Field
Cybersecurity — Master’s Prep
EWU MS Cybersecurity, WGU MS Cybersecurity & Information Assurance. Pre-study priorities: A first, B next, C later. Roles include security analyst, security engineer, incident responder, penetration tester, GRC (governance, risk, compliance) analyst, security manager, IT auditor.
A · Networking essentialsMaster’s prep study outline. Priority A (start first). TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/TLS, routing and switching, firewalls, VPNs0 of 1 cards masteredA · Security fundamentalsMaster’s prep study outline. Priority A (start first). confidentiality/integrity/availability, threats vs vulnerabilities vs risk, defense in depth, least privilege0 of 1 cards masteredA · Operating systems and hardeningMaster’s prep study outline. Priority A (start first). Linux and Windows security, permissions, logging0 of 1 cards masteredB · CryptographyMaster’s prep study outline. Priority B (next). symmetric vs asymmetric, hashing, digital signatures, PKI/certificates, key management (the most math-heavy topic in this field)0 of 1 cards masteredB · Security operations and incident responseMaster’s prep study outline. Priority B (next). detection, triage, containment, forensics basics, SIEM concepts0 of 1 cards masteredB · Cloud securityMaster’s prep study outline. Priority B (next). identity and access management (IAM), shared responsibility, logging and monitoring, misconfigurations0 of 1 cards masteredB · Penetration testing basicsMaster’s prep study outline. Priority B (next). scoping, recon, vulnerability scanning, exploitation concepts, reporting0 of 1 cards masteredB · Governance, risk and complianceMaster’s prep study outline. Priority B (next). frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001), risk assessment, policies, audits0 of 1 cards masteredC · Secure software designMaster’s prep study outline. Priority C (later). OWASP Top 10, secure SDLC, DevSecOps (builds on my DevOps experience)0 of 1 cards masteredC · Security architectureMaster’s prep study outline. Priority C (later). segmentation, zero trust, enterprise design0 of 1 cards masteredC · Human factorsMaster’s prep study outline. Priority C (later). social engineering, security awareness, privacy by design0 of 1 cards masteredC · Certification mapsMaster’s prep study outline. Priority C (later). Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, CISM — what each covers and who needs it0 of 1 cards mastered