This subject guide provides curated open access (OA) and open educational resources (OER) supporting computer network security education, research, and applied practice at Vector Technology Institute. Resources focus on securing network infrastructure, protocols, devices, and services across enterprise and service-provider environments.
Programmes supported:
Advanced Diploma – Cyber Security Analyst · Computer Network Technician Certificate · Computer Network Security Technician Certificate · BSc Information & Communication Technology · ASc Computer Systems Technology · CCNA
How to Use This Guide Successfully
- Use Standards & Frameworks to understand accepted practices for securing network infrastructure.
- Consult Scholarly Sources for research on network attacks, defenses, and emerging threats.
- Apply Tools & Labs to practice network monitoring, segmentation, and intrusion detection.
- Use Training & OER to reinforce protocol-level understanding and certification preparation.
- Incorporate Regional context when analyzing network security challenges in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
Start Here: Network Security Research
Use these tools to locate scholarly and applied research related to network protocols, infrastructure security, and defensive technologies.
- Google Scholar – Research on network security, intrusion detection, routing security, and secure communications.
- BASE – Academic search engine indexing repositories and publishers with strong networking and security coverage.
- CORE – Aggregated open access research papers in networking, cybersecurity, and engineering.
- OpenAlex – Open research catalog useful for identifying influential network security literature.
Peer-Reviewed Journals & Scholarly Sources
- IEEE Access – Peer-reviewed research covering network security, wireless security, and secure communications.
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) – Curated index of peer-reviewed OA journals including networking and security titles.
- SpringerOpen – Open access journals covering networks, protocols, and information security.
- PLOS ONE – Interdisciplinary research including network analysis and security modeling.
Network Security Standards & Protocol Guidance
- NIST Computer Security Resource Center (CSRC) – Standards and guidelines for network and systems security.
- NIST SP 800 Series – Authoritative publications on network security controls, monitoring, and architecture.
- IETF RFCs – Official standards for Internet protocols (IPsec, TLS, BGP, DNS, etc.).
- ITU-T Security Standards – Telecommunications and network security standards.
Tools, Labs & Applied Practice
- Cisco Networking Academy – Networking and security labs aligned with CCNA and enterprise networking.
- Wireshark Documentation – Network traffic analysis and packet inspection.
- Suricata – Open-source network intrusion detection and prevention system.
- Snort – Network intrusion detection and traffic analysis.
- Kali Linux – Tools for network security testing and analysis.
Education, Training & OER
- MIT OpenCourseWare – Networking and security course materials.
- SkillsCommons – Workforce-aligned networking and security OER.
- OER Commons – Open instructional materials on networking and security fundamentals.
Regional Context: Jamaica & Caribbean
- Government of Jamaica Open Data Portal – Infrastructure and ICT datasets for applied projects.
- UWISpace – Caribbean research outputs including networking and ICT security.
- Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) – Regional policy and contextual resources.
Recommended Companion Guides
Use these guides alongside Computer Network Security to strengthen interdisciplinary understanding.
- Cybersecurity – Governance, risk management, threat intelligence, and enterprise security.
- Information Technology – Systems administration, infrastructure, and cloud platforms.
- Software Engineering – Secure application development and DevOps practices.
- Standards – Centralized access to technical and professional standards.
- Research Skills – Academic research, literature reviews, and citation guidance.