Internet Security

What is the Internet Security course?

The Internet Security course is a four-module online course developed by the Internet Society that provides insight into specific cybersecurity aspects related to the global Internet.

This course differentiates itself from other cybersecurity courses by its focus. Zeroing in on the interconnected, exposed nature of Internet security, emphasizing its operation within a global, untrusted environment. It adopts a collaborative and distributed approach, highlighting the importance of consensus and standards in shaping Internet security practices. 

Unlike enterprise security courses, which focus on internal threats such as phishing through controls and employee training, the Internet Security course shifts the perspective to a broader, communal effort to enhance the Internet’s overall security. This involves recognizing that the Internet’s security deficiencies could potentially compromise others and acknowledging the absence of conventional security measures like mandatory training or centralized configurations.

Through a detailed examination of Internet security’s key characteristics, the course underscores the critical differences in the ‘why’ and ‘where’ of security practices, providing insights into making the Internet a safer space for all.

What are the course objectives?

The objective of this course is to provide learners with a complementary perspective on how to protect enterprises and local networks.

In this course, learners will:

• Learn what differentiates Internet security, where we are trying to secure a global, commonly shared infrastructure on which we transfer and share information, from the more traditional ways of securing one’s own assets (enterprise security). 
• The course delves into the different mindsets needed when operating on the Internet, i.e., a zero-trust approach to security. 
• It provides examples of how Internet communications protocols, which we all use daily, are designed and used. 
• Learners will see detailed examples of how the Internet community is working to secure authentication, public-key infrastructure (PKI), routing (BGP), naming (DNS), web traffic (HTTP), and email.

Who should attend this course?

Learners of this course from all over the world will have a better understanding of the Internet collaborative security culture. They will also understand their responsibilities in securing the Internet and the technical background used to secure the Internet’s most important protocols.

Prerequisites:

• The learner must have a good understanding of how computers work, how the Internet works, and of networking.

How do I enroll in a course?