Overview
This first session introduced cybersecurity fundamentals: what we are protecting, how attacks can develop, and the controls that can reduce their likelihood or impact.
The central theme was that security is a shared responsibility across people, processes and technology, rather than a problem that can be solved by buying software alone.
What I Learned
Threat actors have different motivations and capabilities. Attack vectors, including phishing and the misuse of remote access, create opportunities to compromise accounts or systems.
An attack can develop through a chain: phishing leads to credential theft, remote access is abused, internal reconnaissance identifies opportunities, privilege escalation increases access, and data is exfiltrated. This is a way to understand connected failures, rather than a fixed sequence for every incident.
Defensive controls need to be matched to the problem. Least privilege limits access; MFA adds protection to authentication; patching reduces exposure to known weaknesses; and malware protection and firewalls provide other layers of defence. Risky user behaviour also needs attention through clear processes, usable controls and awareness.
Key Concepts
Information security and information assurance
Information security focuses on protecting information, including its confidentiality, integrity and availability. Information assurance considers confidence that information and the controls around it remain trustworthy and effective. The ideas overlap: implementing a control and demonstrating that it works are both important.
CIA Triad and DAD
The CIA Triad describes confidentiality, integrity and availability. The DAD model considers disclosure, alteration and destruction or denial: the adverse outcomes these objectives seek to prevent.
Organisational controls
Policies express expectations; standards define requirements; procedures explain steps; and guidelines support good judgement. Together with people and technology, these form the basis for repeatable security practice.
Risk and layered protection
Risk helps prioritise protection in context. Defence in depth combines controls so that a single failure does not determine the outcome. Security, usability and functionality also need to be considered together: controls must support legitimate work.
Reflection
My main takeaway is that cybersecurity is not just about software and tools.
People + Processes + Technology
Strong security depends on how these elements work together. People need to understand their responsibilities, processes need to be clear and workable, and technology needs to support both.
Major breaches can result from a chain of relatively small failures. Breaking any link in that chain can stop or reduce an attack. This makes everyday controls, sensible permissions and early reporting just as relevant as specialist tools.
Further Reading
The session included NCSC guidance. Useful starting points are the NCSC’s top tips for staying secure online and 10 Steps to Cyber Security.