Название: Learning Cybersecurity Fundamentals: A Practical Guide to Essential Cybersecurity Concepts (Final Release)
Автор: Nicole Dove
Издательство: O’Reilly Media, Inc.
Год: 2026
Страниц: 217
Язык: английский
Формат: pdf, epub
Размер: 10.1 MB

Cybersecurity is now a business-critical function at the core of every organization. Learning Cybersecurity Fundamentals introduces readers to this vital field through the lens of the NIST 2.0 Cybersecurity Framework. Written by Nicole Dove, CIA, CRMA, this guide demystifies cybersecurity team structures and explains the core principles that harden, govern, and protect the systems we rely on. Whether you're a student, an early-career professional, or considering a career change, this book helps you align your skills with in-demand roles.

With clear explanations, relatable examples, and chapter-end quizzes, this book goes beyond theory to prepare aspiring professionals for real-world impact. You'll build foundational skills in threat detection, data protection, access management, and more—all while developing a strong understanding of cybersecurity's strategic importance and what that means for your career potential.

The goal of cybersecurity is to secure data, systems, and networks from unauthorized access, theft, or damage. Cybersecurity in itself encapsulates all we do to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of digital information. Practitioners call this the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) triad. Sure, sometimes that comes with technology. But it’s the act of using tools, processes, and strategies that keep information safe that is truly the heart of what cybersecurity really is. Sometimes that looks like preventing hackers from infiltrating a company’s technology ecosystems, other times it’s making sure your personal health information remains private. But it’s also reporting sketchy emails to your company’s security team or something as simple as taking cybersecurity training.

It’s not uncommon for someone to think cybersecurity is limited to tools like firewalls, antivirus software, or other complicated technologies. But at its core, cybersecurity is truly a people challenge. What good is tech if there is no one to install, configure, tune, or monitor that technology? Not only do these tools and tech require people to be effective, they are in place to defend against people—whether it’s well-intended people who make unintended mistakes or ill-intended hackers. Numerous studies show that most cybersecurity breaches are the result of social engineering, which is an attack on human behavior by bad actors. Ultimately, they prove that all the tools and tech are used by people to protect people for the sake of people.

Understand the six core pillars of cybersecurity
Learn how cybersecurity teams are structured and what they do
Apply the NIST 2.0 Framework in practical settings
Perform key tasks like vulnerability remediation and incident response
Explore career paths and essential industry skills

Who Should Read This Book:
This book is for anyone who interacts with digital information in their day-to-day life. Let’s be real—that’s pretty much everyone, and that means we’re all on the front lines of cybersecurity together. The biggest threat to the data that cybersecurity teams work to protect is the people who, rightfully, are given access to that data to carry out their day-to-day responsibilities. That could look like the bank teller who cashes your check, the front desk manager at the doctor’s office who processes your insurance claim, the finance manager at a grocery store that accepts credit cards for payment, the student who takes online classes, the pharmacist who fills prescriptions, or the patient who attends appointments virtually with their healthcare provider.

The reality is that no matter your age or occupation, technology impacts your life in a major way. And because of that, you have a responsibility to be a good steward of that technology and the important information within. Regardless of whether the information being protected is your company’s intellectual property or your health care or banking information, when the folks who have access to said data are mindful about protecting it, it makes the world a safer place.

This book is all about exploring and empowering the philosophy and reality that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. And it doesn’t require us to be super technical coders. Cybersecurity is a broad spectrum of concepts that hover over a dynamic landscape that constantly evolves and is centered around human behavior. This book will make cybersecurity more accessible and understandable—even actionable. Whether you are a student looking to work in this popular industry, a business leader who uses technology and wants to do so in a secure way, or simply someone curious about cybersecurity—this book is for you.

I often encounter eager, smart, and motivated students and professionals looking to break into the cybersecurity field. We’ve all heard about the cybersecurity talent gap, and quite honestly, this industry is one that’s quite fascinating to work in. However, though many people want to work in this field, many of them don’t know where to start or what role or domain they’d enjoy working in. I’ve got something for that in this book, too. At the end of each chapter, I’ve included a section on careers to give readers a close-up view of what it’s like to work in each domain: different roles, each role’s responsibilities, and how they contribute to protecting a company’s ecosystem.

Contents: