WBCHSE HS Cyber Security study plan

Define cyber security, the CIA triad, and the difference between threat, vulnerability, and risk in your own words.

Classify at least 12 common cyber threats (malware types, phishing, ransomware, DoS/DDoS, MITM, insider threat, social engineering) by target and impact.

Explain how a phishing campaign typically unfolds, listing the reconnaissance, delivery, exploitation, and exfiltration stages.

Compare active and passive attacks and give two realistic school or small-business examples of each.

Describe the OSI and TCP/IP models layer by layer and map at least three attacks to the layer where they occur.

Explain IP addressing, subnetting basics, DNS, DHCP, and NAT using a small home-network diagram.

Differentiate firewalls, IDS, and IPS by function and placement in a network.

Summarize how a man-in-the-middle attack works on an unsecured Wi-Fi network and list three mitigations.

Configure basic host hardening on a Windows or Linux machine: updates, firewall, screen lock, and least-privilege user account.

Explain the purpose of antivirus, EDR, patch management, and application allow-listing in endpoint protection.

Compare authentication factors (knowledge, possession, inherence) and explain why MFA reduces account takeover risk.

Identify common malware persistence mechanisms on Windows (startup folders, registry Run keys, scheduled tasks) and how to check for them.

Distinguish symmetric from asymmetric encryption and name one suitable use case for each.

Explain hashing, salting, and digital signatures, and why hashing alone does not provide confidentiality.

Compare TLS, HTTPS, and VPN at a conceptual level and state what each protects and what it does not.

Describe how passwords should be stored and why plain-text or fast unsalted hashes are unsafe.

Explain the OWASP Top 10 categories and demonstrate how SQL injection and cross-site scripting arise from unsanitized input.

Describe input validation, output encoding, parameterized queries, and secure session handling as defenses.

Summarize key provisions of Indian cyber law relevant to students: IT Act offences, digital signatures, and reporting obligations.

Outline the digital forensics process from identification and preservation through acquisition, analysis, and reporting, noting chain-of-custody requirements.

Define incident response phases (preparation, detection, containment, eradication, recovery, lessons learned) and assign actions to each.

Perform a simple risk assessment using likelihood × impact scoring for five assets in a school or small office.

Explain the purpose of security policies, acceptable-use agreements, and audit logs in an organization.

Draft a 24-hour incident timeline for a ransomware infection, listing detection source, containment action, and notification step.

Explain shared responsibility in cloud computing and list three configuration mistakes that expose cloud storage.

Describe common IoT attack surfaces (default credentials, unpatched firmware, insecure protocols) and one mitigation for each.

Summarize how AI is used both in attacks (deepfakes, automated phishing) and defense (anomaly detection), including one limitation of AI-based detection.

Map at least four emerging-technology risks to controls already studied in earlier weeks.

Complete a practical mini-project: either a vulnerability assessment of a personal lab machine or a phishing-awareness artifact for classmates.

Document methodology, findings, and remediation in a structured report with evidence.

Review all eight domains using a self-made 40-question practice set and score at least 80%.

Identify the three weakest domains from the practice set and revise their key definitions and examples.