CYBERSPACE UNLOCKED - Volume 2: How the Internet and Networks Actually Work

Defensive Cybersecurity Textbook & Lab Manual | DANNY Publishing

You know WHAT to protect. Now learn HOW it connects.

In Volume 1, you learned the language of cybersecurity: the CIA triad, assets, threats, vulnerabilities, risk and defence in depth. Volume 2 takes that mindset onto the network - the place where modern digital services communicate and where many attacks and defences meet.

If Volume 1 was about how to think like a defender, Volume 2 is about understanding the networks that defenders protect.

No coding is needed. No prior networking experience is needed. The book builds from clear explanations, practical examples and safe, controlled exercises.

HOW VOLUME 2 BUILDS ON VOLUME 1

Volume 1 taught you to ask: What do I have? What could go wrong? What control helps?

Volume 2 applies those questions to real network concepts. You will consider data in motion, Wi-Fi, routers, DNS, DHCP, ports, services and network boundaries. You will learn to distinguish what is normal, what is exposed and what needs a control.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

UNIT 2 - HOW THE INTERNET AND NETWORKS ACTUALLY WORK

CHAPTER 1 - Network Foundations and Topology

- What networks do; LANs, WANs and personal networks

- Network topology, clients, servers and endpoints

- Switches, routers, firewalls and packet basics

CHAPTER 2 - Protocol Models and Local Delivery

- The OSI and TCP/IP models as troubleshooting tools

- How protocol layers fit together

- MAC addresses and local delivery

CHAPTER 3 - IP Addressing and Subnetting

- IPv4 and IPv6 addressing

- Public, private and documentation address ranges

- Static and dynamic addressing

- Subnet masks, CIDR and a worked subnetting example

CHAPTER 4 - Naming and Address Configuration

- DNS and how names resolve to records

- DHCP and automatic network configuration

- ARP and IPv6 neighbour discovery

CHAPTER 5 - Ports and Application Protocols

- Ports, sockets and services

- HTTP, HTTPS and secure transport

- FTP, SFTP, SSH and SMTP

CHAPTER 6 - Segmentation and Network Protection

- NAT, VLANs and network segmentation

- Wi-Fi security and guest access

- Logs, observability and packet capture

- Firewall rules, least privilege and router hardening

CHAPTER 7 - Network Design and Troubleshooting

- Building a useful network inventory

- Designing a small-shop network

- Troubleshooting DNS, addressing, gateways and connections layer by layer

CHAPTER 8 - Safe Lab Practice and Review

- Mapping an isolated virtual network

- Inspecting settings before connecting

- Reviewing a network outage case study

- Explaining a packet journey

WHAT'S INSIDE THE BOOK

- 1 complete learning unit with 8 chapters, objectives, key terms, explanations, technical notes, examples and review material

- 20 exam questions with answer explanations

- A printable Network Inventory Worksheet

- A networking glossary and alphabetical index

- A Professional Practice Extension on network architecture and assurance

- Practitioner Notes, Safety Warnings and Evidence Checks

- References to authoritative standards and guidance, including NIST CSF 2.0, IETF RFCs, CISA, NIST publications, Wireshark and Nmap documentation

WHO IS THIS FOR?

- Readers who completed Volume 1 and want to understand the network behind the risk

- Complete beginners who want to understand the internet without unnecessary jargon

- Students and career changers building a foundation for cybersecurity

- Remote workers, freelancers and small-business owners who manage their own Wi-Fi and routers

- Anyone who has asked: What is my router actually doing? Is my Wi-Fi configured safely?

WHY THIS VOLUME MATTERS

Many cyber incidents involve networked systems and services. Understanding DNS helps explain name-resolution risks. Understanding ports helps explain service exposure. Understanding Wi-Fi, routers and firewalls helps you make better decisions about home and small-business networks.

Volume 2 does not teach you to break into networks. It teaches you to understand, inventory and defend networks within an authorised scope.

Every exercise is limited to devices, networks and accounts you own or are expressly authorised to administer, using synthetic data and safe practices. The book does not authorise access to other people's networks, interception of communications or bypassing security controls.

This volume includes U.S.-focused legal examples in its safety and legal notices. Readers in other jurisdictions must check the laws and requirements that apply where they live and work. No job outcome, certification pass or security result is promised.

YOU LEARNED HOW TO THINK IN VOLUME 1. NOW LEARN HOW IT CONNECTS IN VOLUME 2.

Get Volu

me 2 and build a practical understanding of how networks work - and how defenders protect them.