Become a cybersecurity specialist

Fundamental IT skills:

Computer Navigation - Understand how to navigate through an OS

Internet usage - Know how to navigate through the internet to access information

Email management - Know how to organize emails, send and receive emails following the email etiquette

Word processing - Format text and edit documents, saving and printing documents

Software and App install - Be able to install and manage software, including using reliable sources, configuring application

Digital security - Familiarize yourself with common cybersecurity practices

Computer Hardware

CPU - The brain of the computer, performs all calculations

Motherboard - connects all the hardware components

RAM - Stores data for temporary use, allows people to multitask

Storage - Permanent storage for data

GPU - Handles all the graphics, and is important for graphic design or editing videos

PSU - Provides power to the PC parts

Input/Output devices - Allows interaction with the computer

Types of Connection

Wired connection - This is usually the most secure, and ethernet is the most widely used, they are considered to be very trustworthy and less vulnerable to potential interference

Wireless connection - Wifi is the most commonly used connection, this provides more flexibility and portability but it also comes with its downsides, this type of connection is vulnerable to risks so to minimize it people tend to use encryption.

USB - This is very popular for connecting devices between a PC and an input device, for example, a mouse, this can also pose a security risk as using untrusted USBs can lead to unwanted malware.

Bluetooth - This is also very commonly used and it was designed to connect devices for short range, which is also vulnerable to attacks.

Network connection - VPN can be used and this creates a private network over a public one, by encrypting data between devices, this can help secure your private information.

P2P - This type of connection is decentralized, where devices connect directly without a main server and it is used for file sharing. This is also susceptible to attacks if proper security precautions aren't taken.

Basic troubleshooting

First, you need to identify the problem, by gathering symptoms and taking note of any unusual behavior, then search for potential causes and fixes on the internet, make a plan, implement that plan and check if the issue has been solved, document the steps taken to learn from this issue.

Important tools to use 

1. Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote
2. G-suite - Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive
3. LibreOffice - Writer, Calc, Base, Draw

Computer Networking

Networking types:

PAN - short range

LAN - small area, home or office

WAN - large area, telecommunication

VPN - secure network over the internet

Networking devices:

Hubs - connect devices over a network

Switches - similar to hub except data packets are sent to a specific device

Routers - directs packets between networks

Firewall - monitors and allows only authorized traffic

Network protocols:

TCP - reliable transfer of data

IP - assigns a unique address to each device, and makes transmission easier

UDP - fast, but less reliable, usually used for streaming

IP addressing:

IPv4 - 32-bit addressing system

IPv6 - 128 bit addressing system, more specific and reliable