Data and Cybersecurity Protection 

Duration 5 days – 35 hrs

 

Overview

The Data and Cybersecurity Protection Training Course is a 5-day instructor-led program designed to enhance participants’ knowledge and competencies in protecting company data, securing IT systems, and reducing cybersecurity risks.

The course covers both the technical side of cybersecurity and the practical handling of sensitive company information. Participants will learn how to secure servers, databases, networks, user access, and business data using security best practices such as encryption, firewalls, access control, vulnerability management, incident response, and secure data handling.

This course may be aligned with industry-recognized references such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, CIS Controls v8.1, ISO/IEC 27001, and OWASP Top 10 for application security awareness. NIST CSF 2.0 uses the core functions Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover; CIS Controls provide prioritized safeguards against common cyberattacks; ISO/IEC 27001 defines requirements for an Information Security Management System; and OWASP Top 10 is widely used for web application security awareness. 

 

Objectives

• Understand the fundamentals of data protection and cybersecurity.
• Identify common cybersecurity threats affecting servers, databases, networks, applications, and users.
• Apply proper handling, storage, sharing, and disposal of sensitive company data.
• Understand encryption concepts for protecting data at rest and in transit.
• Apply server and database security hardening practices.
• Understand firewall, network segmentation, and perimeter defense concepts.
• Implement basic access control, password, and identity security practices.
• Recognize vulnerabilities and understand the patch management process.
• Respond properly to cybersecurity incidents, data breaches, malware, ransomware, and suspicious activities.
• Support the organization’s cybersecurity policies, compliance requirements, and risk management practices.

 

Target Audience

• IT staff and technical support teams
• System administrators
• Database administrators
• Network administrators
• IT security officers and cybersecurity teams
• Application support teams
• Data protection, compliance, and risk personnel
• Operations teams handling confidential business information
• Employees responsible for handling sensitive company, customer, financial, or operational data
• Managers and supervisors who oversee teams handling company information

 

Prerequisites 

• Basic computer and internet knowledge
• Basic understanding of IT systems, networks, or business applications
• Familiarity with company data, internal systems, and operational processes
• Prior cybersecurity experience is helpful but not required

 

 

Course Outline 

Day 1: Cybersecurity Fundamentals and Secure Data Handling

Module 1: Introduction to Cybersecurity and Data Protection

• What is cybersecurity? 
• Difference between information security, data protection, and cybersecurity 
• Confidentiality, integrity, and availability 
• Common cybersecurity threats in organizations 
• Malware, phishing, ransomware, insider threats, and social engineering 
• Business impact of cybersecurity incidents 

Module 2: Sensitive Company Data Protection

• What is sensitive company data? 
• Types of sensitive data: 
  • Customer information 
  • Employee information 
  • Financial records 
  • Business documents 
  • System credentials 
  • Database records 
  • Operational reports 
• Data classification: public, internal, confidential, restricted 
• Proper data handling practices 
• Secure storage, transfer, sharing, and disposal of information 
• Risks of using personal email, USB drives, messaging apps, and unsecured cloud storage 

Module 3: Cybersecurity Awareness for Employees

• Human error as a cybersecurity risk 
• Password security and account protection 
• Multi-factor authentication 
• Safe email and attachment handling 
• Identifying phishing attempts 
• Secure use of company devices 
• Remote work security practices 

Practical Activity

• Phishing email identification exercise 
• Data classification workshop 
• Case discussion: accidental sharing of confidential company data 

 

Day 2: Server Security and System Hardening

Module 4: Server Security Fundamentals

• Common server security risks 
• Server misconfiguration issues 
• Importance of secure baseline configuration 
• Operating system security fundamentals 
• Windows and Linux server security overview 
• Server patching and update management 

Module 5: Server Hardening Techniques

• Disabling unnecessary services 
• Securing administrator accounts 
• Password and access policy enforcement 
• Secure remote access 
• SSH, RDP, VPN, and privileged access concerns 
• Antivirus, endpoint protection, and endpoint detection 
• Logging and monitoring server activities 

Module 6: Access Control and Privilege Management

• Principle of least privilege 
• Role-based access control 
• User account lifecycle management 
• Joiner, mover, and leaver process 
• Privileged account management 
• Shared account risks 
• Access review and audit trails 

Practical Activity

• Server hardening checklist review 
• Access rights review exercise 
• Case discussion: compromised administrator account 

 

Day 3: Database Security, Encryption, and Backup Protection

Module 7: Database Security Fundamentals

• Common database threats and vulnerabilities 
• Unauthorized access to databases 
• Weak passwords and excessive privileges 
• SQL injection awareness 
• Database misconfiguration risks 
• Importance of database audit logs 

Module 8: Database Access Control and Monitoring

• User roles and permissions 
• Role-based database access 
• Separation of duties 
• Database activity monitoring 
• Logging database changes 
• Detecting suspicious queries and access patterns 
• Protecting production databases from unauthorized changes 

Module 9: Encryption and Data Protection

• What is encryption? 
• Encryption at rest 
• Encryption in transit 
• Data masking and tokenization concepts 
• Secure key management basics 
• Secure backup encryption 
• Protecting confidential records in databases and reports 

Module 10: Backup, Recovery, and Data Retention

• Secure backup practices 
• Backup access control 
• Offline and immutable backups 
• Backup testing and restoration 
• Data retention and secure disposal 
• Ransomware-related backup risks 

Practical Activity

• Database access review exercise 
• Encryption use-case discussion 
• Case discussion: exposed database records due to weak access control 

 

Day 4: Network Security, Firewalls, and Vulnerability Management

Module 11: Network Security Fundamentals

• Basic network security concepts 
• Internal and external network threats 
• Perimeter security 
• Network segmentation 
• Secure Wi-Fi and remote access 
• VPN security basics 
• Zero Trust security concept 

Module 12: Firewall and Perimeter Defense

• Role of firewalls in cybersecurity 
• Firewall rules and policies 
• Allowlist vs. blocklist approach 
• Inbound and outbound traffic control 
• Common firewall configuration mistakes 
• IDS and IPS overview 
• Web application firewall overview 

Module 13: Vulnerability Assessment and Patch Management

• What is a vulnerability? 
• Vulnerability scanning process 
• Risk rating and prioritization 
• Common vulnerability examples 
• Patch management lifecycle 
• Emergency patching 
• Documenting remediation actions 
• Coordination between IT, security, and business teams 

Module 14: Secure Application and Web Security Awareness

• Common web application risks 
• OWASP Top 10 awareness 
• Authentication and session security 
• Input validation 
• Secure API handling 
• Secure coding responsibilities for developers and technical teams 

Practical Activity

• Firewall rule review exercise 
• Vulnerability prioritization workshop 
• Case discussion: ransomware entry through unpatched system 

Day 5: Incident Response, Cybersecurity Governance, and Practical Case Studies

Module 15: Cybersecurity Incident Response

• What is a cybersecurity incident? 
• Types of incidents: 
  • Malware infection 
  • Phishing compromise 
  • Unauthorized access 
  • Data leakage 
  • Lost device 
  • Ransomware 
  • Suspicious system activity 
• Incident response lifecycle 
• Detection, reporting, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned 
• Roles and responsibilities during an incident 

Module 16: Data Breach Response and Escalation

• What to do when sensitive data is exposed 
• Internal reporting process 
• Evidence preservation 
• Communication and escalation 
• Coordination with IT, legal, compliance, and management 
• Common mistakes during breach response 

Module 17: Cybersecurity Governance and Compliance

• Importance of cybersecurity policies 
• Security roles and accountability 
• Risk management basics 
• Security awareness and culture 
• Compliance and audit readiness 
• Policy examples: 
  • Acceptable use policy 
  • Password policy 
  • Data handling policy 
  • Access control policy 
  • Incident response policy 
  • Backup and recovery policy 

 

Module 18: Final Workshop and Action Planning

• Cybersecurity risk identification activity 
• Data protection maturity discussion 
• Secure server and database checklist 
• Department-level cybersecurity action plan 
• Final assessment and knowledge check 

Practical Activity

• Cybersecurity incident tabletop exercise 
• Data breach scenario discussion 
• Final group presentation: recommended security improvements