Detailed Syllabus & Weekly Breakdown

Semester 1: Networking & Ethical Hacking Foundations (Weeks 1–12)

• Module 1: Network Security & Protocols (Weeks 1–6)
  • Week 1-2: OSI & TCP/IP Models, IP Addressing, Subnetting
  • Week 3-4: Network Devices (Firewalls, IDS/IPS, Routers), Traffic Analysis (Wireshark)
  • Week 5-6: Linux Fundamentals for Security, Access Controls, Baseline Hardening
• Module 2: Cryptography & Ethical Hacking Basics (Weeks 7–12)
  • Week 7-8: Cryptography Principles (Symmetric, Asymmetric, Hashing, PKI)
  • Week 9-10: Introduction to Ethical Hacking & Kill Chain Framework
  • Week 11-12: Reconnaissance, Footprinting & OSINT Gathering

Semester 2: Advanced Penetration Testing & Defense (Weeks 13–24)

• Module 3: Web Application Pen-Testing (Weeks 13–18)
  • Week 13-14: OWASP Top 10 (Injection, XSS, CSRF, Broken Auth)
  • Week 15-16: Intercepting Proxies (Burp Suite), API Security Testing
  • Week 17-18: Exploitation Frameworks (Metasploit) & Post-Exploitation
• Module 4: Network Pen-Testing & Vulnerability Assessment (Weeks 19–24)
  • Week 19-20: Network Scanning (Nmap, Nessus, OpenVAS)
  • Week 21-22: Wireless Security, WPA2/WPA3 Cracking, Rogue APs
  • Week 23-24: Active Directory Attacks, Pass-the-Hash, Privilege Escalation

Semester 3: Incident Response, Cloud Security & Capstone (Weeks 25–36)

• Module 5: Incident Response & Cloud Security (Weeks 25–30)
  • Week 25-26: Digital Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR) Life Cycle
  • Week 27-28: SIEM Tools (Splunk, ELK) & Log Analysis
  • Week 29-30: Cloud Security Concepts (AWS/Azure), IAM, Data Protection
• Module 6: Enterprise Capstone & CTF (Weeks 31–36)
  • Week 31-32: Architecture Planning & Security Auditing
  • Week 33-34: Red Team vs Blue Team Simulation
  • Week 35-36: Capstone Project Delivery (e.g. Enterprise Pen-Test Report) & Final Viva

Learning Outcomes

• Identify and exploit vulnerabilities in web applications and network architectures.
• Conduct comprehensive security audits using industry-standard tools (Metasploit, Burp Suite, Nmap).
• Deploy robust defense mechanisms, IDS/IPS, and incident response frameworks.
• Secure cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure) and ensure compliance with global data privacy standards.

Assessment Weightage

Assessment Type	Weightage
Master Capstone Project & Audit Report	30%
Hands-on Labs & CTF Challenges	30%
Module & Mid-Term Assessments	20%
Final Viva & Architecture Review	20%

The "WhiteCollar" Academic Rationale

This 9-month program takes you beyond theoretical concepts. By progressing through Foundations → Exploitation → Defense → Cloud Security, WhiteCollar Academy ensures that graduates are equipped with offensive and defensive security skills ready to protect enterprise networks and applications against modern cyber threats.