Networking and Cybersecurity Professional Certificate (Net+, Sec+)

Phase 1 (Net+): Ethernet technology basics and how data is forwarded across an Ethernet network. Establishes shared vocabulary for everything that follows.

Phase 1 (Net+): Master network theory, internet infrastructure, basic network security, management, and structured troubleshooting — the core competencies measured on the CompTIA Network+ exam.

Phase 1 (Net+): Design efficient network architectures for both small and enterprise environments. IP addressing, subnetting, and architecture trade-offs.

Phase 1 (Net+): Foundational understanding of the OSI and TCP/IP networking models and how Cisco IOS implements them.

Phase 1 (Net+): In-depth study of the TCP/IP protocol suite — ports, services, encapsulation, and protocol-level troubleshooting.

Phase 1 (Net+): Hands-on Cisco device configuration — switching, routing fundamentals, and command-line operations on enterprise networking equipment.

Phase 1 (Net+): Wireless networking standards, peripheral configuration, and the integration points between end-user devices and the network.

Bridge Phase: Modern cloud networking — VPCs, firewall rules, Cloud Armor, Identity-Aware Proxy, and hybrid/multi-cloud connectivity. Transitions the learner from on-prem networking into cloud-era security thinking.

Phase 2 (Sec+): Recognize core cybersecurity analyst competencies, identify how attacks impact business operations, explain security ethics, and identify common analyst tools — including an introduction to SIEM platforms.

Phase 2 (Sec+): Apply networking knowledge to defense — secure networks against intrusion tactics, apply system hardening, and configure VPNs, firewalls, and segmentation.

Phase 2 (Sec+): Examine how organizations use security frameworks (NIST CSF, ISO 27001) and controls to protect operations. Use SIEM tools and incident-response playbooks.

Phase 2 (Sec+): Classify assets, analyze attack surfaces, identify threats (social engineering, malware, web exploits), and summarize threat modeling — including the MITRE ATT&CK framework and cryptography fundamentals.

Phase 3: Determine when and how to escalate incidents, engage with the cybersecurity community, and prepare for interviews. Includes AI-augmented workflows for vulnerability analysis and alert triage.

Phase 3: Targeted exam preparation for both CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) and CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701). Includes objective-mapped review, practice exams, hands-on labs, and test-taking strategy to maximize first-attempt pass rates.