Introduction
Technological advancements bring new and exciting opportunities, but it also introduces new vulnerabilities that hostile entities may exploit. In this technological arms race, it is no surprise that cybersecurity has become a booming industry, with a high demand for professionals skilled in the latest advancements. It is no surprise that many are eager to break into such a promising industry, while many professionals scramble to upskill to ascend the ranks. To do so, the right credentials are needed. While there are thousands of cyber security courses available online, they can vary vastly in quality. Choosing the right course for your skill level and aspirations can be overwhelming, so we have compiled a list of reputable courses for you.Â
Future Learn
Future Learn boasts a large variety of short introductory courses that are, best of all, free.
Conversely, there are fewer paid accredited courses available. Nonetheless, the available accredited degrees do cover disciplines in IT and computer science and are nothing to scoff at either.
The short courses offered by Future Learn are praised for their clarity and ease of learning, while also making the work engaging and interesting. One such course is Introduction to Cyber Security. The course is recognised by a number of prestigious institutions, including The Institute of Information Security Professionals, world-leading accreditation institute APMG International, and even UK government intelligence GCHQ.
For non-accredited courses, students can pay for a certificate of participation as proof of learning. Those who are willing to put in a bit more financial investment can gain access to all the content on Future Learn for a fixed fee.
Coursera
Coursera offers accredited degrees in IT and data science from reputable universities. Although cybersecurity is not one of the subjects, the degrees will nonetheless cover related cybersecurity topics in great detail.
There are also shorter courses available. One notable one is from the University of Maryland, which offers a series of five courses under Cybersecurity Specialization. It takes a few weeks to complete all five courses. These courses all require some intermediate cybersecurity knowledge. They teach students how to develop secure systems and other related concepts.
Udemy
“Cyber Security Crash Course for Beginners: Learn From Scratch” and “The Data Science Course 2020: Complete Data Science Bootcamp” are some paid courses on Udemy that are well with your money. Udemy also has a wide range of free courses, but the aforementioned ones are truly worth the modest sum of money they cost. Among the free courses offered, Cyber Security Course for Beginners – Level 01 is an excellent introductory course for those interested in the topic. The only downside to Udemy courses would be the absence of official, industry-recognised certification. Nevertheless, regardless of the course, you choose, you’re sure to benefit from it as Udemy is known for its truly impressive library of intellectually rigorous courses
Cybrary
Cybrary is an online library for cybersecurity, IT and other Information Security-related study materials. Upon the creation of a free account, you can immediately access over 500 courses. The courses range from purely educational, like Malware 101, to fun and eccentric topics like the art of the Jedi mind trick.
Cybrary makes it easy to select the course that perfectly meets your needs and skill level. Classes can be filtered by difficulty — namely Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced –and the courses are also ranked by difficulty. The classes can also be filtered according to vendors, such as Microsoft, Cisco, and so on. Other than its comprehensive filtering system, Cybrary is also perfectly tailored to your learning needs via its topic-specific courses. While the courses are not accredited, they are nonetheless great for students who wish to specialize instead of taking an extensive course just to learn the one thing they need.
Open University
Open University is a UK-based online university. They have a wide range of accredited courses and credentials in the IT sector. Open University is a leader in its field, with courses that were developed over many years and a diverse student pool from all over the globe. It provides an extremely structured environment for learning, with clear timetables and well-presented information. The courses also offer unparalleled flexibility, with some allowing part-time students to take up to 16 years to qualify for a degree.
Open University as a variety of IT, computer science, cybersecurity and data science courses. All the courses touch on security issues to varying degrees. The courses are suitable for students of all backgrounds. The courses guide new students to understand increasingly complex and difficult concepts without overwhelming them.
NexGenT
Though costly, the courses of NexGenT are definitely worth the premium price. The courses are accredited, well-structured, rigorous and in-depth, and offer career counselling and related services. In return, the base tuition fee for the Cyber Security Specialization course is USD 12,500. An alternative payment plan exists, where students who have gotten a job with at least USD40,000 pay 10% of their salary for seven years. If you are still hesitant to fork out such a large sum of money, you will be reassured to know that the course has over 50,000 students enrolled in it, and has taught 460,000 classes so far.
Basic Training is an introductory course targeted at students who have yet to gain a background in cybersecurity. It is also self-paced and is thus suitable for all learners regardless of their availability or initial aptitude. The course certifies its students in Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Full-Stack Network Associate (FSNA). It also serves as a pre-requisite to the more advanced and intensive course, Cyber Security Specialization.
Cyber Security Specialization is an extensive, 22-week course that trains students in implementing cybersecurity in businesses vulnerable to attack. Graduates of this course can also utilize the career services offered by NexGenT.
The military-grade course was founded by two veterans from the US Air Force with many years of experience teaching cybersecurity and network engineering.
Conclusion
Whether you prefer courses that are free or premium, short and sweet or intensive and accredited, there is sure to be one that matches your needs. Cybersecurity is a booming industry, and its growth will only increase as more technological advancements are made. There is much to gain in entering this promising industry. So, take the first step and enrol in one of these courses today!
