of expertise.

This course is a comprehensive look at Cybersecurity from the OSI seven-layer model perspective. It covers everything from core security terminology, security standards and how to implement security standards in each of the OSI layer.

You Will Learn How To:

You will learn the core concept of security from the physical security level to the application level. It includes access control, new ways to look at passwords, cryptographic principles, network attacks & malware, wireless security, firewalls and many other security technologies, web & browser security, backups, virtual machines & cloud computing.Based on the OSI model you will learn the following real-world cybersecurity fundamentals to serve as the foundation of your career skills and knowledge for years to come:

  • Learn to communicate with confidence regarding information security topics, terms, and concepts.
  • Understand and apply the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) for prioritization of critical security resources.
  • Understand and apply the Principles of The Least Privilege
  • Grasp basic cryptographic principles, processes, procedures, and applications.
  • Have a fundamental grasp of any number of technical acronyms: TCP/IP, IP, TCP, UDP, MAC, ARP, NAT, ICMP, and DNS, and the list goes on.
  • Recognize and be able to discuss various security technologies, including anti-malware, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, sniffers, ethical hacking, active defense, and threat hunting.
  • Understand wireless security of technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, mobile phones and the Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Explain a variety of frequent attacks such as social engineering, drive-by downloads, watering hole attacks, lateral movement, and other attacks.
  • Understand different types of malware
  • Understand browser security and the privacy issues associated with web browsing.

Course Description

Layer 1: Physical Layer

The Physical layer of the OSI model is responsible for converting data packets from the Data Link layer (Layer 2) into electrical signals.  Learn how to keep data safe at the physical security layer and allow only unauthorized access and restricting access to critical servers.

Security in the OSI Physical layer comprises the enterprise’s physical and site security concerns, which includes all these aspects:

  • Access Control
  • Power management
  • Environment management
  • Smoke & Fire suppression
  • Backups
  • Protection of the physical layer infrastructure

Layer 2. Data Link Layer

The Data Link layer is primarily concerned with physical addressing, line discipline, network topology, error notification, ordered delivery of frames, and flow control. Devices such as switches and bridges work at this level. Understand the security threats that may occur at this level and how to mitigate them. Some of these threats are:

  • Gratuitous ARPs or ARP spoof
  • MAC flooding
  • Spanning tree attack

Layer 3: Network Layer

At this layer there are many protocols Internet Protocol (IP) responsible for routing of data and network information. It is important to understand how attackers could misuse any of these protocols and gain access or spoof your network. Lots of security attack that can happen here includ:

  • Packet sniffing and DoS attacks.
  • ICMP attacks or ping of death.
  • IP Address Spoofing
  • Routing attacks
  • Back Hole/Selective Forwarding

Layer 4: Transport Layer

This is where the TCP protocol resides. To understand the security issues relating to the TCP and UDP protocol suite is essential to cybersecurity. Some security threats that occur at these levels include the following:

  • Endpoint identification
  • Unauthorized Internet access
  • SYN flood
  • Ping of death
  • Smurf Attack

Layer 5: Session Layer

The session layer manages the establishment and tearing down of connections. These connections could require authentication, authorization, session restoration, tokens etc to set up. During this process it is possible for the session to be hijacked through a man-in-the-middle attack.

You will learn security elements in this layer and how to protect your data and including:

  • The fundamentals of using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Socket Layer (TSL)
  • Secure Shell (SSH)
  • Kerberos
  • Internet Protocol Security (IPSEC) to protect communication at the session layer.

Layer 6: Presentation Layer

The presentation layer ensures that the communications passing through are in the appropriate form for the recipient. Some of the services at this layer are data conversion, character code translation, compression, Encryption and Decryption.

  • Malformed SSL requests.
  • Attacker could use SSL to tunnel HTTP attacks to target the server.
  • SSL Hijacking

Layer 7 Application Layer

The application layer is the hardest to defend for several reasons. For a starter, the layer is the most accessible and the most exposed to the outside world through Port 80 (HTTP) or Port 443 (HTTPS). Secondly, it provides services to application procedures that are located outside the OSI layer. According to Gartner 70% of successful attacks occurred at this layer

Application layer attacks include:

  • Denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) attacks
  • HTTP floods
  • SQL injections
  • cross-site scripting
  • parameter tampering
  • Slowloris attacks.

Learn about security issues involved with web application technologies such as HTTP, HTML, and JAVA) and other application security flaws involving some following:

  • Authentication/Access Control
  • Cryptographic Algorithm
  • Input Validation
  • Parameter/Data Manipulation
  • Sensitive Data Handling
  • Session Management
  • Virus
  • Worm
  • Phishing

Target Audience

This course is for IT professionals and students who would like to understand cybersecurity. The course provides the fundamentals of Security