• Classroom
Course Description

SEC530: Defensible Security Architecture is designed to help students build and maintain a truly defensible security architecture. "The perimeter is dead" is a favorite saying in this age of mobile, cloud, and the Internet of Things, and we are indeed living in new a world of "de-perimeterization" where the old boundaries of "inside" and "outside" or "trusted" and "untrusted" no longer apply.

This changing landscape requires a change in mindset, as well as a repurposing of many devices. Where does it leave our classic perimeter devices such as firewalls? What are the ramifications of the "encrypt everything" mindset for devices such as Network Intrusion Detection Systems?

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of up-to-date defensible security architecture. There will be a heavy focus on leveraging current infrastructure (and investment), including switches, routers, and firewalls. Students will learn how to reconfigure these devices to better prevent the threat landscape they face today. The course will also suggest newer technologies that will aid in building a robust security infrastructure.

While this is not a monitoring course, this course will dovetail nicely with continuous security monitoring, ensuring that security architecture not only supports prevention, but also provides the critical logs that can be fed into a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system in a Security Operations Center.

Hands-on labs will reinforce key points in the course and provide actionable skills that students will be able to leverage as soon as they return to work.

Learning Objectives

  • Analyze a security architecture for deficiencies
  • Apply the principles learned in the course to design a defensible security architecture
  • Determine appropriate security monitoring needs for organizations of all sizes
  • Maximize existing investment in security architecture by reconfiguring existing assets
  • Determine capabilities required to support continuous monitoring of key Critical Security Controls
  • Configure appropriate logging and monitoring to support a Security Operations Center and continuous monitoring program

While the above list briefly outlines the knowledge and skills you will learn, it barely scratches the surface of what this course has to offer. Hands-on labs throughout the course will reinforce key concepts and principles, as well as teach you how to use key scripting tools.

When your SEC530 training journey is complete, and your skills are enhanced and honed, it will be time to go back to work and deliver on the SANS promise that you'll be able to apply what you learned in this course the day you return to the office.

Framework Connections

The materials within this course focus on the Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs) identified within the Specialty Areas listed below. Click to view Specialty Area details within the interactive National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.