Top 10+ Most Prestigious Online Courses for Cyber Security Today
Best online cybersecurity courses

In today's tech-driven job market, cybersecurity experts are in high demand because it is crucial to many different industries. As a result, there is a lot of demand, and if you have a solid foundation in the field, developing your technical prowess and skills will greatly increase your career prospects.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 40% annual employment increase in cybersecurity, or a shortage of about 2 million infosec professionals. Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative industries in the United States.

You do not want to be caught falling behind or slacking off in the rapidly evolving field of cybersecurity. As a result, you must go above and beyond to advance in your field. Here are at least ten of the most cutting-edge online cybersecurity courses that you can take to get in-depth training.

There are free options as well as paid enrollment plans to earn certification in all courses, which range from beginner level—students with no prior experience in IT or cybersecurity—to expert level. Each category also includes pertinent background data, industry statistics, and employment and salary trends that should help put things in perspective and point students in the right direction.

1. Coursera

Website: www.coursera.org

Similar to Future Learn, Coursera offers a variety of short distance learning courses, including several in cybersecurity. For example, the University of Maryland's "Cybersecurity Specialization" brings the fundamental ideas behind building secure systems right to your web browser.

It has a total of five courses, each of which can be finished in a few weeks. It is safe to assume that you must already have some intermediate cybersecurity knowledge under your belt because these range from Usable Security to a Cybersecurity Capstone Project.

Nevertheless, there are additional cybersecurity courses offered, covering everything from fundamentals to more sophisticated specializations.

Although none of the online degrees in computing, IT, or data science are specifically focused on cybersecurity, you can be sure that cybersecurity will make up a sizable portion of the curriculum.

Overall, Coursera isn't as well-presented as Future Learn, but it may offer more study options that are accredited.

2. Udemy

Website: www.udemy.com

The majority of the courses on Udemy are paid, but we've found a few that are free and well worth checking out.

For anyone interested in learning more about cybersecurity, including enthusiasts, the "Cyber Security Course for Beginners - Level 01" may be beneficial to take. You can access the course's free video materials here, but no certificates of completion, instructor Q&A, or direct messages are included.

Udemy's real selling point, though, is that in addition to offering a number of in-depth courses, many of them are also incredibly affordable.

Others to consider include "The Data Science Course 2020: Complete Data Science Bootcamp," which will help give an insight into the complexities of computer science, and the paid course "Cyber Security Crash Course for Beginners: Learn From Scratch."

It's important to emphasize how thorough and intensive the paid courses can be. Although they might not have any traditional educational accreditation, they could be excellent choices if you wanted to think about working as a freelancer to gain experience, and they could be done in a very economical way as well.

3. Future Learn

Website: www.futurelearn.com

With the option to pay for certificates of participation at the course level or to access all content for a set fee, Future Learn offers a wide variety of brief and free online resources. Learning is made simple and interesting by the courses' well-presented short and simple to work sections.

The "Introduction to Cyber Security" provides a free introduction to the topic and is approved by The Institute of Information Security Professionals, APMG International, and UK Government intelligence agency GCHQ. A master's degree in cybersecurity is one of the few accredited IT and computer science degrees that are also offered.

Overall, there are paid-for and free options available, though Future Learn is more focused on general introductory short courses.

4. NexGenT

Website: ngt.academy

Two US Air Force veterans with extensive backgrounds in network engineering and cybersecurity founded NexGenT.

Two courses make up the cybersecurity track: Basic Training, which is required, and Cyber Security Specialization. However, experienced candidates can bypass Basic Training by passing a series of tests to demonstrate their proficiency.

You can earn the Full-Stack Network Associate (FSNA) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certificates with just the Basic Training. There is no prerequisite for this course, and you can start and stop at any time because it is self-paced.

The 22-week "Cyber Security Specialization" training course includes access to NexGenT's Career Services, which aids students in finding employment after completing it. It covers everything you need to know to safeguard businesses from cyberthreats.

The base tuition for the Cyber Security Specialization Program costs $10,500 up front, but you can choose to pay nothing and only pay 10% of your salary once you have a job paying $40,000 or more. Even if you haven't made a single payment, all outstanding debt is discharged after seven years. That is how certain NexGenT is that you will locate employment and support yourself. (However, it appears that the option for tuition at no cost is not currently available.)

More than 50,000 enrolled students, 460,000 classes taught, and a number of success stories attesting to the efficacy of their training are some of the impressive statistics that support their confidence.

This course might be ideal for you if you're looking for a reliable and organized way to break into the cybersecurity industry as a professional.

5. Open University

Website: www.open.ac.uk

The Open University (OU) in the UK, which has spent decades developing its courses, is a pioneer in distance education and accepts students from all over the world. The student online portal is excellent, with well-organized information and distinct modules with clear timetables to follow.

Even better, the courses are designed for students of all skill levels and are excellent at introducing the untrained and inexperienced to what can be complex and advanced subjects while actively attempting to keep students from feeling overly overwhelmed.

As part of its extensive selection of flexible Computing and IT honors degree courses, the OU offers a dedicated online degree in cybersecurity. You can choose to focus in various areas, all of which will demonstrate a concern for security issues. The OU also provides a degree specifically in data science.

The price for the entire three-year program is about $21,500.

The OU's major benefit is its ability to provide an internationally recognized degree in computing. It also aims to include all students while giving them the freedom to choose their own educational path. Additionally, part-time study will allow you to complete your degree in as little as 16 years.

6. Pentester Academy

Excellent courses are available at a great price at Pentester Academy. Numerous interactive labs and courses on various topics are available to students. Pentester Academy exposes students to a wide variety of technical cybersecurity courses online, unlike many other cybersecurity training programs that are narrowly focused. Python, x86_64 shellcoding, Linux forensics, and buffer overflows are all common subjects for courses. Here is a complete list of the courses that are offered, along with reviews.

An annual subscription fee is $249.

7. Cybersecurity for Managers

In order to create an action plan for a more cyber-resilient and cyber-aware organization, business leaders, managers, and executives in technical and nontechnical positions can use the well-known MIT publication Cybersecurity for Managers: A Playbook. It will also be advantageous for those who serve as business and technology liaisons and consultants. There are no technical requirements for the program. The course provides technical leaders with frameworks that outline a strategic view of an organization's quantitative and qualitative cybersecurity risk management, according to the MIT website. It also covers the leading cybersecurity management techniques, such as defense in depth and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and provides a practical interpretation of the tradeoffs between security and privacy as well as a method for understanding an organization's priorities in achieving those objectives.

To support informed conversations with the company's CISO, CTO, data scientists, and other technology leaders, the course will help business leaders develop a culture of cyber awareness in their organizations. It will also give participants a better understanding of how decisions made by technology leaders may impact the company's business strategy.

The online course runs for six weeks, five to six hours per week, and the fee is $2,800.

8. Cybrary Insider Pro

For professionals in the workforce looking to advance their careers or newcomers curious to learn more about cybersecurity, Cybrary Insider Pro is ideal. For individuals, Insider Pro makes the most sense; for businesses, Cybrary for Teams is an option. Cybrary offers the tools and an online cyber community that will help students achieve their goals. These include those who want to get ready for exams and earn certifications, become industry experts in a particular security topic, train new hires in cyber awareness, increase employee retention, and develop or track the development of cybersecurity skills over time.

Seven days of free use are available to students. Individuals must pay $59 per month for the Insider Pro course.

9. Western Governors University

Professionals who are prepared to advance in their security industry careers and require a flexible, self-paced online course can enroll in the Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance program at WGU. In order to comply with the most recent Department of Homeland Security and NSA guidelines, WGU closely coordinates with NIST's National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education with input from cybersecurity experts and top IT employers.

The program can be finished in one year or over several years, with rising course costs. However, professionals typically have the knowledge necessary to finish the course quickly.

The course fee is $4,295 per six-month term.

10. University of Maryland

For newcomers and working professionals who want to advance their cybersecurity skills, UMGC offers fantastic courses. Students have access to some of the best practitioners and security policymakers in the U.S. because of the university's proximity to the NSA and the national security establishment. University officials specifically suggested the following two online cybersecurity courses:

• Honest hacking Students who take CMIT 321 are better prepared to earn the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential from the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). The three-credit course incorporates a Capture the Flag competition for both individuals and teams and is based on the official EC-Council curriculum. The course materials include the iLabs practical hacking labs. If students take the actual EC-Council CEH exam and pass without a waiver, they are eligible to enroll in the recognized course at UMGC at a significant discount.

• Students can get ready for the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification as an entry-level analyst by taking CMIT 421, Threat Management and Vulnerability Assessment. A more recent CompTIA certification that is gaining popularity is CySA+. The three-credit course's practical labs and uCertify practice exams let students examine various vulnerability assessment reports.

The fee for the standard program is $499 per credit ($312 per credit for Maryland residents).

11. NYU School of Professional Studies

A 400-hour, 10-month long cybersecurity course is available through NYU's Cybersecurity Bootcamp. Students gain expertise in forensics, data analytics, networking, and information security. Students learn the skills necessary to pass many of the top industry certifications, including the Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, and the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, among others, through practical classes and online labs. The NYU School of Professional Studies issues certificates of completion in cybersecurity to students.

$17,480 is the cost for the 10-month course. To help students decide whether the program is right for them before making the more costly time and financial commitment, NYU also offers a 30-hour introductory course for $500.

12. NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations

The NSA has accredited NSA CAE in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) at 21 colleges. The various programs are interdisciplinary higher education courses with a strong technical focus on computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering. Through labs and exercises, the programs provide a wealth of opportunities for practical application. The CAE course also offers concentrations in Cyber Defense Education and Cyber Research, but security professionals view CAE-CO as the more practically oriented program. The cost of the courses varies according to the college, the location, and the dedication to online learning programs following COVID-19.

Virtualization Security

Security functions are being moved from specialized hardware appliances to software that is easily portable between types of commodity hardware or is used in the cloud.

In other words, since all of our technologies are becoming more online, so must our security measures. A fixed border has no significance in a borderless virtual environment. Security virtualization aims to produce a highly complex, adaptive system that can respond to the challenges this world throws at it.

In order to protect a network's perimeter and allow authorized users access to the network, physical security devices are typically installed there. Networks, workloads, and virtual machines are constantly being set up, taken down, and moved inside a data center or network in a virtual environment, which shifts the focus of the security requirements. Security must take into account each layer of virtualization because multiple virtual networks can function over the same underlying physical infrastructure.

Employment Statistics for Security in Virtualization

Particularly in cloud infrastructure, engineering and architectural roles in virtualization are the most prevalent.

In general, cloud computing is a good field to work in: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of the 560,000 new computer and IT jobs, cloud jobs are a focus. According to Payscale, the median annual salary for cloud infrastructure architects is $113k, while the highest-paid earn $172k. The average Cloud Infrastructure Engineer earns $85k annually, with the upper tier making $120k, according to Glassdoor.

Forbes has a useful list of the highest-paying cloud computing jobs if you're interested in a detailed breakdown. (Key takeaway: obtaining certifications, such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, is a good way to raise salary potential.)

Malware Analysis

One of the earliest concerns in cybersecurity is malware. Since the early days of the internet, anti-malware developers have undoubtedly strengthened security precautions, but new threats continue to emerge that are more cunningly disguised and destructive than ever. Vulnerability is also at an all-time high given the volume of information that is stored and transferred online globally, and the consequences of a serious attack could be disastrous. In actuality, it has already been.

Statistics on Employment in Malware Analysis

Career paths for ransomware and anti-malware vary depending on interests.

A Malware Analyst, for example, is "a highly specialized reverse-engineer, programmer, and detective," according to Malwarebytes, a leader in the security sector. In this position, you will look at, recognize, and research the characteristics of viruses, worms, bots, rootkits, and more in order to anticipate and stop attacks before they happen. It serves as the first line of defense, in other words. Although the US average salary is $75,000, experienced analysts can make six figures.

Research-intensive positions, forensics, penetration testing, vulnerability, and other engineering and architecture positions are possible additional career paths. Bottom line: If you have knowledge of malware, you qualify for many cybersecurity jobs.

Network Security

Malware is one of the earliest issues in cybersecurity. Anti-malware developers have undoubtedly improved security measures since the internet's infancy, but new dangers keep appearing that are more destructive and deceptively disguised than ever. Given the amount of information that is stored and transferred online globally, vulnerability is also at an all-time high, and the results of a serious attack could be disastrous. In fact, it has already happened.

Statistics on Malware Analysis Employment

Depending on one's interests, there are various ransomware and anti-malware career paths.

For instance, a Malware Analyst is "a highly specialized reverse-engineer, programmer, and detective," as per Malwarebytes, a pioneer in the security industry. In this role, you will examine, identify, and conduct research on the traits of viruses, worms, bots, rootkits, and more in order to foresee and prevent attacks before they occur. In other words, it acts as the first line of defense. Despite the $75,000 national average, experienced analysts can earn six figures.

Additional career options include those requiring extensive research, as well as positions in engineering and architecture, forensics, penetration testing, and vulnerability analysis. The bottom line is that if you are familiar with malware, you can apply for many cybersecurity positions.

Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing

The cruel irony of cybersecurity is that it can be difficult to identify all of your vulnerabilities before they have been made public. similar to finding out your garage door lock is broken after a robbery. What if, however, you could identify security flaws without endangering your data?

Just that is what penetration testers and ethical hackers do: they break into a company's network and then hand over the keys after identifying potential security risks. In other words, take advantage of security.

Employment Statistics for Pentesters and Ethical Hackers

The demand for "white hat" jobs is high. Pentesters are the most sought-after job in the sector, according to Tech Republic, and ethical hackers aren't far behind. Pay is also nice. According to Infosec Institute, pen testers make $80-100k while ethical hackers make $70-90k. Each certified professional earns about $90k, whether by CEH or LPT.

What makes the two titles different from one another? While pentesters are a specialized subset of professionals who only focus on breaking into systems and accessing data in a target environment, ethical hacking typically covers a wider range of duties. In terms of the pay gap, the latter typically serve as outside consultants, which entitles them to higher pay and contract employment. Pentesters are compensated for their work; ethical hackers are "rewarded for the bugs they find, not for the time they spend hunting," according to Quora.

Nevertheless, both can find more lucrative employment as a Senior Ethical Hacker, Senior Penetration Tester, Security Architect, Security Manager, CISO, or Security Director, among other positions.

FAQs

How we tested the best online cybersecurity courses

In order to find the best online cybersecurity courses, we looked through a variety of well-liked choices and solicited recommendations from acquaintances who are either learning cybersecurity or are already proficient in it. Then we watched the tutorials to get a sense of how simple they were to understand, how simple it was to learn the necessary tools and procedures, and what user level the courses were designed for, such as beginner, intermediate, or advanced users.

Which online cybersecurity courses is best for you?

Consider your current level of proficiency before selecting one of the best online cybersecurity courses. It is strongly advised to start with the beginner courses if you have never studied cybersecurity because they will introduce you to the fundamentals you need to know before moving on to more sophisticated tools. However, feel free to try your hand at the more advanced courses if you have some prior cybersecurity experience.

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