Coursera

Endpoints and Systems (Coursera)

Offered by Cisco Learning and Certifications,
Endpoints and Systems (Coursera)

The three most used endpoint operating systems are Windows, Linux, and Mac. When investigating security incidents, security analysts often encounter these operating systems running on servers or user end hosts. If you are an associate-level cybersecurity analyst who is working in security operation centers, this course will help you understand basic Windows operations principles.

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

By the end of the course, you will be able to:
•By the end of the course, you will be able to:
• Describe the history of the Windows operating system and vulnerabilities.
• Describe the Windows OS architecture and components.
• Describe Windows processes, threads, and handles.
• Describe virtual memory allocation in the Windows OS.• Describe Windows services and how they are used.
• Describe the functionality of Windows NTFS.
• Describe the Windows NTFS structure.
• Describe Windows domains and local user accounts.
• Describe the Windows graphical user interface and its use.
• Describe how to perform tasks in Windows which may require administrator privileges.• Describe the Windows command line interface use and features.
• Describe the features of the Windows PowerShell.
• Describe how the net command is used for Windows administration and maintenance.
•Describe how to control Windows startup services and execute a system shutdown.
• Describe how to control Windows services and processes that are operating on a host.
• Describe how to monitor Windows system resources with the use of Windows Task Manager.
• Describe the Windows boot process, starting services, and registry entries.
• Describe how to configure Windows networking properties.
•Use the netstat command to view running networking functions.
•Access Windows network resources and perform remote functions.
•Describe the use of the Windows registry.
•Describe how the Windows Event Viewer is used to browse and manage event logs.
• Use the Windows Management Instrumentation to manage data and operations on Windows-based operating systems.• Understand common Windows server functions and features.
• Describe commonly used third-party tools to manage to manage Windows operating systems.
• Explore the Windows operating system and services.
The knowledge and skills that students are expected to have before attending this course are:

  1. Skills and knowledge equivalent to those learned in Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA) v1.0 course
  2. Familiarity with Ethernet and TCP/IP networking
  3. Working knowledge of the Windows and Linux operating systems
  4. Familiarity with basics of networking security concepts.

Course 2 of 7 in the Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Understanding Windows Operating System Basics
The three most used endpoint operating systems are Windows, Linux, and Mac. When investigating security incidents, security analysts often encounter these operating systems running on servers or user end hosts. If you are an associate-level cybersecurity analyst who is working in security operation centers, this course will help you understand basic Windows operations principles. By the end of the course, you will be able to: •By the end of the course, you will be able to: • Describe the history of the Windows operating system and vulnerabilities.• Describe the Windows OS architecture and components.• Describe Windows processes, threads, and handles.• Describe virtual memory allocation in the Windows OS.• Describe Windows services and how they are used.• Describe the functionality of Windows NTFS.• Describe the Windows NTFS structure.• Describe Windows domains and local user accounts.• Describe the Windows graphical user interface and its use.• Describe how to perform tasks in Windows which may require administrator privileges.• Describe the Windows command line interface use and features.• Describe the features of the Windows PowerShell.• Describe how the net command is used for Windows administration and maintenance.• Describe how to control Windows startup services and execute a system shutdown.• Describe how to control Windows services and processes that are operating on a host.• Describe how to monitor Windows system resources with the use of Windows Task Manager.• Describe the Windows boot process, starting services, and registry entries.• Describe how to configure Windows networking properties.• Use the netstat command to view running networking functions.• Access Windows network resources and perform remote functions.• Describe the use of the Windows registry.• Describe how the Windows Event Viewer is used to browse and manage event logs.• Use the Windows Management Instrumentation to manage data and operations on Windows-based operating systems.• Understand common Windows server functions and features.• Describe commonly used third-party tools to manage to manage Windows operating systems.• Explore the Windows operating system and services. The knowledge and skills that students are expected to have before attending this course are: 1. Skills and knowledge equivalent to those learned in Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA) v1.0 course 2. Familiarity with Ethernet and TCP/IP networking 3. Working knowledge of the Windows and Linux operating systems 4. Familiarity with basics of networking security concepts.

WEEK 2
Understanding Linux Operating System Basics
If you are an associate-level cybersecurity analyst who is working in security operation centers, this course will help you to understand Linux Operating System basics. By the end of the course, you will be able to: • Provide brief history and benefits of Linux operating system.• Describe Linux architecture.• Provide an overview of the Linux file system.• Describe basic file system navigation and management commands in Linux.• Describe Linux file properties and permissions.• Describe Linux commands that you can use to manage file permissions and ownership.• Describe root and sudo commands in Linux.• Describe Linux storage disks and file systems.• Describe the Linux boot process.• Describe alternate startup options in case Linux is experiencing problems or has been compromised.• Describe the proper procedure to shut down a Linux-based system for maintenance or troubleshooting.• Describe Linux system processes.• Describe mechanisms for interacting with the Linux operating system.• Explore important concepts about the Linux shell and its usage.• Explore Linux piping command output.• Describe other useful Linux command line tools.• Provide an overview of Secure Shell Protocol.• Describe Linux tools and features for managing every aspect of networking and connectivity configuration.• Describe the process of managing services in SysV environments. • Describe tools to track the services running in your Linux installation. • Provide an overview of the Domain Name System. • Explore the Linux operating system tools to test name resolation. • Explore Linux tools to view network traffic. • Configure remote syslog in context to Linux systems. • Describe requirements to run software in a Linux installation. • Explore Linux executable files and interpreters that can execute code. • Describe package managers to install software in Linux • Describe system applications used to serve clients in context to Linux. • Provide an overview of LDAP. • Explore the Linux operating system and services. To be successful in this course, you should have the following background: 1. Skills and knowledge equivalent to those learned in Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA) v1.0 course 2. Familiarity with Ethernet and TCP/IP networking 3. Working knowledge of the Windows and Linux operating systems 4. Familiarity with basics of networking security concepts.

WEEK 3
Understanding Endpoint Security Technologies
If you are an associate-level cybersecurity analyst who is working in security operation centers, this course will help you understand endpoint security and familiarity with common endpoint security technologies. By the end of the course, you will be able to: • Describe the host-based personal firewall. • Describe a host-based antivirus. • Describe HIPS software. • Describe application allowed lists and blocked lists. • Describe host-based malware protection. • Describe sandboxing in the context of network security. • Describe how security analysts use file integrity checking tools and sandboxing in the context of network security. • Explore the behavior of two endpoint security applications that are part of the base Windows operating system distribution: Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. • Understand common endpoint security technologies. To be successful in this course, you should have the following background: 1. Skills and knowledge equivalent to those learned in Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA) v1.0 course 2. Familiarity with Ethernet and TCP/IP networking 3. Working knowledge of the Windows and Linux operating systems 4. Familiarity with basics of networking security concepts.

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

Related Courses

Securing Digital Democracy (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Securing Digital Democracy (Coursera)

Security & Networking

In this course, you'll learn what every citizen should know about the security risks--and future potential — of electronic voting and Internet voting. We'll take a look at the past, present, and future of election technologies and explore the various spaces intersected by voting, including computer security, human factors, public policy, and more.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Digital Security Operating Systems
Details
Embedded Hardware and Operating Systems (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Embedded Hardware and Operating Systems (Coursera)

CS: Software Engineering

This course is intended for the Bachelor and Master's students, who like practical programming and making IoTs applications! In this course we will talk about two components of a cyber physical system, namely hardware and operating systems. After completing this course, you will have the knowledge of both hardware components and operating systems. You are able to plan and use embedded operating systems in resource-constraint devices for Internet-of-Things (cyber physical system) applications.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Hardware Operating Systems Embedded Systems
Details
Cybersecurity Policy for Water and Electricity Infrastructures (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Cybersecurity Policy for Water and Electricity Infrastructures (Coursera)

Social Sciences

This course will examine the drinking water and electricity infrastructures, and various policies that have been developed to help guide and strengthen their cybersecurity programs. The drinking water and electricity infrastructures are two of fourteen subsectors comprising what are known as "lifeline infrastructure". The 2013 National Infrastructure Protection Plan identifies four lifeline infrastructure sectors: 1) water, 2) energy, 3) transportation, and 4) communications. These sectors are designated "lifeline" because many other infrastructures depend upon them.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Water Electricity Cybersecurity
Details
Homeland Security & Cybersecurity Connection - It's Not About the Terrorists (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Homeland Security & Cybersecurity Connection - It's Not About the Terrorists (Coursera)

Social Sciences

Welcome to Course 1 in CS4950, Homeland Security and Cybersecruity. In this course we examine the origins of homeland security and its co0nnection with cybersecurity. Homeland security is about safeguarding the United States from domestic catastrophic destruction. Catastrophic destruction comes in two forms: natural and manmade. For most of history the man-made variety came in the form of warfare and required the combined resources of a nation state. All that changed March 20th, 1995. On that date, members of a quasi-religious cult in Japan attacked the Tokyo subway system using Sarin gas. It was the first deployment of a weapon of mass destruction my a non-state actor.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Security Cybersecurity Homeland Security
Details
Planning, Auditing and Maintaining Enterprise Systems (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Planning, Auditing and Maintaining Enterprise Systems (Coursera)

Security & Networking

Good system management not only requires managing the systems themselves, but requires careful planning to make systems interact with each other, auditing of the systems once the systems are built, and proactive maintenance of all systems. Organizations also rely on organizational policies, such as Acceptable Use Policies to bolster the technical aspect of system management. This course explores many of the behind the scenes requirements of good system management.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Planning Security Auditing
Details
Windows Server Management and Security (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Windows Server Management and Security (Coursera)

Security & Networking

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.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Management Security Enterprise
Details
Internet History, Technology, and Security (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Internet History, Technology, and Security (Coursera)

Security & Networking

The impact of technology and networks on our lives, culture, and society continues to increase. The very fact that you can take this course from anywhere in the world requires a technological infrastructure that was designed, engineered, and built over the past sixty years. To function in an information-centric world, we need to understand the workings of network technology. This course will open up the Internet and show you how it was created, who created it and how it works. Along the way we will meet many of the innovators who developed the Internet and Web technologies that we use today.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Network Security Computing
Details
Cybersecurity and the X-Factor (Coursera) Coursera
University System of Georgia

Cybersecurity and the X-Factor (Coursera)

Security & Networking

What is the X-Factor? In Cybersecurity, the X-Factor related to unknown and unpredictable human behavior within and outside of your organization. “No one really knows why humans do what they do”, (David K. Reynolds), and because of this organizations can be unprepared for malicious, untrained, or even best intentioned behavior that can cause alarm and sometimes irreparable harm.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Security Cybersecurity X-Factor
Details
Identifying Security Vulnerabilities (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Davis

Identifying Security Vulnerabilities (Coursera)

Security & Networking

This course will help you build a foundation of some of the fundamental concepts in secure programming. We will learn about the concepts of threat modeling and cryptography and you'll be able to start to create threat models, and think critically about the threat models created by other people. We'll learn the basics of applying cryptography, such as encryption and secure hashing. We'll learn how attackers can exploit application vulnerabilities through the improper handling user-controlled data. We'll gain a fundamental understanding of injection problems in web applications, including the three most common types of injection problems: SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and command injection.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Cryptography Security Authentication
Details
Managing Cybersecurity Incidents and Disasters (Coursera) Coursera
University System of Georgia

Managing Cybersecurity Incidents and Disasters (Coursera)

Security & Networking

Most organizations plan for routine operations, but what happens when unexpected events overtake the routine? This course examines contingency planning used to prepare for and manage non-normal operations, including cybersecurity incidents – like hacking attempts, web site defacement, denial of service attacks, information disclosures; a well as other natural and man-made cybersecurity disasters.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Disaster Recovery Security Cybersecurity
Details
Penetration Testing, Incident Response and Forensics (Coursera) Coursera
IBM

Penetration Testing, Incident Response and Forensics (Coursera)

Security & Networking

This course gives you the background needed to gain Cybersecurity skills as part of the Cybersecurity Security Analyst Professional Certificate program. You will learn about the different phases of penetration testing, how to gather data for your penetration test and popular penetration testing tools. Furthermore, you will learn the phases of an incident response, important documentation to collect, and the components of an incident response policy and team. Finally, you will learn key steps in the forensic process and important data to collect.

Jun 29th 2026
4 Weeks
Security Scripting Cybersecurity
Details
IT Security: Defense against the digital dark arts (Coursera) Coursera
Google

IT Security: Defense against the digital dark arts (Coursera)

Security & Networking

This course covers a wide variety of IT security concepts, tools, and best practices. It introduces threats and attacks and the many ways they can show up. We’ll give you some background of encryption algorithms and how they’re used to safeguard data. Then, we’ll dive into the three As of information security: authentication, authorization, and accounting. We’ll also cover network security solutions, ranging from firewalls to Wifi encryption options. The course is rounded out by putting all these elements together into a multi-layered, in-depth security architecture, followed by recommendations on how to integrate a culture of security into your organization or team.

Jun 29th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Security Networks Information Technology
Details