Cyber Threats and Attack Vectors (Coursera)

Cyber Threats and Attack Vectors (Coursera)

Data breaches occur nearly every day. From very large retailers, down to your fantasy football website, and anywhere in between, they have been compromised in some way. How did the attackers get in? What did they do with the data they compromised? What should I be concerned with in my own business or my systems? This course is the second course in the Practical Computer Security. It will discuss types of threats and attack vectors commonly seen in today’s environment.

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

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but threats are all over the place! This course isn’t designed to insight fear that there is no hope for keeping systems and business secure, but rather educate you on how attacks are carried out so that you have a better sense of what to look out for in your business or with your systems.

Course 2 of 4 in the Cybersecurity for Business Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Threats and attack vectores in computer security
Welcome! This week we'll explore users and user based attacks. User based attacks are common because it may be easier to compromise a human rather than a computer.

WEEK 2
Network and system based attacks
Threats against networks and systems are the most common type of attack method. This week will explore these concepts.

WEEK 3
Cloud Security
You use the cloud every day; you may not even realize it! This week will focus on the cloud and security surrounding cloud and cloud services.

WEEK 4
Common Vulnerabilities
The week will focus on common vulnerabilities that systems face and how they work.

WEEK 5
Data Breaches
Data breaches occur daily. Sometimes they are announced right away, other times they are found out months after the compromise. This week will focus on the course project.

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

Related Courses

International Cyber Conflicts (Coursera) Coursera
The State University of New York

International Cyber Conflicts (Coursera)

By nature, cyber conflicts are an international issue that span across nation-state borders. By the end of the course, you will be able to apply the knowledge gained for analysis and management of international cyber incidents and conflicts including for activities such as development of policy related to cybercrime and cyberwarfare. Management of cyber incidents and conflicts requires an interdisciplinary perspective including an understanding of: 1) characteristics of the cyber threats and conflicts themselves, 2) international efforts to reduce and improve cyber security, and 3) psychological and sociopolitical factors.

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Malware Analysis and Introduction to Assembly Language (Coursera) Coursera
IBM

Malware Analysis and Introduction to Assembly Language (Coursera)

Malicious software, or malware, is typically delivered over a network and is designed to cause disruption to a computer, client, server, or network. Disruptions can include leaked private information, unauthorized access to information or systems, blocked user access, interference with security and privacy, or numerous other variations of attacking systems.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Competencias digitales. Conceptos y herramientas básicas (Coursera) Coursera
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Competencias digitales. Conceptos y herramientas básicas (Coursera)

Los continuos cambios tecnológicos, sobre todo en aquellos aspectos vinculados a las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) hacen que las personas tengan la necesidad de actualizarse de forma continua para que sus conocimientos no queden obsoletos. En este contexto, para las empresas se convierte en algo imprescindible disponer de profesionales que tengan las competencias necesarias para ejercer con éxito las actividades que requieren en su lugar de trabajo.

Sep 28th 2026
4 Weeks
Implementing a Risk Management Framework (Coursera) Coursera
University System of Georgia

Implementing a Risk Management Framework (Coursera)

The ultimate destination for a security manager is the Chief Information Security Officer (or Chief Security Officer) a senior executive role responsible for all cybersecurity operations in the organization. But how do you get from entry-level IT or security employee to the CISO’s office and what do you need to know when you get there? This course examines the career path and requirements to be an effective CISO, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the position.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Coursera) Coursera
AWS

AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Coursera)

Welcome to AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials. If you’re new to the cloud, whether you’re in a technical or non-technical role such as finance, legal, sales, marketing, this course will provide you with an understand of fundamental AWS Cloud concepts to help you gain confidence to contribute to your organization’s cloud initiatives. This course is also the starting point to prepare for your AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification whenever it’s convenient for you.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Comparing Theory and Practice (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Comparing Theory and Practice (Coursera)

Terrorism has arguably been one of the defining factors of our age. It frequently makes headlines, threatening or attacking governments, private business and ordinary citizens. And in many parts of the world, it has been one of the most important threats to peace, security and stability. But what does this exactly mean? What is the nature of this threat? Who or what is threatened, how, by whom and why? What can be done about it or how can we at least limit the impact of terrorism and make sure that terrorists do not make headlines and manage to scare us? These are just a handful of questions that will be addressed in this course that consists of three parts.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
In the Trenches: Security Operations Center (Coursera) Coursera
EC-Council

In the Trenches: Security Operations Center (Coursera)

Cyber-attacks, breaches, and incidents continue to grow. The sophistication and complexity of these attacks continue to evolve. More than ever organizations need to plan, prepare, and defend against a potential cyber incident. Security Operation Centers (SOCs) act as an organization's front-line defense against cyber incidents. SOC analyst accomplishes this by monitoring and responding to network and host anomalies, performing an in-depth analysis of suspicious events, and when necessary, aiding in forensic investigations.

Sep 28th 2026
4 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.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
5G Network Fundamentals (Coursera) Coursera
Institut Mines-Telecom

5G Network Fundamentals (Coursera)

This MOOC presents the services and the architecture of 5G networks, the main principles of the new radio interface (NR), data flow management, security and the new Service-Based Architecture (SBA). In recent years, operators have been deploying 5G technology on commercial mobile networks. The latter is announced as a major technological breakthrough with speeds beyond Gbit/s, very low latencies and above all a distribution in many sectors of activity (industry, transport, medicine, etc.).

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks