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Cybersecurity Syllabus
Learn to protect systems and networks through security principles, threats, defenses, cryptography, and operational security practice.. The complete Cybersecurity outline — 7 subjects, 42 chapters and 158 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Cybersecurity subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
6 chapters · 23 topics
Cryptography6 chapters · 24 topics
Network Security6 chapters · 22 topics
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks6 chapters · 25 topics
Offensive Security and Penetration Testing6 chapters · 19 topics
Security Operations and Defensive Security6 chapters · 22 topics
Systems, Cloud, and Application Security6 chapters · 23 topics
Cybersecurity flashcard decks
391 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Security Fundamentals and Governance — 51 cards
- Cryptography — 51 cards
- Network Security — 61 cards
- Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks — 51 cards
- Offensive Security and Penetration Testing — 76 cards
- Security Operations and Defensive Security — 51 cards
- Systems, Cloud, and Application Security — 50 cards
How to work through the Cybersecurity syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks carries 25 topics while Offensive Security and Penetration Testing carries 19. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Cybersecurity.
The ~120 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Cybersecurity syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Cybersecurity syllabus?
Cybersecurity covers 7 subjects: Security Fundamentals and Governance, Cryptography, Network Security, Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks, Offensive Security and Penetration Testing, Security Operations and Defensive Security and Systems, Cloud, and Application Security. Together they contain 42 chapters and 158 named topics.
How big is the Cybersecurity syllabus?
The full Cybersecurity outline breaks down into 42 chapters, 158 topics and 0 sub-topics. Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks is the largest single subject with 25 topics across 6 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Cybersecurity syllabus?
Roughly 120 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 6 weeks.
Are there Cybersecurity flashcards?
Yes — 391 question-and-answer flashcards across 7 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Cybersecurity syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Cybersecurity syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too. No account is needed to start.
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