Before we get going on the next course, I want to say big congratulations. You've made it all the way to the final course of this program. It's been quite a journey, but look at the progress you've made. You've learned all the fundamentals of IT. We're now at the last course, the one that will round out your foundational knowledge. I'm talking about security. Without it, all of the processes you've learned so far can fail, and no IT girl or guy wants that. Before we dive in, I'd like to reintroduce myself. We met way back in the first course when we talked about the history of the Internet and the Internet of Things. My name is Gian Spicuzza, and I'm the Program Manager in Android Security. I help protect Androids, two billion plus devices, by managing and driving new security features for each Android design release or versions of Android. As early as I can remember, I've loved technology. I've worked in IT since I was 16-years-old, and I'd fill my time reading books about new tech and building servers from old computer parts down at my parents basement. I was never a very good test-taker, and my grades definitely reflected that. But I didn't let it stop me from pursuing my career. I worked as the one person IT crew for three non-profits while I was getting my education. It was really stressful being responsible for everything, from configuring and administering databases to showing new employees how to access email and internal tools. Now, looking back, this experience was invaluable, and of course, security was an essential part of my IT work. Now, I work directly with hardware manufacturers, app developers, and engineering teams within Google to create the most secure experiences for our users. For many of them, their cell phone is the only connection they have to the Internet, and I feel such a sense of fulfillment knowing that my work can have a major impact on people all over the world who rely so heavily on their devices. To be successful at cybersecurity, sometimes you need to put yourself in the mindset of an attacker and always be one step ahead. So, are you ready to do good by thinking bad? Let's jump right in. In this module, you're going to be learning all about security, how people attack it and how do we defend against these attacks. By the end of the module, you'll be able to define and recognize security risks, vulnerabilities, and threats. You'll also be able to identify the most common security attacks. Finally, you'll understand how security revolves around the CIA principle and what the CIA principle is. When you think of security, what's the first thing you think of? It's probably physical security, stuff like making sure your belongings are safe from potential thieves, locking your front doors at night, and putting your valuables in a safe place. But in today's digital world, your money isn't just in your wallet, your cash is also stored inside online bank accounts accessible with the right password. Some of us don't carry credit cards at all, and those who do, don't just have them in their wallets. They're stored on their favorite websites so that they can make purchases more easily. It's not just money we care about. Most of our entire personal world lives on mobile phones. Our text messages, photos, personal data, application logins, and more are all kept right inside the devices we have in our pockets. Unfortunately, we live in a world where there are people and organizations that try to steal data from companies, from governments, and even from people like you and me. Don't let movies warp your perception of these digital thieves. They aren't as glamorous or professional as you may think. Digital thieves don't have a team of hackers and dark hoodies furiously typing into computer terminals all day hoping to break into multi-billion dollar companies. That's not to say that doesn't happen because we all know it does. But most of the time, the average Internet attacker is someone who looks just like you and me, a regular person who happened to stumble upon a hole in your security system and then took advantage of it. It could have been something as simple as figuring out that you use your dog's name as your password. When the only thing securing your bank account is the word Fido, you're in trouble. But just like we have physical security alarms to deter potential burglars, we also have many methods to prevent our digital security from being compromised. By the end of this course, you'll gain a deeper understanding of computer security. You'll learn how to prevent the most commonly used computer attacks. You'll understand the various security protocols and mechanisms that we use on our machines in the web and on our networks. You'll also learn more about cryptography, authentication, and access mechanisms, which are important skills for any IT support specialist. We'll wrap up the course by giving you the necessary tools to assess the security of an organization and decide on the best security preventative measures. Today, just about every business or industry relies heavily on technology to conduct day-to-day business, can you imagine a company, large or small, operating without email, without functional computers or Internet access. Take the case of a small company. It needs some technology if it wants to be able to access credit cards. Recent attacks like the WannaCry cryptoworm and large scale attacks using the Mirai botnet highlight the scope and scale of how security affects us all. It's something we need to take seriously. Because of our widespread dependence on technology, digital security is more important than ever before, and it's going to continue to have a growing impact on all industries and aspects of our lives. So let's make sure you're armed with the right tools to keep yourself and your future clients safe.
