Best Network Security Courses in 2023


network security course

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Network security ensures that the network is safe from cybercriminals and prevents them from gaining access to devices and sensitive data on a network. It is very important to have proper network security measures, since, we all use networking (wired or wireless) to share data across various devices in our day-to-day life.

The courses mentioned here will teach you how hackers hack a network and how you can secure your network from these hackers. You will learn about various tools and concepts like network scanning, packet capturing, firewalls etc. that can help you to monitor and secure your network from any unauthorized activity.

Here’s a summary of the best Network security courses:

The Complete Cyber Security Course! Volume 2: Network SecuritySee details on StationX
Learn Network Hacking From Scratch (WiFi & Wired)See details on StationX
Network Hacking Continued – Intermediate to AdvancedSee details on StationX
The Complete Nmap Ethical Hacking Course: Network Security AssessmentSee details on StationX
pfSense Fundamentals – Secure Your Network With pfSenseSee details on StationX

Advantages of StationX

StationX offers a wide range of cybersecurity courses including courses on network security. If you join the accelerator program, you’ll gain access to the full library of cybersecurity courses which includes all courses mentioned in this list along with many other great benefits.

You can check out all the details of the StationX accelerator program here.

Also, new courses are added from time to time on StationX and if you are already enrolled in the program, then you can access them free of charge.

Best Network Security Course

1. The Complete Cyber Security Course! Volume 2: Network Security

The Complete Cyber Security Course contains four volumes. The second volume is dedicated to Network Security. With over 12.5 hours of content, you’ll learn a lot of stuff related to network security, starting with discovering security vulnerabilities across an entire network.

There is a dedicated portion on understanding firewalls and how to use various types of firewalls like IP tables (on Linux), pfSense, VyOS etc. along with the use of custom router firmware in this course.

The course will also cover wireless security. You’ll learn how hackers hack WiFi and how you can secure your WiFi network from them. Moreover, you will also learn about packet-capturing tools like Wireshark and tcpdump to monitor your network for hackers, malware or other suspicious activities.

The course doesn’t end here. It will also cover topics related to tracking, browser security, tracking prevention and maintaining privacy while browsing the internet. Not only that, it will also teach you how passwords are cracked and how you can secure your accounts with strong authentication methods.

Although you can take this second volume as a standalone course, it’s highly recommended to take all four volumes to have an advanced practical skill set for tackling all online threats and maintaining security, privacy, and anonymity.

Check course details on StationX

2. Learn Network Hacking From Scratch (WiFi & Wired)

Learn Network Hacking From Scratch (WiFi & Wired) focuses on hacking networks using various attacks and tools (like black hat hackers) and then securing your network from these attacks.

It is a highly practical network penetration testing course that starts with setting up a Lab and installing the needed software so that you can practice it on your machine.

The 50 detailed videos in this course are divided into three main sections:

  1. The Pre-Connection Attacks – Where you’ll learn how to gather information about the target and the various types of attacks that you can perform on the target network.
  2. Gaining Access – You’ll use the gathered information to gain access to your target network by using various methods to crack the WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption.
  3. Post Connection Attacks – After gaining access, this course will teach you how to go a step further and hack the devices that are connected to the target network.

You’ll learn about a variety of attacks and tools including packet injection, cracking WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption and various types of Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) attacks.

After the completion of this course, you’ll be able to use more than 20 penetration testing tools in different scenarios.

Check course details on StationX

3. Network Hacking Continued – Intermediate to Advanced

Network Hacking Continued – Intermediate to Advanced” is the continuation of the previously mentioned “Learn Network Hacking From Scratch (WiFi & Wired)” course from the same instructor.

Just like the previous course, this is a highly practical course that focuses on hacking networks using various attacks and securing them against these attacks.

You’ll learn various new concepts, attacks and tools such as disconnecting clients from WiFi networks, bypassing MAC filtering, discovering names of hidden networks, unlocking WPS on routers, gaining access to captive portals, creating a fake captive portal, advanced WPA/WPA2 cracking, bypassing HTTPS and much more.

Moreover, you’ll also learn to write your network hacking scripts and use them to attack the target network and the devices connected to the said network.

If you want to take your network hacking skills to the next level and write your custom network hacking scripts, then this course is for you.

Note that, this course covers advanced topics related to network hacking. Therefore, it is recommended to take the previous “Learn Network Hacking From Scratch (WiFi & Wired)” course first, if you are a beginner.

Check course details on StationX

4. The Complete Nmap Ethical Hacking Course: Network Security Assessment

Nmap (Network Mapper) is a free, open-source and most popular tool for network discovery and security auditing. It has a wide range of features and is used by hackers, network engineers and system administrators.

The Complete Nmap Ethical Hacking Course: Network Security Assessment” course focuses on teaching how to use Nmap effectively for discovering active and vulnerable hosts on a network.

This course will take you from the very beginning (installing NMap) to mastering Nmap. You will learn various features of NMap including network and port scanner basics, Target selection, port states, Host discovery, Scan techniques and port selection, service detection, version detection, operating system detection and much more.

You will also explore the NMap scripting engine that is used for more advanced discovery. Moreover, this course will also go through Zenmap which is a graphical version of Nmap.

Nmap is the most useful utility when it comes to Network hacking and Security. At the end of this four-hour online network security course, you will have practical skills in using Nmap to scan networks and find vulnerabilities in systems.

Check course details on StationX

5. pfSense Fundamentals – Secure Your Network With pfSense

pfSense is a free and open-source network firewall distribution. You can use any compatible pfSense hardware like an old PC or Mini PC to install pfSense. You can even run pfSense as a virtual machine.

In the “pfSense Fundamentals – Secure Your Network With pfSense” course, you will learn how to protect your home or business with a pfSense Firewall.

The course starts with the fundamentals of firewall and then move to installing pfSense. After that, you’ll learn about different aspects of pfSense including setting up pfSense, adding firewall rules, whitelisting and blacklisting, pfBlockerNG, Snort IDS/IPS, Suricata IDS/IPS, Configuring a DMZ and maintenance of the pfSense firewall.

A firewall is one of the most important aspects of network security. Learning about an open-source, enterprise-grade firewall solution like pfSense will help you a lot in your Network security journey.

As I previously mentioned, you can install pfSense on a virtual machine. Therefore, you don’t need to spend money on getting a pfSense hardware right away. You can take the course and play with pfSense in a virtualized environment till you become familiar with it.

Check course details on StationX

Frequently Asked Questions

What are network security courses, and why are they important?

Network security courses are designed to teach individuals how to protect computer networks from unauthorized access, cyberattacks, and data breaches. They are crucial because network security is vital for safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining the integrity of digital infrastructure.

What prerequisites should I have before enrolling in a network security course?

Prerequisites can vary, but a basic understanding of networking fundamentals is often recommended. Familiarity with topics like TCP/IP, firewalls, and operating systems will be beneficial. Some advanced courses may require prior cybersecurity knowledge.

Are online network security courses as effective as in-person courses?

Online courses can be highly effective if they are from reputable providers and offer hands-on labs and practical exercises. They often provide flexibility for working professionals or those with busy schedules.

What topics should a comprehensive network security course cover?

A comprehensive network security course should cover topics such as network architecture and design, wireless attacks and prevention, firewall management, intrusion detection systems (IDS), virtual private networks (VPNs) and network scanning for vulnerabilities. It should also address current threats and best practices.

Are there any free network security courses available or do they all require payment?

While some network security courses are available for free, especially introductory courses that you can find on the internet, more specialized and in-depth courses often require payment. It’s recommended to invest in a paid course if you are serious about learning network security.

Conclusion

This concludes the list of the best courses on network security. Just taking the courses is not enough, you’ll need lots of hands-on practice if you want to be good in this field. The network security courses mentioned here are highly practical and you can practice them on your machine or lab.

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Rahul R Nair

Rahul is obsessed with technology and electronic devices. He is also the founder of TechSphinx. Being a technophile, he is always busy doing some techy stuff or learning about the latest technologies. When not busy with his usual routine (staring at the computer screen) he likes to write and share his knowledge with the world.