Cybersecurity Architecture (Coursera)

Offered by IBM,
Cybersecurity Architecture (Coursera)

In a digital world, data drives the world’s economy, and almost all cyberattacks aim at stealing sensitive information or holding data hostage. Did you know that according to a recent IBM study, "the global average cost of a data breach was USD 4.45 million, a 15% increase over 3 years"?

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

In a digital world, data drives the world’s economy, and almost all cyberattacks aim at stealing sensitive information or holding data hostage. Did you know that according to a recent IBM study, "the global average cost of a data breach was USD 4.45 million, a 15% increase over 3 years"?
If you are getting started with a career in cybersecurity or just curious about how cybersecurity works, join us on this five-module course on Cybersecurity Architecture. You will learn from a distinguished IBM cybersecurity engineer who is also an adjunct professor at a local university.
This course is intended for anyone interested in learning about cybersecurity. The course covers the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including topics like five security principles, CIA triad, Identity and Access Management (IAM), endpoint security, and security domains. Learn about the detection and response concepts and tools. In a nutshell, you will get a holistic view of prevention, detection, and response.
The course will give you an opportunity to practice some concepts through activities and labs. You will also have an opportunity to test your knowledge through quizzes across different modules! Come, explore cybersecurity!

What you'll learn

  • Describe the five foundational principles of cybersecurity and the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) triad
  • Summarize the different areas that a cybersecurity architect must adopt to develop a secure enterprise solution
  • Discuss the different security domains, including IAM, endpoint security, network security, application security, and data security
  • Demonstrate your proficiency in recommending methods to improve network security in a given scenario

Syllabus

Cybersecurity Architecture Overview
In this module, you will be introduced to fundamental principles of cybersecurity including defense in depth, least privilege, separation of duties, security by design, Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS). You will also be introduced to bad practice Security by Obscurity that can lead to cyberattacks. Next, you will be able to recognize the importance and key concepts related to Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability, or the CIA Triad. Finally, you will become familiar with roles and how to manage the role security.

Access Management and Endpoint Security
This module introduces Identity and access management (IAM) and endpoints. IAM is one of the security domains and is referred to as the new perimeter. You will learn about the LDAP and the 4 A’s of IAM including administration, authorization, authentication, and audits. After a brief discussion on Privileged access management (PAM), you will be introduced to the concepts of multifactor authentication (MFA) and single sign on (SSO). You will also learn about endpoints, which is another key security domain. After learning the definition of an endpoint, you will be introduced to endpoint management systems, which help control the endpoints.

Network, Application, and Data Security
In this module, you will be introduced to security in the network, application and data domains. As part of the network security domain, you will gain insight into firewall concepts, such as packet filter, stateful packet inspection, and proxy. You will also be introduced to security concepts associated with segments and VPNs, and SASE. Moving to the Application security domain, you will get familiar with the phases when security vulnerabilities creep in along with best practices for secure coding along with introduction of vulnerability testing. The concept of DevSecOps, Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) will also be introduced. This module will conclude with concepts associated with data security including governance, discovery, compliance, detection, and response.

Detection and Response
In this module, you will learn about detecting cyberattacks and responding to them. This module will introduce you to security being the sum of prevention, detection, and response. You will be introduced to detection using the security information and event management (SIEM) system or extended detection response (XDR) system detection techniques to perform tasks such as monitoring, analyzing, reporting, and threat hunting. You will also get an overview of the SIEM process followed by the XDR process and how SIEM and XDR work together. Further, you will be introduced to federated search. This module will also cover how to respond to cyberattacks. You will become familiar with the SOAR system and also understand how automation and orchestration differ. Finally, you will be introduced to breach notifications.

Final Project, Exam, and Course Wrap-Up
In this module, you will complete a final project where you will have an opportunity to demonstrate your proficiency in designing a secure network architecture. Next, a case study will help you understand the different security tools from IBM. Finally, the final exam will test your knowledge of the course’s content including cybersecurity fundamentals and security domains.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Security & Safety Challenges in a Globalized World (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

Security & Safety Challenges in a Globalized World (Coursera)

Security and safety challenges rank among the most pressing issues of modern times. Challenges such as, cyber-crime, terrorism, and environmental disasters impact the lives of millions across the globe. These issues also rank high on the agenda of politicians, international organizations and businesses. They also feature prominently in the public conscience and in governmental policies.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Healthcare Data Management and Information Systems (Coursera) Coursera
Northeastern University

Healthcare Data Management and Information Systems (Coursera)

This course is the continuation of the Health Informatics for Healthcare Professionals course. If you have not yet taken the introductory course, it is recommend that you complete that course prior to this course. The foundational knowledge from the introduction is carried through in this deeper dive into informatics in healthcare.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
DDoS Attacks and Defenses (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

DDoS Attacks and Defenses (Coursera)

In this MOOC, you will learn the history of DDoS attacks and analyze new Mirai IoT Malware and perform source code analysis. you will be provided with a brief overview of DDoS Defense techniques. You learn an Autonomous Anti-DDoS Network called A2D2 for small/medium size organizations to deal with DDoS attacks. A2D2 uses Linux Firewall Rate limiting and Class Based Queueing, and subnet flood detection to handle various DDoS traffic types.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Global Health Security, Solidarity and Sustainability through the International Health Regulations (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

Global Health Security, Solidarity and Sustainability through the International Health Regulations (Coursera)

Welcome to the MOOC "Global Health Security, Solidarity and Sustainability through the International Health Regulations". We are very excited to have you on board and hope you will enjoy the course! In the coming 6 weeks, you will learn about the International Health Regulations (IHR), history of its creation and evolution, its major principles and implementation procedures, as well as challenges and future opportunities.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Data Networks and the Internet - Master's (Coursera) Coursera
Illinois Tech

Introduction to Data Networks and the Internet - Master's (Coursera)

This course covers current and evolving data network technologies, protocols, network components, and the networks that use them, focusing on communication to and from the Internet and Local area networks. Course content includes Internet architecture, organization, and protocols including Ethernet, 802.11, routing, switching, OSI and TCP models, DNS, SNMP, DHCP, and more.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Deception As a Defense (Coursera) Coursera
Starweaver

Deception As a Defense (Coursera)

In this course, defensive concepts will be explored and the power of using deception at different layers of the network. The attacker depends on information that is gathered during their surveillance, and with deception we change the network at layer 2-4 and the result of this is the attacker’s collected data is no longer valid and useless for them, this requires the attacker to start the information gathering process over again.

Sep 14th 2026
2 Weeks
Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance (Coursera) Coursera
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HKUST

Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance (Coursera)

Information systems (IS) are important assets to business organizations and are ubiquitous in our daily lives. With the latest IS technologies emerging, such as Big Data, FinTech, Virtual Banks, there are more concerns from the public on how organizations maintain systems’ integrity, such as data privacy, information security, the compliance to the government regulations. Management in organizations also need to be assured that systems work the way they expected. IS auditors play a crucial role in handling these issues.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Gobierno Digital (Coursera) Coursera
Inter-American Development Bank - IDB

Gobierno Digital (Coursera)

La revolución digital ya está presente en muchos aspectos de nuestra vida, ¿y en nuestros gobiernos? Para seguir el ritmo de ciudadanos hiperconectados y del comercio que ahora es cada vez más digital, los gobiernos no se pueden quedar atrás. Muchos países tienen un alto nivel de interés: el 75% de gobiernos ya cuentan con una estrategia de gobierno digital. Sin embargo, estos esfuerzos no se han traducido a la práctica ya que, en 2017, solo el 7% ciudadanos latinoamericanos hizo un trámite en línea.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Enhancing Mac Security: Strategies for Protection (Coursera) Coursera
LearnQuest

Enhancing Mac Security: Strategies for Protection (Coursera)

Fortifying Your Digital Fortress: Mac Security Strategies for Ultimate Protection. Discover essential Mac security in this comprehensive course tailored for beginners. Learn to safeguard your Mac workstation effectively as you delve into fundamental security features, threat assessment, and proactive management. Gain insights into automating security processes and adopting top-notch practices, ensuring robust protection for your Mac. Enroll now to master the art of securing your Mac with confidence.

Sep 14th 2026
3 Weeks
Security and Privacy for Big Data - Part 1 (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Security and Privacy for Big Data - Part 1 (Coursera)

This course sensitizes regarding security in Big Data environments. You will discover cryptographic principles, mechanisms to manage access controls in your Big Data system. By the end of the course, you will be ready to plan your next Big Data project successfully, ensuring that all security related issues are under control. You will look at decent-sized big data projects with security-skilled eyes, being able to recognize dangers. This will allow you to improve your systems to a grown and sustainable level.

Sep 7th 2026
1 Week
Cybersecurity in Healthcare (Hospitals & Care Centres) (Coursera) Coursera
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Cybersecurity in Healthcare (Hospitals & Care Centres) (Coursera)

The Cybersecurity in Healthcare MOOC was developed as part the SecureHospitals.eu project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Coordination Research and Innovation Action under Grant Agreement No. 826497. The course "Cybersecurity in Healthcare" has been developed to raise awareness and understanding the role of cybersecurity in healthcare (e.g., hospitals, care centres, clinics, other medical or social care institutions and service organisations) and the challenges that surround it.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks