Cybersecurity is still facing a talent gap, so if ever you were looking to upskill in infosec, now is the time.
While the tech sector is constantly fighting against the skills shortage and looking for the best talent, few areas struggle to fill its vacancies as much as cybersecurity.
And for those in tech looking to upskill, gaining a certification in infosec seems like an obvious choice, given the fruitful job market.
But, if you already have full-time work, it can be hard to find the time to upskill with a course that requires you to turn up to physical lectures, especially if they’re nowhere near where you work or live.
That’s where online courses come in. While there are countless options that can be helpful for various budgets and skill levels, we’ve rounded up six to help get you started.
Cybersecurity for IT professionals – Lynda
For beginners, this two-hour course is the perfect introduction to cybersecurity. It’s a practical course that introduces students to tools that can analyse and protect systems.
It is offered through Lynda, a leading online learning platform from LinkedIn that can help anyone learn a wide range of skills, including cybersecurity. The site offers a 30-day free trial and, after that, prices start from €14.95.
The fundamentals of cybersecurity – SANS Cyber Aces
Cyber Aces is SANS’ philanthropic initiative to help individuals discover and develop skills and careers in cybersecurity. This means the courses it offers are free of charge.
The course introduces students to the fundamentals of infosec, teaching the core concepts needed to understand, assess and protect information security systems.
Users have the option to participate in the modules with or without quizzes, which will test their knowledge and help them retain what they have learned.
IT cybersecurity certification e-learning bundle – College of Management and IT (CMIT)
CMIT provides courses that are approved by, or lead to, certification by various educational bodies and organisations.
This particular bundle is currently on special offer for €595, though it’s still on the pricier end of the scale, given that you can enrol in some online courses for free. However, this option offers 12 months’ access to the three most valued IT security certifications: CISA, CISSP and CISM.
This course is specifically aimed at professionals with more than five years’ experience in certain fields of security.
Cybersecurity fundamentals – Coursera
Created by the University of Maryland, Coursera’s cybersecurity fundamentals course focuses on how to design and build secure systems with a human-centric focus.
There are a number of courses within the specialisation that can span the full year if students wish to enrol in them all, including software security, cryptography and usable security.
Forensic computing and cybercrime investigation programme – University College Dublin (UCD)
For those in law enforcement, UCD has developed an online course to upskill in forensic computing and cybercrime investigation.
Lectures are pre-recorded and provided via a virtual online learning environment, where they can be downloaded and viewed locally. Students will only have to be physically present once a year for examinations or workshops.
The complete cybersecurity course – Udemy
Udemy offers thousands of online courses with which to upskill and become a cybersecurity specialist.
While this course does charge a fee, Udemy often has special offers. The complete cybersecurity course will aim to equip you with a practical skill set to defeat all online threats.
While you can go from beginner to advanced with this course, a basic knowledge of using operating systems and networks is expected.
