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PYTHON FOR SECURITY INTERMEDIATE

Develop practical Python skills for cybersecurity applications. Learn to automate security tasks, analyze data, and build custom security tools through hands-on coding exercises and real-world projects.

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Python for Security

COURSE OVERVIEW

This 6-week intensive program teaches Python programming with a focus on cybersecurity applications. You'll learn to automate security tasks, process security data, and develop custom tools through hands-on coding exercises and real-world projects.

Duration

6 Weeks • 50 Hours

Level

Intermediate • Basic programming knowledge helpful

Certification

AstralGuard Python Security Specialist Badge

Format

Online • Instructor-led with coding labs

COURSE CURRICULUM

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

Week 1: Python Fundamentals & Setup

Learning Objectives

  • Understand Python's role in security automation
  • Set up a professional Python development environment
  • Master basic Python syntax and control structures
  • Write simple Python scripts for security tasks

Topics Covered

  • Introduction to Python and Its Role in Security
  • Installing Python and Setting Up Development Environment
  • Basic Syntax, Variables, Data Types
  • Control Structures: Conditionals and Loops
  • Functions and Modules
# Sample security script
def check_password_strength(password):
  if len(password) < 8:
    return "Weak"
  elif len(password) < 12:
    return "Moderate"
  else:
    return "Strong"

Activities

  • Hands-on: Write simple Python scripts
  • Lab: Basic scripting exercises (e.g., input/output, calculations)
  • Environment setup walkthrough

Assessment

  • Quiz: Python basics
  • Code submission: Simple security-related script

Week 2: Data Structures & File Handling

Learning Objectives

  • Work with Python's core data structures
  • Read, write, and manipulate files for security tasks
  • Handle exceptions and debug Python code
  • Parse and process security logs and configuration files

Topics Covered

  • Lists, Tuples, Dictionaries, and Sets
  • Working with Files: Reading, Writing, and Manipulating Data
  • Exception Handling and Debugging Techniques
  • Introduction to Python Libraries for Security
# Log file analyzer
def analyze_logs(log_file):
  with open(log_file, 'r') as f:
    errors = [line for line in f if 'ERROR' in line]
  return {
    'total_errors': len(errors),
    'unique_errors': len(set(errors))
  }

Activities

  • Practical: Parsing and processing text files (logs, config files)
  • Lab: Build a file parser script
  • Debugging exercises

Assessment

  • Assignment: Script to analyze and extract data from logs
  • Code review: File processing implementation

Week 3: Networking with Python

Learning Objectives

  • Understand networking concepts relevant to security
  • Work with Python's socket programming interface
  • Develop network scanning tools
  • Capture and analyze network packets

Topics Covered

  • Networking Concepts Overview
  • Python's socket Programming Basics
  • Building Simple Network Scanners
  • Introduction to Python Libraries: Scapy, Requests
# Basic port scanner
import socket

def port_scan(target, port):
  try:
    sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
    sock.settimeout(1)
    result = sock.connect_ex((target, port))
    return result == 0
  except socket.error:
    return False

Activities

  • Hands-on: Develop a port scanner script
  • Lab: Capture and analyze network packets with Scapy
  • Network analysis exercises

Assessment

  • Practical exercise: Network scanning and packet inspection
  • Code submission: Custom network tool

Week 4: Automation & Security Tool Development

Learning Objectives

  • Automate repetitive security tasks with Python
  • Develop scripts for vulnerability scanning
  • Implement web scraping for security intelligence
  • Collect security data using APIs

Topics Covered

  • Automating Repetitive Security Tasks with Python
  • Writing Scripts for Vulnerability Scanning
  • Introduction to Web Scraping for Security Intelligence
  • Using APIs for Security Data Collection
# Web scraper for security bulletins
import requests
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup

def get_security_bulletins():
  url = "https://example.com/security-bulletins"
  response = requests.get(url)
  soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, 'html.parser')
  bulletins = []
  for item in soup.select('.bulletin-item'):
    bulletins.append({
      'title': item.h3.text,
      'severity': item.select_one('.severity').text
    })
  return bulletins

Activities

  • Lab: Automate data collection from web sources
  • Project: Develop a basic vulnerability scanner
  • API integration exercises

Assessment

  • Assignment: Create an automation script for a security task
  • Code review: Vulnerability scanning implementation

Week 5: Working with Security Data Formats & APIs

Learning Objectives

  • Parse common security data formats (JSON, XML, CSV)
  • Integrate Python with security tools via APIs
  • Work with threat intelligence feeds
  • Handle API authentication and rate limiting

Topics Covered

  • Parsing JSON, XML, and CSV Data
  • Integrating Python with Security Tools and Platforms via APIs
  • Introduction to Threat Intelligence Feeds and Automation
  • Handling Authentication and Rate Limiting in APIs
# Threat intelligence feed processor
import json
import requests

def process_threat_feed(feed_url):
  response = requests.get(feed_url)
  data = json.loads(response.text)
  high_risk = [item for item in data if item['risk'] > 7]
  return {
    'total_indicators': len(data),
    'high_risk_count': len(high_risk),
    'high_risk': high_risk
  }

Activities

  • Hands-on: Build a script to consume threat intelligence feeds
  • Lab: API integration and data parsing
  • Data processing challenges

Assessment

  • Practical task: Automate fetching and processing security data from APIs
  • Code review: API integration implementation

Week 6: Final Project & Advanced Concepts

Learning Objectives

  • Combine all skills in an end-to-end security project
  • Implement basic cryptography in Python
  • Apply logging and error handling best practices
  • Present and review security tool implementations

Topics Covered

  • Combining Skills: End-to-End Security Script Development
  • Basic Cryptography with Python
  • Logging, Reporting, and Exception Handling Best Practices
  • Course Review, Q&A, and Next Steps
# Basic file encryption
from cryptography.fernet import Fernet

def encrypt_file(key, input_file, output_file):
  fernet = Fernet(key)
  with open(input_file, 'rb') as f:
    data = f.read()
  encrypted = fernet.encrypt(data)
  with open(output_file, 'wb') as f:
    f.write(encrypted)

Activities

  • Capstone Project: Develop a custom security tool or automation script
  • Presentation and Code Review with Peers and Instructor
  • Cryptography implementation exercises

Assessment

  • Final project submission and demo
  • Course feedback and certification preparation

COURSE RESOURCES

READY TO AUTOMATE SECURITY WITH PYTHON?

Transform your security workflows with Python scripting skills. Join our hands-on program and learn to build custom security tools from industry experts.

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