NSSD Network Security Training Manual

Project snapshot

The manual was written for a scenario where North Star Software Developers experienced a server compromise that may have exposed personal information and credit card data. The deliverable translates cybersecurity concepts into employee-ready procedures for capturing traffic, reviewing alerts, configuring controls, assessing vulnerabilities, and documenting security activity.

Score

A — 396.68 / 410

Course artifact

Final network security training manual

Audience

IT employees and security stakeholders

Bonus build

Interactive cyber defense mission website

What I built

I created a 91-page company training manual for North Star Software Developers. The manual covers the full defensive workflow: traffic analysis, packet capturing, firewall rule creation, network segmentation, blocking/allowing/filtering traffic, intrusion detection and prevention, vulnerability assessment, network assessment, auditing, log collection, SIEM correlation, and a summary of approved tools.

I also created an interactive HTML training companion called NSSD Cyber Defense Mission. It turns the manual into a plain-language training experience with sections for the mission scenario, security layers, incident response flow, approved tools, glossary terms, and quiz-style reinforcement.

Why I built it

The purpose was to show how network security documentation should support real business needs after a compromise. The scenario required more than defining tools. It required explaining how packet captures, firewall records, IDS/IPS alerts, vulnerability findings, endpoint logs, and SIEM correlation work together during investigation, mitigation, and response.

How I structured the work

Manual section	What it covers	Portfolio value
Executive overview	Purpose, network defense assessment, mitigation assessment, and incident response assessment	Connects technical work to risk, business priorities, and stakeholder confidence
Traffic analysis	Wireshark/tcpdump concepts, packet capture procedure, filtering, packet review, and evidence handling	Shows practical network visibility and evidence-gathering workflow
Firewalls	Rule creation, network segmentation, allowed/blocked traffic, filtering, and attack detection methods	Shows access-control and defense-in-depth thinking
IDS/IPS	Allowlisting, blocklisting, sensor placement, monitoring, logging, alerting, and response	Shows detection engineering and alert-handling concepts
Vulnerability assessment	Scanning, device discovery, penetration-testing detection, weakness identification, and remediation tracking	Shows risk-based remediation and validation thinking
Network assessment	Rogue device detection, malicious connection review, topology awareness, and output interpretation	Shows infrastructure visibility and troubleshooting judgment
Auditing and log collection	Firewall logs, authentication logs, IDS/IPS logs, endpoint logs, centralized logging, and SIEM correlation	Shows investigation readiness and audit discipline

Instructor feedback highlights

• Strong connection to NSSD’s server compromise, sensitive information, software-development operations, and business priorities.
• Practical structure for capturing traffic, evaluating alerts, configuring controls, assessing vulnerabilities, and documenting security activity.
• Clear risk-based prioritization across mitigation, incident response, and vulnerability assessment.
• Remaining improvement areas were presentation-level polish: reducing repetition, improving figure numbering, captions, annotations, and screenshot spacing.

Interactive training companion

The HTML version reframes the manual for nontechnical and mixed technical audiences. It uses plain-language analogies, clickable security-layer cards, a response-flow model, an approved-tools table, glossary terms, checklist progress, and quiz interactions.

What this proves

I think this project shows that I can turn cybersecurity theory into usable operating procedures. It demonstrates network defense knowledge, incident response judgment, security documentation, technical writing, training design, and the ability to translate a complex compromise scenario into clear instructions for IT personnel.