The Five Pillars of Cybersecurity

1.1 General Computing

1. Computer Networking
2. Programming and Scripting
3. Windows Systems
4. Linux Systems

Pillar (Functional Area)	Skills
General Computing (Computer Science)	- Hardware Components: CPU, RAM, SSD/HDD - Processes: Threads, Process Trees - Memory: RAM, Caching, Buffers - System Architecture: CPU, Motherboard functions
Networking	- OSI Model - TCP/IP Model - Protocols: TCP vs UDP - Packet Analysis and Capture - Routing, DNS, ARP - Subnets and VLANs
Programming and Scripting	- Python - PowerShell - Bash - Optional: C++ or C#
Windows	- Registry (5 Hives), Volume Shadow Copies, UAC, Memory Paging - Commands: netstat, whoami, ping, ipconfig - Tools: Sysinternals, Process Hacker
Linux	- Directory Structure, sudo accounts, /etc/shadow and /etc/passwd - ssh, telnet, ftp - Software Repositories - Familiarity with Distros: Kali, Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, RedHat - Basic Commands: w, find, whoami, ss, watch, htop, nano, vim

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to IT and Computing
   • What is IT?
   • The History of Computing
   • Defining a Computer and Basic Components
   • Understanding Binary and Logic Gates
2. Core IT Foundations
   • General Computing Concepts
   • Understanding the OSI Model
   • Introduction to Programming and Scripting
3. Pillar 1: General Computing
   • Hardware Components (CPU, RAM, Storage)
   • Computer Science Basics (Processes, Memory, Caching)
   • Operating Systems Overview (Windows, Linux, macOS)
4. Pillar 2: Networking
   • Fundamentals of Networking
   • OSI vs. TCP/IP Model
   • Protocols and Packet Analysis
   • DNS, ARP, and Subnetting
5. Pillar 3: Security
   • Cybersecurity Basics
   • Threat Intelligence and Risk Assessment
   • Common Security Tools (e.g., Nmap, Wireshark)
   • Frameworks and Standards (NIST, ISO)
6. Pillar 4: Programming and Scripting
   • Introduction to Python, Bash, and PowerShell
   • Automation Basics
   • Practical Scripting for IT Tasks
7. Pillar 5: Operating Systems (Windows/Linux)
   • Windows Internals (Registry, Tokens, Commands)
   • Linux Basics (File System, Commands, SSH)
   • Troubleshooting and Maintenance
8. Additional Resources
   • Recommended Free Courses
   • Certifications to Consider
   • Helpful Websites and Communities