Cybersecurity is a growing concern for businesses and individuals worldwide, with more people creating and leaving digital footprints in the virtual world. To this end, people need to secure their information by tightening their security protocols.
Safeguarding information birthed the world of cybersecurity, which has become a lucrative career path for most tech-savvy people. There is room for as many people considering this career path, and acquiring the knowledge does not require a primary formal education.
There is a long list of online courses — whether paid or free — for those who wish to become successful in this field to choose from. To keep you from searching for a needle in a haystack, we’ve put together top seven online courses for a successful career in cybersecurity.
- Diploma in Cyber Security
Reed offers this course for professionals interested in developing a career in cybersecurity and risk management. Graduates of this course acquire skills that help them implement strategies to mitigate a cyber-attack risk.
The course offers training on the interplay between cybersecurity, ethics, and social concerns for businesses. Participants learn five mandatory modules, generating 120 overall credits. The compulsory units are:
- Cybersecurity threat and risk
- Network security and data communications
- Database security and computer programming
- Incident response, investigations, and forensics
- Security strategy: laws, policies, and implementation
The materials for the courses are available online from anywhere in the world, with a comprehensive e-library. Those who complete the course get a Level 4 Diploma in Cyber Security accredited by Qualifi and it is OfQual-UK-gov regulated.
- Cyber Security Risk Assessment and Management Training
This course has accreditation from GCHQ, NCSC, and CompTIA, and it is organized by Learning Tree International. It teaches participants how to carry out system security risk assessments and analysis and identify weak points and vulnerabilities.
It also teaches about the laws and regulations affecting organizations and how to remain compliant with the industry’s cybersecurity requirements and standards. The content of the course covers:
- Introduction to risk assessment and management
- Characterizing system security requirements
- Selecting appropriate security controls
- Reducing risk through effective control implementation
- Assessing compliance scope and depth
- Authorizing system operation
- Maintaining continued compliance
The course is available online, and it is instructor-led. At the completion, the participant would get a 23 CompTIA CEU certificate.
- Cybersecurity and Its Ten Domains
This course is offered by Coursera and it provides introductory knowledge to cybersecurity. Participants enrolled in this course would have access to materials that address:
- Governance and risk management
- Compliance
- Business continuity and disaster recovery
- Cryptography
- Software development security
- Access control
- Network security
- Security architecture
- Security operations
- Physical and environmental security
At the end of the course, participants have the option of applying for undergraduate level course credit at Kennesaw State University. The latter is dependent on admission as a degree or non-seeking degree student of the university. It is 100% online.
- Certified Cyber Security Foundation Course
This is a course under IT Governance, and it gives a broad overview of information security. Participants need to have basic knowledge in information technology, and by the end of the course, they would have experience on how to reinforce cybersecurity defenses.
Topics covered in this course are:
- Threat intelligence
- Malware
- Humans and social engineering
- Phishing
- Password security
- Mobile device, web application, and social media security
- An introduction to risk management
- Security standards and frameworks
- Security in the cloud (ISO 27018)
The course is available online, and participants have access to the course materials 20 days before it begins. Upon completion, a person would get a Certified Cyber Security Foundation certificate.
- Essentials of Cyber Security
This course offered by EdX provides knowledge in the cybersecurity landscape, competencies, and career pathways. Participants will learn about the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and study the procedures, policies, practices, and technologies put in place to mitigate organizational and system vulnerabilities to a cyber attack.
Topics under this head include:
- Roles and sectors within the cybersecurity industry
- Relationship between management and technology in cyber protection
- Identification of appropriate security controls to the actions of different and evolving threat actors
- Application of terminology and basic concepts of cybersecurity
At the end of the course, participants would be able to access their knowledge and cybersecurity skills. It is online, and participants get a UWashingtonX’s Essentials of Cyber Security Professional Certificate.
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Training
It is a course provided by IT Governance, and it teaches participants how to plan and carry out penetration testing and abiding by the necessary regulations. This is a course for intermediate cybersecurity experts, and it covers:
- Ethical hacking methodology
- Pre-attack reconnaissance
- How to fingerprint and enumerate targets
- How to perform networking scanning and sniffing
- How to assess system vulnerability
- Web attacks
It is an online course and offers access to a virtual lab with real-life simulations for the practice of penetration testing strategies, tools, and technology. At the end of the course, the participants get an EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker certificate.
- The Complete Cyber Security Course: Hackers Exposed
This course by Udemy is for those who wish to become an expert in security, privacy, and anonymity. It provides practical skills in mitigating the risk from malware, Trojans, hackers, tracker, cybercriminals, and other online threats.
Participants will develop:
- Advanced practical skills in defeating all online threats
- Master encryption skills from threat landscapes like darknets, dark markets, zero-day vulnerabilities, exploit kits, malware, phishing, and much more
- In-depth skills through physical and virtual isolation and compartmentalization
- Skills for nation-state secret tracking and hacking infrastructure
This course is available online, and participants can learn at their pace. Upon completion, participants would get a certification signed by the instructor and claim CPE credits.
Conclusion
The cybersecurity field opportunities are endless, and this list by no means exhausts the number of courses to help you grow in the industry. Continuous learning is required to excel, but these top seven courses would set you on the right track in building a career in this field. While at it, explore different cybersecurity areas, practice as much as possible, join networking groups, and find a mentor.
Author Bio: Karl Murphy is a professional journalist from Des Moines, Iowa. After obtaining his Master’s degree, he’s launched his career and over its course, Karl was contributing to the popular publications for men. He’s passionate about eSports, so now he develops his blog csgo-bettingsites.com.
Karl is a guest blogger. All opinions are his own.
