Quiz: Assignment Overview: You have spent this module learning how to transition from a student of cybersecurity to a paid professional. Reading about these strategies is useless without execution. This assignment is designed to force you out of “learning mode” and into “building mode.” You will create three critical assets that you will actually use in the real world: a personalized certification study plan, your live professional portfolio, and your first monetization asset. Total Points Possible: 100 Points Submission Format: A single PDF document containing links, written text, and structured plans. (Or a Word Document). Part 1: The Certification Roadmap (15 Points) You cannot boil the ocean. Trying to study for three certifications at once will result in failing all three. In this section, you will map out your immediate next step. Task: Choose ONE certification from Lesson 7.1 (CompTIA Security+, eJPT, or OSCP) that aligns with your current skill level. Create a realistic, week-by-week study schedule. Deliverable: Create a table or structured list that includes: Chosen Certification: (State the exam code if applicable, e.g., SY0-701). Target Exam Date: (A realistic date 2 to 6 months from now). Budget Breakdown: The exact cost of the exam voucher, practice tests, and any books you plan to buy. Weekly Schedule (Minimum 4 weeks): For each week, list: Passive Learning: (e.g., “Watch Professor Messer Videos 1.1 – 1.5”) Active Learning: (e.g., “Complete 50 Dion Practice Questions”) Hands-on Lab: (e.g., “Configure UFW firewall in Kali Linux to match PBQ requirements”) Grading Criteria: 15 points for a realistic, detailed, and logically paced plan that utilizes the specific study methodologies taught in the lesson (not just “read a book”). Part 2: The “Learn in Public” Portfolio Build (40 Points) This is the most important part of the assignment. A resume is a claim; a portfolio is proof. You are going to build your digital storefront right now. Task A: Deploy Your GitHub Pages Site (15 Points) Follow the Step-by-Step Tutorial from Lesson 7.2 to create a free GitHub Pages portfolio. Deliverable for Task A: Provide the live URL to your GitHub Pages website (e.g., https://yourusername.github.io). I will click this link. Ensure the site includes: A professional “About Me” section (3 sentences as outlined in the lesson). A “Certifications” or “Current Studies” section. A “Projects & Write-Ups” section (even if it just says “Coming Soon” for now). A “Contact” section with a professional email and LinkedIn profile. Task B: Write Your First Lab Write-Up (25 Points) Using the knowledge and labs from Modules 1 through 6, write a formal Lab Write-Up to be posted on your new website. Deliverable for Task B: Paste the text of your Lab Write-Up into your PDF submission. It must follow the exact 5-step structure taught in Lesson 7.2: The Hook and Objective: What are you doing and why? The Tools Used: List tools with brief definitions. The Methodology: Step-by-step commands you typed and what they did. (e.g., I ran nmap -sV to…) The Mitigation: How does a defender fix the vulnerability or misconfiguration you found? (Optional but highly recommended) A placeholder where a screenshot would go, described in brackets, e.g., [Screenshot of Nmap output showing port 445 open here]. Grading Criteria: 15 pts for a live, functioning, clean website. 25 pts for a write-up that strictly follows the requested structure, uses correct terminology, and provides a logical mitigation strategy. Spelling and grammar matter—this is a test of your communication skills. Part 3: The Monetization Asset (35 Points) Choose ONE of the three pathways from Lesson 7.3 (Platform Freelancing, Direct Consulting, or Passive Income) and build the exact copy/assets you would use to get paid. Option A: The Fiverr/Upwork Gig (Freelancing) Write the exact copy for your gig profile. Include: Gig Title: (SEO optimized) Pricing Tiers: (Basic, Standard, Premium) with exact prices and specific deliverables for each. Gig Description: The sales copy (minimum 100 words) addressing the client’s pain points. Requirements: The mandatory questions you ask the buyer upon purchase. Option B: The Cold Email Pitch (Direct Consulting) Use Google Maps to find a real local small business (dentist, law firm, etc.). Write out: The Target: Name and type of business. The Decision Maker: The name of the owner/manager you found. The Email: The exact cold email you would send, customizing the template provided in Lesson 7.3. Option C: The Digital Product Pitch (Passive Income) Design a digital product you could sell on Gumroad. Include: Product Name: Catchy and clear. Platform: Where you will sell it. Price: And why you chose that price point. Sales Copy: A 150-word description selling the product, highlighting the pain point it solves for the buyer. Grading Criteria: 35 points for choosing one option and executing it with high professionalism, persuasive copywriting, and strict adherence to the frameworks taught in the lesson. Part 4: The Legal Shield Check (10 Points) Understanding the legal boundaries of cybersecurity consulting is what separates an amateur from a professional. Answer the following two scenario-based questions in 3-4 sentences each: Scenario 1: A small business owner finds you on LinkedIn. He says: “My network is running really slow and I think I have a virus. Can you just remote in real quick and take a look? I’ll pay you $100 cash via Venmo, we don’t need a contract for something this small.” Question: How do you respond, and why? Cite a specific legal concept from Lesson 7.3. Scenario 2: You are hired to perform a $300 External Vulnerability Assessment (scanning) on a company’s 5 public IP addresses. While writing the report, you notice that one of their web applications has a severe SQL injection flaw. The client emails you: “Since you’re already looking at it, can you just exploit the SQL injection to prove it’s real, and then show us how to patch it?” Question: What is the danger here regarding your original contract, and how do you handle this request? Grading Criteria: 5 points per question. Full points awarded only if the student correctly identifies the risks (working without a contract/scope creep) and articulates a professional, legally sound response. 📝 Submission Checklist (Before you upload, ensure you have:) Chosen a certification and provided a detailed, budgeted 4+ week study plan. Provided a clickable, live link to a deployed GitHub Pages portfolio containing an About Me and Contact section. Written a formal Lab Write-Up following the 5-step methodology (Hook, Tools, Method, Mitigation). Completed ONE monetization option (Fiverr Gig, Cold Email, or Digital Product Pitch) with professional copywriting. Answered the two legal scenario questions correctly. Saved everything into a single PDF/Word document and uploaded it to the LMS. - The Acinge Network
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