5 Online Cybersecurity courses for free at U.S universities

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Many American institutions provide free online courses which anyone, including non-students, can access if they want to venture in the cybersecurity field without investing too much time or money. There are also courses that will not cost an arm and a leg.

The democratisination of these courses has to do with the yawning gap in cybersecurity skills and talents in the United States and around the world. It is not just a talent shortage issue, but also a major concern for executive leaders around the world.

This is because, according to a recent report, 80% of organizations worldwide have experienced one or more data breaches in the last year which can be attributed to a lack of cybersecurity skills and/or awareness.

In fact, a 2021 analysis from Accenture indicates that the number of attacks each year increased by 31% to 270 between 2020 and 2021. There were 29 successful attacks on average per organization.

According to a 2022 research from Cybersecurity Ventures, the number of unfilled cybersecurity positions has increased by 350% from 1 million to 3.5 million since 2013. This booming cybersecurity field offers a variety of entry points, including a master’s degree program, employer-sponsored training programs, and certification programs.

Some of the free and paid courses are listed below:

Western Governors University: Network and Security Foundations

This Network and Security Foundations course covers the elements of computer networks and the fundamental security principles related to networks. The course is recognized by Fortune as one of the top online master’s programs in cybersecurity in the United States.

This introductory-level course also introduces students to network security, threat, risk mitigation, and security management concepts and practices.  The course instructors are Gerri Light, program chair of WGU’s College of IT, and Michelle Watt, a WGU instructor.

Over the course of eight weeks, the self-paced course can be finished in as little as 10 hours each week. For $166.08, WGU also provides an unlimited-access version of the course that enables students to continue using the materials even after the course has ended. Students can also finish the course for free with just temporary access to the materials.

New York University: Introduction to Cyber Attacks

This four-week online course offered by New York University will train you on cybersecurity risks, vulnerabilities, and threats.

The courses are: Basic security frameworks and risk analysis in relation to cybersecurity and Introduction to Cyber attacks. The next session this year will be led by Edward G. Amoroso, a professor and researcher at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. Amoroso founded and serves as the CEO of the cybersecurity advising and consultancy firm TAG Cyber.

Stanford University: Cryptography I

Cryptography aids in the secure communication of only the sender and the intended recipient. In other words, this critical cybersecurity measure aids in the prevention of adversary interference. Students learn the inner workings of cryptographic systems and how to use them in practice.

Participants in this Stanford University-hosted course will also have the opportunity to work on field practice problems. The course takes approximately 23 hours to complete over a seven-week period and has flexible assignment deadlines.

Cryptography I is taught by professor Dan Boneh of Cryptography and Electrical Engineering at Stanford university.

University of Michigan: Internet History, Technology, and Security

This course offered in 10 weeks introduces students to Internet History, Technology and Security. The course is taught by Charles Russel Severance who will teach on web security and encrypting to protect data. He will also cover an overview of the impact of technology in culture and society and network technology and internet commercialization.

University of Maryland: Hardware Security

The University of Maryland’s online cybersecurity concentration program includes a course on hardware security that covers the basics of cybersecurity, as well as cryptography. The course is a 12-hour course which runs for over seven weeks.

The course enables students to have an understanding of digital system design flow vulnerabilities and physical attacks on these systems.