Google Cybersecurity study guide
Google Cybersecurity · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Google Cybersecurity Certificate is a fully online, self-paced career certificate delivered on Coursera and designed and built by subject-matter experts and senior practitioners at Google. It is aimed at people with no prior cybersecurity experience or degree who want an entry-level role such as cybersecurity analyst, security analyst, SOC analyst, information security analyst, IT security analyst, or cyber defense analyst. The Google Cybersecurity study guide has 8 sections and about 2,785 words.
01Foundations of Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting networks, devices, people, and data from unauthorized access and criminal exploitation. Its backbone is the CIA triad : confidentiality (only authorized people can access data), integrity (data is accurate, authentic, and unaltered), and availability (authorized users can reach systems and data when needed).
324 words, about 2 min02Play It Safe: Manage Security Risks
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) has five functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover . The NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) has seven steps: Prepare, Categorize, Select, Implement, Assess, Authorize, Monitor .
322 words, about 2 min03Connect and Protect: Networks and Network Security
The OSI model has seven layers (Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, Application); the TCP/IP model compresses them to four (Network Access, Internet, Transport, Application). Map layers when a question asks where a device or attack sits: hubs and switches work with MAC addresses at the data-link layer; routers direct traffic by IP address at the network layer; TCP/UDP carry data at transport; HTTP, DNS, and TLS live at the application layer.
358 words, about 2 min04Tools of the Trade: Linux and SQL
Architecture layers: user, applications, shell, kernel, hardware. The filesystem starts at / ; /home holds user directories, /etc holds configuration, /var/log holds logs, /tmp is temporary, /bin and /usr/bin hold executables.
357 words, about 2 min05Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
An asset is anything of value to an organization. Asset management means inventorying assets, classifying them (public, private, sensitive, confidential), assigning ownership , and understanding each one's place on the attack surface .
352 words, about 2 min06Sound the Alarm: Detection and Response
Logs are the raw material of detection. Know the common sources - firewall, network, endpoint, application, and operating system - and the common formats: syslog, JSON, XML, CSV, CEF .
350 words, about 2 min07Automate Cybersecurity Tasks with Python
Core types are str , int , float , and bool ; convert with str() , int() , and float() . Lists are ordered and mutable and index from 0; tuples are immutable; dictionaries store key-value pairs and are looked up by key, not position.
382 words, about 2 min08Put It to Work: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs
Know the common entry points: SOC analyst (tier 1 triage, escalating to tier 2 and 3), incident responder, penetration tester, security engineer, security architect, GRC analyst, and CISO at the top of the ladder. Tailor the resume to the job description using action verbs and measurable outcomes, keep it short for early-career candidates, and never include sensitive personal details.
340 words, about 2 min