13 Best Cybersecurity Certifications, Training and Courses [Updated March 2023]

 

This is volume 1 of the course in a series of 4 courses. It is a 12-hour course that focuses on becoming a cybersecurity specialist, learning how to stop hackers, preventing hacking, and learning IT Security & INFOSEC. This cyber security online course does not have any high-end prerequisites and only requires you to have a basic knowledge of operating systems, network and working with the Internet. It aims at imparting practical skills in dealing with online threats like hackers, malware, rootkits, trackers, cybercriminals etc. This particular cyber security certification course starts from an elementary level, goes on to teach the advanced concepts and covers all major platforms like Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, macOS and Linux. Important topics covered in the cyber security online course are:

• Current threat and vulnerability landscape
• A crash course on encryption
• Testing environment using a virtual machine
• Operating system security and privacy
• Reducing threat privilege
• Security through isolation and compartmentalization

 

This cyber security training course will teach you about threats and vulnerabilities through risk assessment and threat modelling. Further, it will also teach you how to explore the minds of cybercriminals. Global tracking and hacking, Windows 10 privacy issues, defences against phishing, SMShing, vishing, identity theft, Whonix and Qubes OS are some of the other concepts that you will explore in this cyber security certification course.

 

 

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Offered by University of Colorado, this beginner level specialization consists of 4 cyber security online courses. The specialization helps you to discover the practical side of computer security, identify the thread and defend yourself against the same. Also, the contents of this cybersecurity specialization can help you pass leading computer security examinations like security + and CISSP. Specialization should take you around 3 months to complete at the suggested pace of 5 hours per week.

 

Following cyber security certification courses make up this specialization:

a.   Introduction to Cybersecurity for Business

Being the first course in the specialization, it is designed to make learners understand the basics of computer security. This cyber security online course is only aimed at generating awareness among learners and should not take more than 12 hours to complete. Following is the syllabus of this cyber security online course.

• In week-1, you will learn the basics of computer security
• In week-2, you will become aware of CIA triad. CIA stands for Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability.
• In week-3, learners will be introduced to risk and how to assess that.
• In week-4, you will become aware of some of the tools, ports and protocols used in everyday computing life to remain secure
• Last week will be all about project work.

 

b.   Cyber Threats and Attack Vectors

This cyber security training course discusses the types of commonly seen threats and attack vectors. It is designed to teach you how attacks are carried out and give you a better sense of handling the security. It should take you around 12 hours to complete the course at the suggested pace of 4 hours per week. Important topics covered in this cyber security training course are:

 

• Network and system-based attacks
• Cloud Security
• Common Vulnerabilities
• Data breaches

 

c.  Detecting and Mitigating Cyber Threats and Attacks

This cyber security training course focuses on preventing data breach in an organization. The course teaches you about the detection and mitigation of threats and how you can use the tools for the protection of information. It aims at making you sufficient in deciding the best mitigation strategy for any type of attack vector and threat. This cyber security training course should take you around 9 hours to complete at the suggested pace of 4 hours per week. Some of the important things that you will learn in this cyber security training course are:

 

• Intrusion Detection and Prevention
• Detection and Prevention tools
• Understanding detection and mitigation

 

d.   Proactive Computer Security

The last and final cyber security certification course of this specialization will teach you how you can test and protect your data. From necessary deterrents, penetration testing methodology, testing the system security to planning your routine and a final project are some of the things that you will be working on. The cyber security training course should take you around 9 hours to complete at the suggested pace of 4 hours per week. Important lessons covered in the cyber security training course are:

 

• Information Sharing and Threat Intelligence
• Common Pen Testing Tools
• Proactive computer security management

 

The end of the cyber security training course will give you a certificate to prove your specialization in cybersecurity for business.

 

 

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This 12.5-hour cyber security training course is the second course in the series of 4 courses that focus on network security, wifi security, wifi hackers, firewalls, Wireshark, secure networking and password managers. This cyber security course has been specially designed for personal and home cybersecurity, privacy and anonymity, however, most of the tactics can be applied to a business too. Before attempting volume 2, it is advised that you complete volume 1 and also have a basic understanding of network concepts. The focus of this cyber security course lies on discovering security vulnerabilities across the whole network by using hacking techniques and vulnerability scanning. You will also discover about firewalls, wireless Security, and network monitoring to detect and identify potential hackers.

 

A few topics covered in this cyber security course are:

 

• Routers - port and vulnerability scanning
• Network attack, architecture, and isolation
• Network monitoring for threats
• Ixquick and Startpage
• Reducing the Browser Attack Surface
• KeePass, KeePassX and KeyPassXC

 

Search engine privacy, browser security, authentication, including passwords and multi-factor authentication, and best password managers are some of the other things that you will study in this one of the best cyber security courses online.

 

 

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Offered by the mighty MIT, this cyber security online course will help you build an action plan for resilient cybersecurity for an organization. The total duration of this cybersecurity course is around 6 weeks and requires you to invest around 5 to 6 hours per week. Any individual can take this cybersecurity course from both technical and non-technical backgrounds who are willing to learn more about the subject..The best part of this cybersecurity course is that it does not have any prerequisites and can be taken by a complete beginner having no prior knowledge. However the focus the course lies on teaching you about management mechanisms, improving cyber awareness, interpretation of the tradeoffs between security and privacy, and organizing your priorities when it comes to security related issues. Some of the topics that you will be covering in this cyber security course are:

 

• Understanding the Threat Landscape
• Organizing Cyber Management Priorities
• Measuring Risk Exposure
• Improving Defenses with Systems and Technology
• Building a Culture of Cybersecurity
• Exploring Ethics in Cybersecurity

 

Prevention, detection, and response are some of the other things that you will be studying. You will get a verified digital certificate of completion at the end of this course.

 

 

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This specialization, which is offered by New York University Tandon School Of Engineering (NYU), consists of 4 cybersecurity courses that focus on modern information and system protection technology and methods. This beginner-level specialization will take you around 2 months to complete at the suggested pace of 10 hours per week. Exclusive customized interviews with industry partners have been included in the specialization to connect the cybersecurity concepts to live business experiences. Following courses make up the specialization -

 

a. Introduction to Cyber Attacks

This cyber security course teaches you about common cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and risks. Construction of basic cyber attacks and their application to the system have also been included. Distributed denial of service (DDOS) and botnet- attacks will also be discussed in detail. Analytic models such as confidentiality/integrity/availability (CIA) security threat framework have been reviewed and how they degrade real assets will also be studied. Few topics that you will study in this cyber security online course are:

 

• Understanding Basic Security Frameworks
• Examining Cyber Threats More Closely
• Introducing Security Risk Analysis

 

This is a beginner level cybersecurity online course that takes you around 13 hours to complete.

 

b. Cyber Attack Countermeasures

This cyber security online course mainly talks about the basics of cyber defence and foundational models such as Bell-LaPadula along with information flow frameworks. Different authentication solutions and protocols, including RSA SecureID and Kerberos, have also been discussed in the context of an authentication schema. Basics of cryptology have also been introduced by looking at the conventional block cyphers and public-key cryptography. You will also be studying about Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) schemes to enhance your knowledge further. Important topics covered in this cybersecurity course are:

 

• Cyber Security Safeguards
• Understanding Authentication Protocols
• Overview of Public Key Cryptographic Methods

 

This is an intermediate level cybersecurity online course that will take you around 14 hours to complete.

 

c. Real-Time Cyber Threat Detection and Mitigation

This intermediate-level cybersecurity online course will teach you about real-time cybersecurity techniques, some essential TCP/IP security hacks and stateless and stateful firewalls. Further, you will also study the drawbacks of perimeter solutions such as firewalls and intrusion prevention systems. Important lessons covered in the cyber security training course are:

 

• More Advanced Network Security Technologies
• Network Security Architectures
• Enterprise Network Security

 

This cyber security training course should take you around 11 hours to complete, and you will be able to finish it in just 1 week at the suggested pace of 11 hours per week.

 

d. Enterprise and Infrastructure Security

This cyber security online course will teach you about the most advanced topics related to cybersecurity for enterprise and infrastructure settings. Basics of enterprise compliance frameworks and hybrid cloud architectures have also been discussed in detail. Security issues in blockchain, blinding algorithms, Internet of Things (IoT) have also been thoroughly talked about in this intermediate-level cyber security training course. Some of the things that you will study in this course are:

 

• Security Awareness, Compliance, Assessments, and Risk
• Hybrid Cloud Security
• Blockchain, Anonymity, and Critical Infrastructure Protection

 

The course will only take you around 9 hours to complete.

 

The end of this cybersecurity certification course will give you a specialization certificate to prove your technical knowledge and experience.

 

 

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This is the third installment in the series of 4 cyber security online courses, and it focuses on making its students cybersecurity experts by teaching key concepts like anonymous browsing, hide my IP, Tor, privacy, proxy servers and best VPNs. This cybersecurity training course is around 13.5 hours in length and requires you to have completed volume 1 and volume 2 of the series before attempting this one. Also, it requires you to have a basic understanding of operating systems, networks, and the Internet. Several concepts, like staying anonymous online, the best anonymizing and privacy methods, de-anonymization attacks, and bypassing sensors, firewalls, and proxies, have also been discussed in this one of the best cyber security courses.

 

Major topics covered in the course are:

 

• Knoppix, Puppy Linux, Jondo live, Tiny core Linux, Window To Go
• Custom Router Firmware for VPN & TOR Tunneling
• CGI proxies - Web proxy or web form proxy
• SSH Secure Shell
• Installing and Secure Configuration
• Chaining/nesting privacy and anonymizing services

 

This cyber security course can be taken by anyone willing to learn about security, privacy and anonymity. Please note that the concepts are meant for an individual but they can also be applied to any business.

 

 

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This is the last and the final installment in the four-volume series of cyber security training courses and helps you to become a cybersecurity expert by teaching you topics like antivirus & malware, disk encryption, finding & removing hackers & malware. It requires you to have completed volume 1, volume 2, and volume 3 before attempting the final volume and also requires you to have a basic knowledge of handling operating systems, networks, and the Internet. This cyber security course takes you from a beginner to an advanced level. It discusses essential topics end-point-protection, disk encryption technology, generations of antivirus solutions, and detection and monitoring of threats. Further, anti-forensics to securely delete data and email and messenger security have also been discussed in great detail.

 

Major lessons covered in this cyber security online course are:

 

• Disk Encryption Attacks - Containers, Volumes and Partitions
• Is antivirus dead? - Protection Methods
• End-Point-Protection: How it works together in layers
• OpenCanary and CanaryTokens
• Automated Malware Removal Tools
• Hardening Standards

 

The course content is around 16.5 are in length and can be taken by a complete beginner willing to learn about cybersecurity and the associated threats.

 

 

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This is an intermediate level specialization offered by the University of Maryland and focuses on cybersecurity fundamentals and the construction of secure systems. The complete specialization takes around 5 months to complete at the suggested pace of 6 hours per week. Examples have been drawn from modern practice and augmented with hands-on exercises to teach you about the relevant tools and techniques. This cyber security course teaches you how to think about adversaries and building systems to defend against them.

 

This cybersecurity certificate program is made up of the following 5 courses:

 

a. Usable Security

This cybersecurity course will take you around 14 hours to complete and suggests 7 weeks of study at 5-8 hours/week. Designing and building secure systems with a human-centric focus is what this cybersecurity course aims at. Human-computer interaction with the development of security measures are some of the other things that you will be studying. Important topics covered in this cyber security online course:

 

• Fundamentals of Human-Computer Interaction
• Design Methodology, Prototyping, Cybersecurity Case Study
• Strategies for Secure Interaction Designs

 

b. Software Security

This is a 22-hour cybersecurity online course that deals with the foundations of software security. The course requires around 6 weeks of study at the suggested pace of 4 to 5 hours per week. Significant software vulnerabilities and attacks will be talked about. The cybersecurity certifications online aims at helping you build a security mentality to help you strengthen the security of your system. Major topics covered in the courts are:

 

• Low-level Security: Attacks and exploits
• Defending against low-level exploits
• Web security: Attacks and defences

 

c. Cryptography

Foundations of modern cryptography and practical applications are the focus of this 18-hour cyber security training course. You are required to invest at least 7 weeks of study at the suggested pace of 4 to 5 hours per week. Major lessons that will be taught in this cybersecurity certification online course are:

 

• Computational Secrecy and Principles of Modern Cryptography
• Private-Key Encryption
• Message Authentication Codes

 

d. Hardware Security

This course (in the cyber security certification takes the issue of security from a hardware point of view. Vulnerabilities in current digital system design flow and how some physical attacks affect these systems have been thoroughly discussed. This cybersecurity course is around 14 hours in length. Primary topics that will be covered in this course are:

 

• Digital System Design: Basics and Vulnerabilities
• Design Intellectual Property Protection
• Physical Attacks and Modular Exponentiation

 

e. Cybersecurity Capstone Project

This intermediate-level 8-hour cybersecurity course is the last one in the specialization and will teach students how to build a secure software system through a project. Further, the activities will also encourage you to find flaws in the project created by other students. The Cybersecurity Capstone Project only runs 3-4 times a year, and you will have to wait for an active session to be able to submit your assignments. Topics that you will work on in this cybersecurity online course are:

 

• Capstone Overview And Setup
• Development Of Project System
• Evaluation Of Other Team's Systems

 

 

The end of the cybersecurity certification specialization will allow you to work on a hands-on project, and the successful completion of the project will help you on your certificate to prove your expertise. Sign Up Here

 

The Pluralsight platform offers a plethora of cybersecurity online courses. However, not all of them are great. Thus, to make things easier for you, we are listing down 2 cybersecurity training courses that have several 5 star-rating and have been taken by thousands of students over the years. Also, these cybersecurity online courses have hundreds of reviews which proves that they are some of the top-notch cybersecurity training courses on the Pluralsight platform when it comes to cybersecurity.

 

a. Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities for CompTIA Security+

This cybersecurity training online course covers domain 1 of the CompTIA Security+ certification exam. This is a beginner level cybersecurity course of around 3 hours and 24 minutes in length, where you will learn about the various types of threats and attacks every company faces. From malware, ransomware, viruses, trojans, and rootkits, to social engineering attacks, application vulnerabilities, and DDoS attacks, there is a lot covered in this cybersecurity training online course.

 

Some of the primary topics covered in this cybersecurity training online course are:

 

• Analyzing Indicators of Compromise & Determining Malware Types
• Comparing & Contrasting Attacks Types
• Exploring Threat Actor Types and Attributes
• Defining the Penetration Testing Process
• Defining the Vulnerability Scanning Process
• Impacts Associated with Types of Vulnerabilities

 

b. Hack Yourself First: How to go on the Cyber-Offense

This is a 9 hour 26-minute intermediate-level cybersecurity training online course that talks about cyber-offence skills and proactively seeking out security vulnerabilities in their website by the developers themselves before an attacker. The cybersecurity training online course has been designed from the security viewpoint of a hacker as for most of them the first point of vulnerability lies in the website which they exploit through a browser. The cybersecurity certification course creator is Troy Hunt, who is a Microsoft Regional Director and MVP for Developer Security.

 

Major topics that you will study in this cybersecurity training online course are:

 

• Transport Layer Protection
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Internal Implementation Disclosure
• Parameter Tampering
• SQL Injection
• Cross-Site Attacks

 

The plural site platform provides you with a 10-day free trial which enables you to test out the cybersecurity training courses of the platform before you end up being a paid customer.

 

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Simplilearn offers quite a few cybersecurity certification courses on its platform in collaboration with Cipherworld and Oracle. Some of the notable cybersecurity certification courses listed are -

 

a. Cyber Security Expert Master's Program

As the name suggests, this is a Master's level cybersecurity certificate program that consists of 6 cyber security courses. There are more than 96 hours of live online classes and more than 64 hours of e-learning content in this certificate program. It mainly teaches you about protecting your infrastructure, including securing data and information, running risk analysis and mitigation, architecting cloud-based security, and achieving compliance. You will start by learning introductory-level cybersecurity skills training, and then make your way towards advanced cybersecurity technologies. Reverse engineering and penetration testing techniques have been discussed in great detail in this cybersecurity certificate program.

 

The list of cybersecurity courses that constitutes this cybersecurity certificate program is :

 

• Course 1: Introduction to Cyber Security
• Course 2: CompTIA Security+ 501
• Course 3: CEH (v10)- Certified Ethical Hacker
• Course 4: CISM® - Certified Information Security Manager
• Course 5: CISSP® Training - Certified Information Systems Security Professional
• Course 6: Certified Cloud Security Professional

 

Cybersecurity certificate programs on the SimpliLearn platform have been divided into two major categories:

• The foundational cybersecurity certificate programs courses
• And the advanced cybersecurity certificate programs

 

Here we are providing the list of these cybersecurity courses according to the groups that they belong to.

 

Foundational Courses

COBIT®5- Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies

CompTIA Security+ Certification - SY0-501 Exam Training

Introduction to Cyber Security Course for Cyber Security Beginners

 

Advanced Courses

CISSP Certification

CISA Certification CEH (v10) - Certified Ethical Hacking Course

CISM Certification Training

CCSP Certification

 

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This is an online cybersecurity certificate program provided by Harvard in collaboration with GetSmarter, that will take you around 8 weeks to complete at the suggested pace of 8 to 11 hours per week. Drafting, strategizing and developing a cyber risk mitigation strategy along with different types of cyberattacks, appropriate legal and compliance steps are the basic tenets of this cybersecurity certificate program. Successful completion of the program will provide you with a premier certificate from Harvard University's Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning. The tutor of this cybersecurity certificate program, Eric Rosenbach previously served as the Chief of Staff to US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.

 

Primary topics covered in this cybersecurity certification course are:

 

• Identifying the threats to an organization
• Identifying essential business systems and assets
• The crucial role of leadership in managing cyber risk
• Understanding your technology
• Incident response and accountability
• Designing and implementing a mitigation strategy

 

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This program would provide you with a certificate of achievement only after the successful completion of 6 constituent cybersecurity courses. This program, through its cybersecurity certificate program, focuses on protecting networks, securing electronic assets, preventing attacks, ensuring the privacy of your customers, and building secure infrastructures. Enrollment in the cybersecurity certificate program would ensure that you would have access to the leading cybersecurity professionals in companies such as Google, LinkedIn, Symantec, VeriSign, and LifeLock. The cybersecurity certificate program allows you to earn your certificate by completing 4 compulsories and any 2 elective courses. Also, there is a free introductory cybersecurity class online course called XCS100 Introduction to Web Security.

 

List Of Required Courses

 

XACS101 Foundations of Information Security

XACS130 Using Cryptography Correctly

XACS131 Writing Secure Code

XACS133 Exploiting and Protecting Web Applications

 

List Of Elective Courses

 

XACS215 Mobile Security

XACS255 Network Security

XACS301 Emerging Threats & Defenses

XACS302 Cyber Security and Executive Strategy

 

Major topics that you will study in these cybersecurity classes online are:

 

• Introductory concepts on the implementation of cryptography
• Using Cryptography Correctly
• Tools for Writing Code Securely
• Browser Security Model
• Trends in mobile device management
• How to identify operating system holes
• Advanced persistent threats and mobile threats
• Prioritization of Vulnerabilities

 

These cybersecurity classes online courses will take you around 50-55 hours to complete and are available for 60 days after the enrollment. It is recommended that you complete each cybersecurity certification course within 30 days to stay on track with the learning. The cybersecurity classes online require you to have an equivalent of a BS in Computer Science or a background in cybersecurity.

 

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As the name suggests, this is a micro Masters program in collaboration with RITx, consisting of five graduate-level cybersecurity courses. These cybersecurity online classes should take you around 10 months to complete at the suggested place of 10 to 12 hours per week. From setting up and securing basic computer systems, information security risk management, and implementing network security solutions, to detecting intrusions, conducting digital forensics investigation and practising cybersecurity skills in real-world scenarios, these cybersecurity classes takes you right from the very basic to the most advanced levels. Also, the capstone project at the end will help you apply theoretical knowledge in a practical scenario. Primary topics covered in this Micromasters program cybersecurity certificate program are:

 

• Cybersecurity fundamentals
• Cybersecurity risk management
• Computer forensics
• Network security
• Risk assessment and vulnerability assessment
• Techniques of risk analysis

 

These cybersecurity online classes are not meant for complete beginners and require you to have a STEM Bachelor's degree or have a minimum of 5 years of work experience in a technical environment.

 

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