Example coursework · Independent teaching demonstrations
← Certification catalogCOMPTIA SECURITY+ / ONE EIGHT-WEEK HYBRID COURSE
CompTIA Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals
Mark Ciampa · 8th edition · ISBN 9798214000749
Independent example coursework by JustinFreres. Not an official CompTIA course or a claim of vendor sponsorship. Trademark attribution.
COURSE DEFINITION
Apply security principles to protect endpoints, identities, networks and cloud workloads. Analyze vulnerabilities and incidents, validate recovery and justify operational, governance and risk decisions.
One block is appropriate because this book prepares for one Security+ exam. It is a standalone course example, not an additional mandatory A+ core. This sample uses the same Monday evening calendar as 107; it is an alternative offering rather than a conflict-free schedule for enrollment in both. Portal reference 201 identifies this course internally and is not an assigned college catalog number.
Readiness: working familiarity with TCP/IP, operating systems, accounts and basic troubleshooting. New IT learners should develop those foundations before choosing this compressed format. College approval determines credit and enrollment requirements.
This is one intensive eight-week Security+ course, not two concurrent cores. Plan 10–14 hours of independent reading, handouts, practice, NETLAB work and remediation each week, plus the three-hour classroom meeting (13–17 hours total). Fifteen textbook modules are introduced in seven weeks before the comprehensive lab. The pace assumes working familiarity with operating systems, TCP/IP, accounts and basic troubleshooting. These are planning estimates, not a college credit-hour determination. Reserve several study sessions and weekend lab time, allow time for unsuccessful attempts, and ask for support early. Reading and handouts must be finished before class; attendance alone does not complete this hybrid course.
The textbook calls its 15 reading units “modules”; this portal groups them into eight weekly course modules. References to chapter reading include those textbook units.
CompTIA Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals, 8th Edition, Mark Ciampa, Cengage, ISBN 9798214000749. Reading-unit titles and sequence follow the publisher's contents. Classroom labs and handouts here are original teaching plans; they are not copied publisher projects.
Week 8 is one comprehensive lab day with two integrated stations. Classroom work is supervised; make-up arrangements require instructor approval.
Complete the 45-question MeasureUP practice, every approved matching NETLAB title, and a professional reflection. A NETLAB portfolio needs a separate section for each assigned title with procedures, evidence, interpreted results, troubleshooting and verification. Completion alone does not earn full credit.
Due the following Sunday at midnight, end of day, America/Chicago. This is 12:00 AM at the start of Monday. The deadline does not extend the earlier preparation or in-class requirements. Study across the week, reserve weekend lab time and allow time for remediation.
THE LEARNING PATH
Textbook units 1–15 in weeks 1–7.
Comprehensive lab in week 8.
Jan 11 / TEXTBOOK UNITS 1–2
Classify assets and threat actors, explain security principles and select physical, human and data controls.
1: Introduction to Information Security; 2: Pervasive Attack Surfaces and Controls
Jan 18 / TEXTBOOK UNITS 3–4
Verify data integrity, distinguish cryptographic functions and diagnose certificate trust and key-management issues.
3: Fundamentals of Cryptography; 4: Advanced Cryptography
Jan 25 / TEXTBOOK UNITS 5–6
Analyze endpoint threats, apply a hardening baseline and evaluate mobile or embedded-device protections.
5: Endpoint Vulnerabilities, Attacks, and Defenses; 6: Mobile and Embedded Device Security
Feb 1 / TEXTBOOK UNITS 7–8
Prove least-privilege access decisions and use network and host evidence to triage infrastructure threats.
7: Identity and Access Management; 8: Infrastructure Threats and Security Monitoring
Feb 8 / TEXTBOOK UNITS 9–10
Design segmentation, verify network restrictions and assess wireless authentication and exposure.
9: Infrastructure Security; 10: Wireless Network Attacks and Defenses
Feb 15 / TEXTBOOK UNITS 11–12
Allocate cloud responsibilities, review virtual workload controls and prioritize validated vulnerabilities by risk.
11: Cloud and Virtualization Security; 12: Vulnerability Management
Feb 22 / TEXTBOOK UNITS 13–15
Preserve evidence, validate recovery and defend governance, operational and risk-management decisions.
13: Incident Preparation and Investigation; 14: Oversight and Operations; 15: Information Security Management
Mar 1 / TEXTBOOK UNITS 1–15 review
Independently assess and defend a fictional environment, respond to an incident and justify residual-risk and recovery decisions.
Review all fifteen textbook modules and your remediation log; no new reading unit
| Component | Weight | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Opening quizzes | 7.5% | Eight in-class reading checks, equally weighted. |
| MeasureUP practices | 7.5% | Eight practices of at least 45 questions; results and three-concept remediation. |
| Handouts and reflections | 5% | Eight graded handouts and eight graded reflections, equally weighted. |
| Chapter labs and NETLAB portfolios | 20% | Weeks 1–7 classroom activities and eight weekly NETLAB portfolios, equally weighted within this category. |
| Comprehensive lab | 30% | Week 8 integrated practical; assigned stations share this weight equally. |
| Actual certification exam | 30% | Official SY0-701 result verified by the instructor. |
A 90–100 · B 80–89.99 · C 70–79.99 · D 60–69.99 · F below 60. Pre-exam coursework includes the comprehensive lab and all non-exam work, normalized over its combined 70%. At least 70% pre-exam coursework plus passing the official exam guarantees a final grade of at least C, or the higher weighted result. Missing or ungraded work counts zero in provisional totals.
Lab/NETLAB rubric: correct procedure/result 40%, reasoning/evidence 30%, safety/permissions/data handling 20%, documentation 10%. Handouts: accuracy 50%, complete responses and references 30%, clear explanations and preparation questions 20%. MeasureUP: verified minimum-question completion 50%, results evidence 25%, remediation 25%. Reflections: justified decision and technical accuracy 50%, supporting evidence 30%, professional handoff 20%. Quiz prompts share credit equally.
College policy governs accommodations, integrity, absences, late work, withdrawal and final grade approval. Arrange supervised make-ups with the instructor. Use only authorized lab targets and supplied evidence; never submit exam questions or dumps.
COURSE FINALE / TWO SEPARATE ASSESSMENTS
The week 8 meeting is the comprehensive lab day: Monday, March 1, 2027, 5:45–8:45 PM. After the opening readiness quiz, complete one integrated practical with the assigned lab activities as its stations. All stations share the 30% equally. Work independently in the supervised, authorized lab environment; the instructor supplies the fault scenario and permitted tools.
Defend a fictional organization in one integrated security incident: review assets, configurations and logs; identify and prioritize a vulnerability or attack indicator; implement authorized controls; preserve supplied evidence; validate recovery; and justify remaining risk and escalation. Use the assigned stations to document the full response.
Submit a single organized service portfolio across the assigned station submissions: intake and baseline, diagnosis and alternatives, procedure log, before/after evidence, validation tests, rollback or recovery plan, and a customer handoff. Rubric: correct procedure/result 40%; reasoning/evidence 30%; safety, permissions and data handling 20%; documentation 10%. Closeout includes a short explanation of your diagnosis, questions and exam-readiness announcements.
After the lab day, take the official CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 through an authorized testing provider. Schedule a separate appointment after the comprehensive lab and submit result evidence by Sunday, March 7, 2027 at midnight, end of day, America/Chicago. Arrange voucher/payment, identification and testing requirements in advance; this portal does not deliver or book the official exam. MeasureUP is practice and does not replace it. The instructor must announce any approved deadline extension or retake arrangement.
Submit the exam code, date, official scaled score and pass/fail result through the private CertificationExam submission. Provide the official score report through the instructor-approved private method for verification; do not share exam questions or answers. The instructor verifies the result and records the scaled score in administration.
The published passing score for this exam is 750 on a 100–900 scale. For this course only, 100 maps to 0%, the passing score maps to 70%, and 900 maps to 100%, using linear interpolation below and above passing. This is the college course conversion, not CompTIA's percentage score. See the official certification exam information. This course follows the exam version named in its syllabus. Confirm version availability and testing-provider deadlines before buying a voucher or booking.
If your pre-exam coursework average is at least 70% and you pass this course's official exam, your final course grade will be at least 70% (C). Pre-exam coursework includes the comprehensive lab and all other non-exam work, normalized over its combined 70% weight. Higher weighted results earn the corresponding higher grade. Missing or unverified exam results remain ungraded and count as zero until verified; they do not trigger the guarantee.