Syllabus
One curriculum, four role-based tracks. Every track shares four core modules, then adds the specialist modules for its work, and finishes with the capstone assessment. All content is written for Australian practitioners: Gatekeeper, the ISM, ASD's post-quantum milestones and Australian law come first.
Not sure which track? The placement assessment takes about 25 minutes and assigns one. Executives and senior partners start with the Executive Briefing (29 min).
Tracks
Engineering Track
Implementation, automation, architecture, and future-proofing
For: Developers, Security Engineers, Architects, DevSecOps
- M1
- M2
- M4
- M5-Core
- M3
- M5
- M7
- M9
Time: about 36 hours of guided content plus the capstone
After this track you can
- Configure TLS and mTLS against the current ISM and explain every choice to an auditor
- Automate issuance with ACME (profiles, ARI, rate limits) on 200-day and shorter certificates
- Plan and defend a post-quantum migration to the ASD 2030 milestones
Operations Track
Day-to-day management, troubleshooting, lifecycle automation
For: IT Ops, Sysadmins, Help Desk, Certificate Administrators
- M1
- M2
- M4
- M5-Core
- M3
- M7
- M9
Time: about 30 hours of guided content plus the capstone
After this track you can
- Run certificate lifecycle operations without an expiry outage
- Read a chain, a CRL and a CT log entry and say what is wrong
- Operate HSM-backed keys under FIPS 140-3 and Gatekeeper expectations
Policy & Legal Track
Standards compliance, liability frameworks, policy development
For: Compliance Officers, Legal Teams, Auditors, Policy Writers
- M1
- M2
- M4
- M5-Core
- M6
- M8
- M9
Time: about 31 hours of guided content plus the capstone
After this track you can
- Write and review a CP/CPS against RFC 3647 and the Gatekeeper Core Obligations
- Advise on when an electronic signature is valid under the Electronic Transactions Act and where liability lands
- Prepare for WebTrust/ETSI audit and Gatekeeper accreditation review
Advisory Track
Strategic decisions, risk assessment, future planning
For: Consultants, Risk Advisors, Senior Management, Business Analysts
- M1
- M2
- M4
- M5-Core
- M5
- M6
- M8
- M9
Time: about 36 hours of guided content plus the capstone
After this track you can
- Brief an executive on PKI risk, quantum urgency and the cost of doing nothing
- Evaluate vendor and CA claims against Gatekeeper, ISM and eIDAS requirements
- Set a PQC migration strategy with realistic phases and budgets
Mint outline = core module shared by every track. Hours are the registry estimate for the module content; the capstone adds about 45 minutes of scenario work and a 35-question assessment.
Modules
Cryptography Foundations
Symmetric, asymmetric encryption, hash functions, and digital signatures
- Units:
- 7
- Time:
- 5.7 h
- Before this:
- nothing
- Competencies:
- Cryptography
- Tracks:
- all
PKI Fundamentals
X.509 certificates, Certificate Authorities, trust chains, and certificate lifecycle
- Units:
- 8
- Time:
- 6.2 h
- Before this:
- M1
- Competencies:
- PKI Fundamentals, Cryptography
- Tracks:
- all
PKI in Practice
Configure TLS, automate certificates with ACME, manage trust stores, and troubleshoot errors
- Units:
- 6
- Time:
- 4.5 h
- Before this:
- M2
- Competencies:
- Implementation, Operations
- Tracks:
- Eng, Ops
Australian Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper PKI framework, accreditation, and AU government requirements
- Units:
- 7
- Time:
- 5.7 h
- Before this:
- M2
- Competencies:
- Australian Gatekeeper, Policy & Governance
- Tracks:
- all
Post-Quantum PKI (Core)
Essential quantum-safe cryptography concepts for all tracks
- Units:
- 3
- Time:
- 0.8 h
- Before this:
- M1
- Competencies:
- Post-Quantum, Cryptography
- Tracks:
- all
Post-Quantum PKI
Quantum threats, NIST PQC standards, hybrid cryptography, and migration planning
- Units:
- 6
- Time:
- 5.8 h
- Before this:
- M5-Core
- Competencies:
- Post-Quantum, Cryptography
- Tracks:
- Eng, Advisory
PKI Policy & Governance
RFC 5280, CP/CPS frameworks, WebTrust/ETSI audits, Gatekeeper policy alignment
- Units:
- 6
- Time:
- 5.3 h
- Before this:
- M2, M4
- Competencies:
- Policy & Governance, Legal & Liability
- Tracks:
- Policy, Advisory
PKI Operations
Key management, certificate automation, DevSecOps, HSM operations, monitoring
- Units:
- 6
- Time:
- 5.4 h
- Before this:
- M3
- Competencies:
- Operations, Implementation
- Tracks:
- Eng, Ops
PKI Legal & Liability
Digital signature law, liability allocation, Gatekeeper vs eIDAS models
- Units:
- 6
- Time:
- 5.2 h
- Before this:
- M2, M4
- Competencies:
- Legal & Liability, Policy & Governance
- Tracks:
- Policy, Advisory
Capstone
A realistic Australian PKI scenario for your track, then the final assessment
- Units:
- 4
- Time:
- 1.8 h
- Before this:
- all track modules
- Competencies:
- Cryptography, PKI Fundamentals, Implementation, Operations, Legal & Liability, Policy & Governance, Australian Gatekeeper, Post-Quantum
- Tracks:
- all