A Guide to HP, Cisco and Microsoft Cyber Security Courses

There are a ton of course out there offered by independent groups like CISMP, CISP and the EC Council, but there are also some incredibly well respected courses offered by some of the leading tech companies. In this guide I want to look at some of those courses, specifically those offered by HP, Cisco and Microsoft.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

HPE offers vendor-agnostic cyber security education and certification with an organisational perspective and a focus on practical strategy development.

As of this writing, HPE has no scheduled classes and listed pricing for its cyber security courses.

1. Information Security Essentials

• See how businesses can benefit from information security on a holistic level;
• Create and integrate a complete information security strategy; and
• Qualify for the succeeding higher-level HPE courses.

Duration: 3 days

Requirements: A basic understanding of operating systems and networks

2. Information Security Essentials Plus

• Apply ISO 27001 standards to your organisation
• Prepare you for the Certified Information Security Management Principles (CISMP) certification

Duration: 2 days

Requirements: Information Security Essentials (HL945S)

3. Information Security Risk Management and Business Continuity Planning

• Assess and manage risks to avoid breaches or minimise damage
• Adapt to unexpected situations

Duration: 3 days

Requirements: HPE Security Essentials (HL945S) or equivalent knowledge

4. HPE Security Governance and Policies

• Create a practical and effective security governance strategy
• Understand the importance of compliance regulations and industry standard best practices in developing security policies.

Duration: 2 days

Requirements: HPE Security Foundation (HL945S) or equivalent is required; HPE Risk Management (HL946s) is recommended

Cisco

Cisco provides comprehensive cyber security courses that implement company products for hands-on learning.

TakeCCNP courses to further your understanding of Cisco’s cyber security solutions. These are self-paced training modules with access durations of 365 days.

1. Implementing Cisco Network Security

You’ll gain foundational knowledge of cyber security principles, and learn how to utilise Cisco security products to implement basic security techniques.

Cost: $1,000 (£785.56)

Requirements (recommended, not required):

• Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 or equivalent
• Windows OS knowledge
• Cisco IOS networking and concepts knowledge

2. Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Advance your knowledge of security concepts and network applications; allow you to understand basic cryptography principles; and establish your security monitoring fundamentals.

Cost: $1,500 (£1,178.35)

Requirements (recommended, not required):

• Basic IPv4 and IPv6 addressing
• Windows and Linux OS knowledge

3. Implementing Cisco Cybersecurity Operations

Learn how a Security Operations Center (SOC) works.

Cost: $1,500 (£1,178.35)

Requirements (recommended, not required):

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Fundamentals
• Windows OS knowledge
• Cisco IOS networking and concepts knowledge

Microsoft

TheMicrosoft Professional Program in Cybersecurity has in-depth lessons on security systems setup, breach detection, and threat response. It costs $99 (£77.77) per course for certification.

1. Enterprise Security Fundamentals

Know what works in enterprise security today and learn how to build a security strategy for your organisation.

Duration: 4 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

Requirements: Awareness of current cyber security ecosystem

2. Threat Detection: Planning for a Secure Enterprise

Taking this course will give you an overview of threat detection and mitigation tools. You’ll also understand why threat detection monitoring is critical.

Duration: 4 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

Requirements:

• Awareness of the current cyber security ecosystem
• Analysis of hacks on computers and networks
• Basic Risk Management

3. Planning a Security Incident Response

Learn how to prepare for a security incident and the proper ways to respond.

Duration: 4 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

Requirements: Awareness of the current cyber security ecosystems

4. Powershell Security Best Practices

Gain a comprehensive understanding of Powershell. You’ll also know how to perform administrative tasks securely.

Duration: 4 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

Requirements (prior experience):

• Windows networking
• Windows Server administration
• Windows PowerShell

5. Managing Identity

Understand why and how identity decides what security systems you can implement.

Duration: 4 weeks, 2-3 hours per week

Requirements:

• Windows Client administration, maintenance, and troubleshooting
• Introductory level knowledge of Active Directory
• Accessing and using simple Windows PowerShell commands

6. Security in Office 365

Know how to utilise Office 365’s security features; identify what threatens your organisation’s data.

Duration: 5 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

Requirements:

• Understanding of cloud-based service concepts, Office 365 and its services
• Background knowledge in security requirements and threats in IT communications

7. Securing Data in Azure and SQL Server

Learn user authentication and authorisation in an SQL Server; audit and secure databases in related platforms.

Duration: 4 weeks, 2-3 hours per week

Requirements:

• Familiarity with database concepts and basic SQL query syntax
• An Azure subscription if you want to do the hands-on elements.

8. Microsoft SharePoint 2016: Authentication and Security

Implement SharePoint security features; manage user profiles and permission sets.

Duration: 9 weeks, 3-5 hours per week

Requirements:

• Knowledge of Windows Server 2012 R2 roles and features
• Foundational knowledge of SQL Server

9. Windows 10 Security Features

Get a comprehensive look at Windows 10’s security architecture and features.

Duration: 4 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

Requirements (an understanding of the following):

• Windows client administration, maintenance, and troubleshooting
• Windows networking technologies
• Active Directory
• Windows Server administration

10. Windows Server 2016 Security Features

Learn to safeguard data centers with the new Windows Server 2016 security features. Then, learn about Desired State Configuration (DSC).

Duration: 5 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

11. Microsoft Azure Security Services

Maximise Azure’s security services to protect cloud data; familiarise yourself with Microsoft Intune for Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Duration: 4 weeks, 2-4 hours per week

Requirements (an understanding of):

• On premises TCP/IP networking
• Mobile device management
• General cloud principles

If you’d like more information on some of the course out there, have a browse through our current listing to see some of the upcoming courses. Alternatively drop us an email or a call to find out more about any of the courses above.