Operating system security (CYBER PRO TRAIN)

This course provides a comprehensive overview of operating systems with a focus on their critical role in cybersecurity. It explores the fundamental functions and responsibilities of operating systems, why they must be protected, and how their attack surfaces can be exploited through misconfigurations and zero-day vulnerabilities. A comparative analysis of the main OS families—Windows, macOS, and *nix (Unix and GNU/Linux)—highlights their native security features and mechanisms. 

The course delves into common attack types such as privilege escalation, code execution, kernel vulnerabilities, rootkits, fileless malware, and the use of LOLBins. It examines secure boot processes (UEFI/Secure Boot) and threats targeting system startup, as well as credential protection strategies including MFA and privileged account security. Access control models (ACLs, RBAC, DAC/MAC), file permissions, and integrity checks are covered alongside antimalware technologies like EDR/XDR, sandboxing, and dynamic analysis. Learners will also study vulnerability management lifecycles and tools, bastioning techniques for hardening systems, and incident response fundamentals including monitoring, forensic basics, and response tooling.

Discover the course

Main objectives

• Understand the security role of operating systems in cyber defense.
• Analyze OS attack surfaces, zero-day vulnerabilities, and misconfigurations.
• Compare Windows, macOS, and *nix systems in terms of security architecture.
• Explore native OS security tools and configurations.
• Study common attack types: privilege escalation, malware, rootkits, and more.
• Learn about access control, credential protection, boot security, and system hardening.

Outcomes

• Explain how OS security supports overall cybersecurity posture.
• Identify and mitigate key vulnerabilities across different operating systems.
• Apply native tools and configurations to secure Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Detect and respond to common threats using built-in and third-party tools.
• Configure secure boot, manage credentials, and enforce access controls.
• Perform basic forensic analysis and implement incident response measures.

Target

Professionals, including SME employees and Public Administration staff, looking to enhance their cybersecurity knowledge 

Program

• Operating systems 
• Introduction and concepts 
• Common Attacks 
• Boot and authentication 
• Access control 
• Antimalware protection 
• Vulnerability management 
• Bastioning techniques
• Incident detection and response. 

Additional resources (individual study)

Cisco Networking Academy
Paper Seguridad de los Sistemas Operativos (Spanish) 
Eitca Academy: EITC/IS/OS Operating systems security