The top 7 cybersecurity courses online for beginners 2024

Are you considering a career in cybersecurity or want to protect your company’s digital assets? To help you get started, we’ve listed the top online cybersecurity courses for beginners.

Cybersecurity is one of the most important issues affecting businesses and consumers. The number of cyber attacks, malware, ransomware, data theft, fraud, and identity theft is increasing every year. The only good thing about it is that more people than ever are interested in learning how to protect themselves and their businesses from cyber crime.

This is where we come in. To help you quickly figure out which online cybersecurity courses are worth your time, we’ve compiled a list of the best online cybersecurity courses. Each has its own prerequisites, curriculum, price range, and audience, but whether you’re looking to improve your cybersecurity knowledge for personal, professional, or academic purposes, below you’ll find suitable options. There is definitely one.

Why take a cybersecurity courses?

Cybercrime has become a serious problem. Almost everyone uses the Web in some way, and even the relatively few who shy away from technology still have to deal with companies where cybercrime is a real and potential threat. Therefore, it is a fundamental need that people be aware of the risks that exist. Here are three great reasons to take a cybersecurity courses:.

• To protect yourself and your family: It’s easy to say you should admit your ignorance and leave it to the experts, but think of it this way. The police catch thieves, but that does not mean that we have the habit of moving ahead. If your door is open or you left your keys in your car,. Fighting cybercrime requires a group effort, and learning about the threats and how to mitigate them is a great place to start.
• To protect your business: Businesses large and small are at risk of falling behind when it comes to cybersecurity. Often, business owners decide to consolidate their business only when it is too late and they have already incurred losses. DDoS attacks, data breaches, phishing scams, and more can cause significant financial loss and stress. By taking a cybersecurity course, you can proactively strengthen your business’s cybersecurity before it’s too late.
• How to make a career in cyber security: If you are passionate about cyber security and want to make a career in this field, then you are in luck. There will be 35 lakh cyber security jobs by 2025. The industry is expected to grow from $175 billion in 2015 to $1.75 trillion by 2025. E-learning courses are low-cost and, with the right qualifications, can open the door to high-paying careers in cyber security.

Here are the best cyber security courses online in 2024:

1. StationX VIP Membership: Get unlimited access to hundreds of cybersecurity courses, including ethical hacking, penetration testing, and more. Beginner-friendly and cost-effective.
2. Coursera Introduction to Cybersecurity Specialization: Four introductory-level cybersecurity courses to help you on your path to a career in cybersecurity.
3. Guardz is a security platform that includes awareness training and phishing simulations.
4. SANS Cyber Access Online: The course covers security fundamentals in networking, operating systems, and systems administration.
5. Heimdall Cyber Security for Beginners: This course is for the average user who wants to deepen their understanding of cyber security.
6. Cybrary Introduction to IT and Cyber Security: Covers network engineering, systems administration, forensics, and penetration testing in cybersecurity courses.
7. Harvard Cyber Security: Managing Risk in the Information Age A cybersecurity course that covers compliance and legal issues as well as attack types, risks, and mitigation strategies. At £2,500, it’s not cheap.

Here are the following criteria for the selected courses:

• Cost performance
• Some prior knowledge of cyber security is required
• We provide practical advice that you can actually use.
• Completely online, no travel required
• Upon completion, we will issue a certificate

The best cybersecurity courses from online for beginners

Here’s the list of the top 7 cybersecurity courses online for beginners 2024

1. StationX

StationX offers a number of services related to cybersecurity, including education on ethical hacking, penetration testing, networking, DevSec, digital forensics, cloud security, networking, incident response, and more. There are also courses focused on passing top security certifications and preparing for exams.

StationX VIP membership gives you unlimited access to all courses. Considering that each one typically costs between $90 and $2,000, the discounted VIP rate of $149 per year (regularly $1,199) is well worth it. New courses are being added all the time and delivered by top security experts, so you know you’re getting the best training.

If you’re a beginner, we recommend starting with the Complete Cyber Security Course. It’s divided into four different sections, and the class is taught by cyber security expert and CEO of StationX, Nathan House. A summary of each learning material is shown below.

• Hacker Exposure: Learn how to thwart hackers, stop their tracking, and stop government surveillance.
• Network Security: Learn about network security, Wi-Fi security and hackers, firewalls, password managers, and more.
• Anonymous Browsing: Discover the world of anonymous browsing, including hiding your IP address, Tor, and VPN.
• Endpoint security: Learn about antivirus software, malware, encryption, and application controls.

In short, this is a useful training toolbox as you start your career in the industry. Regularly updated, you can use it to stay on top of cybersecurity advancements and advance your career. This subscription allows you to customize your learning, making it particularly suitable for those who want to manage cybersecurity within their company or even for those who want to know more about this field.

Best Cyber Security Course: StationX is the top choice for beginners. StationX VIP membership gives you unlimited access to all content, including courses focused on passing the highest security certifications.

2. Coursera Cyber Security Specialization

The way Coursera works is that it groups multiple courses into “specializations.” You can take all courses or choose specific courses under your specialization. Each specialization includes a practical project that must be completed to earn a certificate.

The Introduction to Cyber Security specialization consists of four courses:

• Overview of Cyber Attacks: Provides a basic understanding of threats and vulnerabilities and an overview of how cyber attacks are carried out.
• Cyberattack Protection: Learn the basics of cyberdefense and encryption, including authentication solutions and public-key cryptography.
• Real-time cyber threat detection and mitigation: Learn about real-time cyber security techniques and how to detect and prevent common attacks.
• Enterprise and infrastructure security: Introduces enterprise compliance frameworks and more advanced topics such as blockchain and mobile security issues.

This series of courses goes beyond the basics and is not suitable for home users looking to improve their cyber security knowledge. Instead, it is targeted more at business owners and aspiring cybersecurity professionals. The recommended time to complete this course is approximately 4 months, assuming 4 hours of study each week. The best thing about online learning is that you can study at a pace that suits you, so you can study as much as you need.

Many individual Coursera courses are available for free. However, you will need to pay a monthly fee to complete the specialization and related practice project to obtain your certificate. Specializations have a 7-day free trial, after which each specialization costs between $49 and $79 per month. This means that the faster you complete your course or project, the less you will have to pay. Alternatively, you can sign up for Coursera Plus. Coursera Plus costs $59 per month and gives you access to over 7,000 specializations at no additional cost.

Once you complete this specialization, you can move on to other areas, such as business cybersecurity or applied cryptography.

3. Guardz

Guardz offers two channels for end-user security training. The first is a library of video-based courses, and the second is a phishing simulator that you can use to create in-house training exercises. These two security training systems complement the platform’s primary function of providing cybersecurity protection.

The Guardz platform protects the endpoint and the data housed within it. One of its main features is the security of Google Workspace and Microsoft 465 systems. It focuses on email packages and cloud drives for each suite. The system is packaged in plans with a monthly fee per user, and all plans include cybersecurity protection, an employee awareness training system, and a phishing simulator.

The employee awareness training system is hosted on the Guardz cloud platform. Users and administrators access the service’s console through a standard web browser. Awareness training is implemented as a library of courses, each consisting of several videos. Administrators assign courses to individuals or groups of users and receive feedback through the system as users progress through the courses. There is no need to watch all the videos in one session, giving each user the flexibility to adjust to their own learning pace.

Administrators can see how many users who were assigned a course actually completed it in the Guardz console. It would then be possible to run tests by generating phishing emails challenging each user. Once everyone understands the course guidance, administrators can enable cybersecurity protection systems to filter malicious emails.

The lowest plan is called Starter and includes an employee awareness training package. The cost is £5 per user per month. You can evaluate the Guardz system with a 14-day free trial.

4. Cyber Aces Online

The SANS Cyber Access online course is offered free of charge by the SANS Institute. If you have even the slightest interest in cybersecurity, you’ve probably heard about it. The organization is highly regarded in the field of information security and has been conducting research and education programs for over 30 years.

The institute conducts personal training programs around the world, with each program typically costing thousands of dollars. So it’s great to get free online training from these guys. That being said, it is currently limited to only one course offered, but it is great if you want to get started in the world of cybersecurity.

In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including:

• Operating Systems: In this module, you will learn Linux concepts and commands and advanced use of Windows, with an emphasis on command-line usage.
• Networking: Describes the basics of computer attacks and related security from a network perspective. Learn about the protocols used at each OSI layer, especially the network layer.
• System Administration: In the final module, you will learn administrative tasks in a common scripting environment.

You can choose to take the course with or without quizzes. Quizzes are presented in a multiple-choice format and test your knowledge and understanding of each module.

This course is for future cyber security professionals or the general public. The SANS Institute hopes that by offering such courses for free, people can become better educated about cybersecurity and ultimately “help strengthen the security of our country.”

5. Heimdal Cyber Security for Beginners

Heimdall Security is a reputable company that provides technology and intelligence in the fight against cybercrime. The organization offers useful and free cyber security courses for beginners. While many of the courses on this list are for future cybersecurity professionals, this course is for regular users who want to improve their home cybersecurity.

This course can be tailored to your own pace, with lessons delivered to your inbox every two days for approximately five weeks. In 20 lessons, you will learn:

• Cybersecurity basics, including terminology and security system configuration.
• Tools and tips to protect yourself from malware
• How to make your systems vulnerable to cyber threats.
• How to keep your children and other loved ones safe online
• How to explore the web safely (including email and social media)
• Security skills, which include knowledge of how attacks work and how to prevent and respond to attacks,.

Examples of lesson titles include Master Basic Security Terminology in 20 Minutes” and “”Share It”share it. Tweet it. keep safe. Repeat.: Social Media, How to Stay Safe,” and “What Kids and Parents Need to Learn About Cyber Safety.” It’s really meant for home users, and you’ll find that it’s not very relevant to people looking to pursue a career in cybersecurity.

6. Cybrary Introduction to IT and Cybersecurity

If you are debating a career in cyber security and wondering which path to take, this course may be for you. Designed to help you decide between the key areas of cybersecurity, it covers four key areas in a modular format with just over 4 hours of video.

Learn about systems administration, privacy analysis, network engineering, incident response and forensics, and penetration testing.

Many Cybrary courses are free, and if you like them, there are more. You can search the library based on course type and difficulty. All courses are provided in video format, making them suitable for visual learning.

Note that once you join, the Insider Pro version of Cybrary is sold quite aggressively. This gives you access to benefits such as additional courses, career path guidance, and advice. It costs $59 per month, but if you’re interested in additional features (like certification preparation), you may find it worth it.

7. Harvard Cybersecurity: Managing Risk in the Information Age

This Harvard course is divided into eight modules that can be worked on over several weeks. Requires an estimated 8–11 hours per week. By the end of this course, you will be able to develop a cyber risk mitigation strategy for your business or your client’s business. You will also learn about the legal and compliance processes involved in cyber attacks.

Learn about the different types of cyber attacks that threaten your business, which systems are most at risk, and the importance of a holistic approach to cybersecurity. Modules include Identifying Organizational Threats (Module 2), Understanding Technology (Module 5), Cyber Risks and Law (Module 6), and more.

Upon completion of this course, you will receive an Advanced in Learning certification from the Harvard University Office of the Vice President. As expected, a course of this level comes with a hefty price tag. Currently, you have to pay $3,190 for registration. If it’s not on a tight budget, this piece of paper might be worth it, but for many, it’s simply inaccessible.

Tips for pursuing a cybersecurity career

Do you think a career in cyber security is right for you? Below, we’ve compiled the top four tips to help beginners start a career in cybersecurity.

Here are some tips to help you get started in cybersecurity.

1. Explore different areas of cybersecurity. Careers in cybersecurity can take many directions, so it’s best to consider all of your options and not narrow things down too quickly. Many of the courses listed above are cheap or free, so you can also complete several programs as part of your exploration.
2. Practice as much as you can. To truly prepare for a career in cybersecurity, you need to practice your skills. Many courses involve practical projects, but there are also plenty of events, competitions, and other programs you can use to hone your skills. For example, capture the flag events, hackathons, and bug bounty events all provide fun ways to put your knowledge into practice. Internships are also a great opportunity to develop your skills and can be a viable option if you’re struggling to gain the experience needed to land a full-time role.
3. Join networking groups: The cybersecurity field is full of networks and forums made up of like-minded people. Participants can share knowledge and promote each other’s careers.
4. Find a mentor: Another benefit of networking groups is that you may be able to find a great mentor. As you move forward in your cybersecurity career, a mentor can be very helpful in sharing ideas with you and guiding you in important career decisions.