This course is designed to empower senior and advancing managers who want to get up to speed fast on information security issues and terminology. Lecture sections are intense; the most common student comment is that it's like drinking from a fire hose. The diligent manager will learn vital, up-to-date knowledge and skills required to supervise the security component of any information technology project.

Essentials topics covered in this management track include: Network Fundamentals and Applications, Hardware Architecture, Information Assurance Foundations, Computer Security Policies, Contingency and Continuity Planning, Business Impact Analysis, Incident Handling, Web Security, Offensive and Defensive Information Warfare, culminating with Management Practicum. Only SANS top instructors are invited to teach this course and you will be able to put what you learn into practice, the day you get back into the office.

There are three goals for this track and certification.

• Establish a minimum standard for IT Security knowledge, skills and abilities.In a nutshell this course covers all of the non-operating system topics that are in SANS Security Essentials, though not to the same level of depth. The goal is to enable managers and auditors to speak the same language as System, Security, and Network administrators.
• Establish a minimum standard for IT Management knowledge, skills and abilities. I keep running into managers that don't know TCP/IP and that is OK, but then they don't know how to calculate Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) leaving me quietly wondering what *do* they know.
• Save the up and coming generation of senior and rapidly advancing managers a world of pain by sharing the things we wish someone had shared with us. As the saying goes, it is OK to make mistakes, just make new ones.

Leadership Essentials topics covered in this management track include: Return on Investment with a Technology or Security Refresh, Network Fundamentals and Applications, Project Management, Information Assurance Foundations, Computer Security Policies, Contingency and Continuity Planning, Business Impact Analysis, Incident Handling, Intellectual Property Protection and Valuation, Web Security, Competitive Intelligence, Offensive and Defensive Information Warfare, culminating with Management Practicum. The material uses Knowledge Compression™, special charts, and other proprietary SANS techniques to help convey the key points of critical slides and keep the information flow rate at a pace senior executives demand every teaching hour of the course. Only SANS top instructors with management experience are invited to teach this course and you will be able to put what you learn into practice, the day you get back into the office.

A whirlwind tour of the information an effective IT security manager must know to function in today's environment. We will cover safety, physical security, how networks and the related protocols, like TCP/IP work and equip you to review network designs for performance, security and return on investment. Learn more about wireless networking, intellectual property and secure IT operations in a single day than you ever thought possible.

Learn information assurance foundations, which are presented in the context of both current and historical computer security threats, and how they have impacted confidentiality, integrity and availability. You will be taught the elements of sound security policies, password assessment tools for both Unix and Windows platforms, the information warfare threat and the six steps of incident handling.

In this course, you will obtain a roadmap that will help you understand and articulate both the range of threats and the options available to organizations ranging from intrusion detection systems, to honeypots and firewalls. Learn the framework for implementing an in-depth defense strategy that includes multiple defensive measures.

Examine various cryptographic tools and technologies and how they can be used to secure a company's assets. A related area called steganography , or information hiding, is also covered. Learn how malware and viruses often employ cryptographic techniques in an attempt to evade detection.

In the final day, we pull it all together and apply the technical knowledge to the art of management. The management practicum covers a number of specific applications and topics concerning information security. Well explore proven techniques for successful and effective management, empowering managers to immediately apply what you've been taught your first day back at the office.