Cybersecurity Master Annual Program 2025 (CMAP25) – Outline

Detailed Course Outline

Module 1: Securing Windows Platform: Windows 11 & Windows Server 2022
  • Defining and disabling unnecessary services
  • Implementing rights, permissions and privileges
  • Code signing
  • Implementing secure service accounts
Module 2: Hardening Active Directory Infrastructure
  • Modern Identity Attack Techniques
  • Preventing Credential Theft and Misuse
  • Recommended AD Configuration Options
  • OS-Level Credential Protection Features: LSA Protected Process, Credential Guard, and RDP Restricted Admin Mode
  • Detecting Backdoors in Active Directory
Module 3: Cloud-based incident response in Azure and Microsoft 365
  • Azure&O365 cloud security challenges
  • Zero Trust principles and architecture
  • Incident response management process
  • Cyber kill chain process
  • Hunting through attack chain
  • Azure monitor
  • Azure incident response – best practices
Module 4: Detecting and hunting for malware activities and prevention
  • Intro to malware and malware functionalities
  • Hunting for malware C&C communication in network activities
  • Hunting for malware behaviour in Sysmon logs
  • Creating a Yara rule for malware family of a suspicious functionality
Module 5: Implementing Privileged Access Workstations
  • Privileged Access Workstations – how and why?
  • Different hardware and VM solutions for implementing PAWs
  • Difference between normal and privileged
  • Implementing and Managing On-prem PAWs
  • Implementing and Managing Cloud-service PAWs
Module 6: Advancing at PowerShell for security and administration
  • PowerShell security and specific hacktools (like DSInternals)
  • Advanced PowerShell course
  • Auditing Active Directory using PowerShell
Module 7: Everything you need to know about application whitelisting
  • Whitelisting in general
  • Implementing AppLocker
  • Managing AppLocker
  • Troubleshooting AppLocker
Module 8: High priority security features in Azure
  • Managing identity and access in Microsoft Entra ID
  • Network security
  • Microsoft Purview data protection
  • Microsoft Defender for Cloud
  • Application security
Module 9: Securing monitoring of SQL Server to feed SIEM solutions
  • SQL Server security baseline concepts
  • SQL Server instance security
  • Managing logins & passwords
Module 10: Techniques for effective automation with PowerShell
  • Navigating execution policies: picking the right security strategy
  • PowerShell language modes: locking down your scripts
  • Fortify your scripts: the power of digital signatures
  • Restricting execution permissions: enforcing least privilege for scripts
  • Protecting sensitive information: secure secrets management in PowerShell
  • AMSI: Defending against malicious code with PowerShell
  • Comprehensive logging: auditing and monitoring your PowerShell scripts
Module 11: Threat hunting with AI support
  • Introduction to threat hunting and AI in cybersecurity
  • Leveraging AI to detect anomalies and threats
  • Automating threat hunting with machine learning
  • Using AI-powered tools for real-time threat detection
Module 12: Cyber threat intelligence
  • Threat Intelligence, Assessment and Threat Modeling
  • Open-Source Intelligence Tools and Techniques
  • Patterns of Attack
Module 13: Mastering monitoring operations in Azure
  • Microsoft 365 Security from SOC Analyst perspective
  • Microsoft 364 Defender for Endpoint – EDR story
  • Detection and response with Sentinel – Let’s attack Contoso network
Module 14: Boosting your penetration testing skills
  • From zero to domain admin almost always working exploitation techniques and discovery
  • Advanced network penetration testing
  • Bypassing modern security controls
  • Reporting and remediation strategies in penetration testing
Module 15: Defending against threats with SIEM Plus XDR
  • Intro with Unified Security Operation with Defender XDR, Microsoft Sentinel and Security Copilot in the Defender XDR portal
  • Configuring and managing Microsoft Defender XDR and integration with Defender Family
  • Configuring and managing Microsoft Sentinel
  • Configuring and managing Security Copilot
  • Automated investigation and incident response with Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR and Security Copilot
  • Automatic attack disruption in Microsoft Defender XDR and SOC optimization
  • Threat Hunting through attack chain with Defender XDR
Module 16: Implementing Secure Entra ID
  • Entra ID security settings
  • Entra ID identity protection
  • Entra ID privileged identity management (PIM)
  • Entra ID password protection