Foundations of Cybersecurity, 2nd Edition

A Straightforward Introduction

by Jason Andress

March 2026, 280 pp.

ISBN-13:

9781718504400

The latest Early Access file for this title will be sent out within the next week. Thank you for your patience and support!

Cybersecurity is critical to protecting data, systems, and people. Whether you’re new to the field, an IT professional strengthening your skills, or a manager shaping security policy, Foundations of Cybersecurity provides the knowledge and practice you need.

Building on the first edition (Foundations of Information Security), this updated guide covers the essentials: authentication, authorization, and auditing; cryptography; security architecture; threat assessment; network and OS hardening; application and IoT security; incident response; compliance; and the human factors attackers exploit.

You’ll learn how to:

Apply the core principles of security across systems and networks
Defend against emerging threats like AI-driven attacks and IoT vulnerabilities
Manage incident response and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC)
Strengthen defenses against social engineering and insider threats
Explore career paths and skills for a future in cybersecurity

What’s New in This Edition
Includes a new chapter on AI security, expanded coverage of security operations and governance, and practical “Down the Rabbit Hole” labs in every chapter to help you practice real-world skills.

Whether you’re new to the field, strengthening your skills, or guiding a team, this book will help you build a solid foundation for protecting systems, data, and people.

Author Bio

Dr. Jason Andress is a veteran security professional and researcher with extensive experience in data protection, network defense, penetration testing, and digital forensics. He has worked on everything from malware outbreaks to high-level incident response and is a frequent speaker, educator, and author in the field of cybersecurity.

Table of contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction

Part I: Core Principles
Chapter 1: What Is Cybersecurity?
Chapter 2: The Threat Landscape
Chapter 3: Identification and Authentication
Chapter 4: Authorization and Access Controls
Chapter 5: Auditing and Accountability
Chapter 6: Cryptography

Part II: Architecture, Infrastructure, and System Security
Chapter 7: Security Architecture
Chapter 8: Network Security
Chapter 9: Operating System Security
Chapter 10: Mobile, Embedded, and Internet of Things Security
Chapter 11: Application Security
Chapter 12: AI Security

Part III: Security Operations and Management
Chapter 13: SecOps, the SOC, and Incident Response
Chapter 14: Governance, Risk, and Compliance
Chapter 15: Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Testing

Part IV: Human Factors and Professional Development
Chapter 16: Social Engineering
Chapter 17: Security Awareness
Chapter 18: So You Want to Be a Security Professional

Bibliography

The chapters in red are included in this Early Access PDF.