Key topics: Network fundamentals: TCP/IP model, network topology (star, mesh, hybrid), subnetting basics, Network attacks: ARP poisoning, MAC flooding, DNS poisoning/spoofing, DDoS, man-in-the-middle (MitM), Firewalls and ACLs: stateful vs. stateless firewalls; reading and writing ACL rules (first-match-wins logic), Network segmentation: VLANs, DMZ architecture, microsegmentation, Intrusion detection and prevention: NIDS, NIPS, HIDS; signature-based vs. anomaly-based detection, SIEM: log aggregation, correlation rules, alert triage, Network hardening: port security, disabling unused services, secure protocols (SSH vs. Telnet, HTTPS vs. HTTP), Packet capture: reading pcap data; identifying suspicious traffic patterns.
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