Computer Security and Systems Management Specialization

The world runs on computers. Your watch, your TV, your car. You might be familiar on how to operate each of these. Your home computer you are even more familiar with operating it. But what does it take to really take computer systems to the next level? - The enterprise level. In this course we discuss what makes home computing systems different from enterprise computing systems. This course will also help you prepare and design your own home lab to explore enterprise operating systems.

This course is for anyone who is exploring what it might take to have a job as a system administrator or for those who are already specialized in one area of system management and would like to move to another. This course may also be for those who are looking to understand how computer security plays an important role in system management. At the end of the course, you will also be able to illustrate how different enterprise technologies play role in computing at an enterprise level. You will also be able to discuss the three pillars of the CIA triad and how they apply to enterprise systems. While there is no technical and software component installs necessary for the completion of this course, supplemental how-to guides will be provided if you wish to follow along on the technical portion presented during the course.

Microsoft Windows has been at the forefront of enterprise computing for several decades. What most office workers see is the desktop side – such as Windows 7, 8 or 10. This course explores what it takes to design and build the server side of Windows in an enterprise environment. This course will explore everything from Windows Server installation to configuring users, to hardening the server operating system itself.

This course is the second course in the System Management and Security Specialization focusing on enterprise system management. The first week of this course provides an overview of how Windows operates in an enterprise environment and what it may look like in the real world. Week 2 of the course will show you how Windows users interact with the system. At the end of Week 2, you will be able to demonstrate how Windows authentication works at the end of Week 2. Week 3 will explore authorization in a Windows environment. At the end of Week 3, you will be able to differentiate between different authorization mechanisms and use different technologies to secure data within the environment. Week 4 explores built in security features of Windows and demonstrates how to use each technology effectively and in what circumstances you would use what technology for what purpose. At the end of week 4, you will be able to determine which technology is the best technology to use to secure certain portions of the Windows operating system.

Whether you are accessing a bank website, Netflix or your home router, chances are that your computer is interacting with a Linux system. The world runs on Linux. In this course, we will dive into how Linux works from an enterprise perspective.

In week 1 we will look at what Linux is used for in the enterprise. By the end of week 1, you will be able to differentiate between different versions of Linux and understand how they are used in an enterprise environment. In week 2, we will explore how Linux systems are configured. By the end of week 2, you will be able to demonstrate different Linux commands and how they are used. You will also be able to interact with a Linux system. In week 3, we will explore Linux authentication mechanisms and how to add users and user controls to a Linux system. By the end of week 3, you should be able to demonstrate how to appropriately add users to a Linux machine and secure them. In week 4, we will explore how to harden a Linux system. By the end of week 4, you should be able to classify different technologies to secure Linux and differentiate access control methods for Linux applications.