We’ve discussed the importance of training and the hiring of cybersecurity professionals many times on CloudTweaks over the past 10+ years. Now more than ever as the world enters into a dark era of digital warfare, do we require the necessary knowledge and tools to help thwart the endless number of cyber attacks.
The scope of the problem is far and wide.
McKinsey & Company reports: “During the initial wave of COVID-19, from February 2020 to March 2020, the number of ransomware attacks in the world as a whole spiked by 148 percent, for example. Phishing attacks increased by 510 percent from January to February 2020″
To help illustrate the scope of the problem, here is a consolidated list (Google spreadsheet) of some of the largest company data breaches dating back to 2013. The numbers are real and in order to combat the growing problem, we desperately need individuals trained and ready to enter the field of cybersecurity.
To help point you in the right direction, we’ve provided a small list of recommended boot camps to help give you that added edge in the field of cybersecurity.
Based in New York City, Full Stack Academy offers bootcamps in Cybersecurity Analytics, Coding, and Data Analytics. The Cybersecurity bootcamp spans 13 weeks for full-time students and 26 weeks for part-time students. Its curriculum starts from foundations, then security essentials are covered, then offensive security techniques are imparted to students, then defensive protocols are taught and towards the end of the course there is a final project in which students are encouraged to go beyond the scope of the material taught in the classroom.
Claim Academy aims to teach coding to its students in a very short time period of 3 months. Situated in St. Louis, the academy offers 12 weeks boot camps of Java & Microsoft .NET. There is a Cyber-Security program of 14 weeks too. The participants are exposed to industry-required programming techniques which are taught by experienced instructors. They also get the training of soft skills and are required to make a capstone project which is presented on demo day for employers.
Code Fellows is Seattle’s first coding institute. It provides fast-paced education in a virtual mode that is accessible from any part of the world. It offers beginner to intermediate and advanced level courses in Software Development, Ops & Cybersecurity which are taught by expert mentors. The institute also provides handsome scholarships to financially challenged learners. With a 93% job placement rate, it has produced over 1500 graduates which are employed in reputable companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon, Walmart, and many more.
Infosec is a leading cybersecurity education institute that aims to educate every person in an organization or home about cybersecurity. It offers two main programs by the name of Infosec IQ and Infosec Skills. The two programs differ in the targeted audience. The Infosec IQ program is for all the employees in an organization and it’s intended to raise awareness among employees about cybersecurity and change their behavior. The Infosec Skills program is for IT Security and System Administrators through which they can learn about new developments in the field of cybersecurity and upgrade their skills.
Springboard is an institute that provides online learning of the tech industry’s most demanded skills. With offices in Bengaluru and San Francisco, it offers bootcamps covering software engineering, UI/UX Design, and cybersecurity. The cybersecurity bootcamp offered by springboard spans six months, is conducted online, and provides industry-required knowledge only. Springboard has also partnered with CompTIA Security+ and prepares its students for its certification. The curriculum comprises 30 labs, 30 assignments, and one final project which is showcased to employers.
Eleven Fifty is a non-profit institute based in Indiana that aims to ease the transition of those people who are changing careers as well as those who are new in the job market. It offers two main pathways i.e. Coding Pathway and Cybersecurity Pathway. In the cybersecurity pathway, students are first taught IT Foundations then they are given the opportunity to choose their own pathway. There are free intro sessions for both pathways too so students can choose the pathway which they like the most. The facility for loans and scholarships is also available.
Evolve Security’s primary mission is to inculcate a sense of security in the minds of their customers and bridge the gap between people and industry-required talent. It provides six months long bootcamp in cybersecurity in both in-person and online mode. The curriculum is designed by industry experts and includes Fundamentals of Cybersecurity, Networking, Security Program, OSINT, Social Engineering, Threat Intelligence, Cryptography, Offensive Security, Threat Hunting, Incident Response, and many other modules. The academy’s graduates have found placements in reputed companies like FireEye, Bank of America and Accenture.
By Gary Bernstein
Gary has written for several publications over the last 20 years with his primary focus on technology. He has contributed to sites such as Forbes, Mashable, TechCrunch and several others.