Welcome
Welcome to the 4-week Cyber Security DevOps Bootcamp! I am Callum Bir, your course director, and I am thrilled to embark on this learning journey with all of you. Over the next few weeks, we will dive deep into the world of Cyber Security with AWS.
As the course director, I ensure you understand DevOps principles, AWS services, and best practices comprehensively. We have designed this boot camp to provide a structured progression from foundational concepts to hands-on training, enabling you to develop the necessary skills to excel in this field.
In the ’90s, I found myself deeply immersed in networking and security, not just academically as a teacher in the Computer Science and Computer Systems Engineering departments at RMIT University but also as a curious student and enthusiast. My days were filled with exploring the boundaries of what was possible within the university’s network, often finding creative ways to penetrate its defences for additional access or simply quench my thirst for internet connectivity and exploration of other university networks. This curiosity wasn’t confined to the academic environment alone; at home, my housemates and I, all university students, would engage in friendly digital skirmishes, setting up our Linux machines, crafting our LAN, and attempting to infiltrate each other’s systems for sport. It was a time of learning, experimentation, and understanding the foundational aspects of cybersecurity in a practical, hands-on manner.
Fast forward to my tenure at Microsoft, the scale and intensity of cyber engagements I encountered differed. I had the privilege of visiting Microsoft’s cybersecurity facilities, where I gained invaluable insights from teams dedicated to monitoring, preventing, and resolving some of the most significant cyber attacks worldwide. These experiences were further enriched by interactions with Azure cloud experts at Microsoft HQ in Redmond, USA, and other global experts, providing me with a comprehensive view of the cybersecurity landscape from a corporate and global perspective. This exposure to high-stakes cyber defence operations and collaboration with governments, intergovernmental organizations, and law enforcement agencies, including Interpol, was instrumental in shaping my understanding of the complexities and sophistication of modern cyber threats.
Over the years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the vulnerabilities that can leave organizations exposed to cyber criminals, leading to instances where companies were held hostage and demanded large ransoms. The shift towards the cloud has only amplified these risks. Despite the inherent security benefits of cloud infrastructures over traditional in-house data centres, the sheer volume of digital services, data, systems, and APIs migrating to the cloud has invariably increased the potential for vulnerabilities.
Through this boot camp, I aim to impart the knowledge and experiences I’ve gathered over the years, from the early days of playful network explorations to the high-stakes world of global cybersecurity operations. The boot camp is designed not just to teach the fundamentals and advanced concepts of cloud security but to instil a mindset that in cybersecurity, assuming the existence of vulnerabilities is a prerequisite for defence. If a vulnerability exists, it’s prudent to consider it already exploited. This course is a culmination of my journey in cybersecurity, tailored to prepare participants for the evolving challenges of securing modern digital infrastructures in the cloud era.