Here are 5 Free Online Cybersecurity Courses Hosted by Top Universities

The lack of cybersecurity skills and talent is a growing problem in the United States and around the world. In fact, 80% of organizations worldwide have experienced one or more data breaches in the past year, which the company could attribute to a lack of cybersecurity skills and/or awareness, according to a recent report. from Fortinet.

“The skills gap is not only a talent shortage challenge, but it also has a significant impact on business, making it a top concern for leaders around the world,” said Sandra Wheatley, vice-president Senior President of Marketing for Threat Intelligence and Influencer Communications at Fortinet. A declaration.

Since 2013, the number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs has increased by 350%, from 1 million to 3.5 million, according to a 2022 report from Cybersecurity Ventures. There are many ways to enter the burgeoning cybersecurity industry, whether it’s pursuing a master’s degree, taking refresher courses with an employer, or earning certifications.

“There are different archetypes of how people find their way to security,” said Ryan LaSalle, head of North America practice at Accenture Security. Fortune in a recent interview. “We will tempt people all the time. We’ve done this time and time again when we’ve found people who we believe have real security potential.

If you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of cybersecurity without spending too much time or money, many US universities offer free online courses available to anyone, even non-students. Fortune rounded up five of them to get you started on your search. All the universities featured below are on the best graduate degree lists of Fortuneincluding cybersecurity, MBA, data science and business analytics.

Cyberattacks continue to become more common; in fact, between 2020 and 2021, the number of attacks per year increased by 31% to 270, according to a 2021 report from Accenture. The average number of successful attacks per company was 29.

People interested in learning more about cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and risks can check out the four-week online course hosted by New York University. The course, Introduction to Cyber ​​Attacks, also covers basic cyber security risk analysis and basic security frameworks. The course’s next offering begins September 5, 2022 and is taught by Edward G. Amoroso, researcher and professor at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. Amoroso is also the founder and CEO of TAG Cyber, a cybersecurity consultancy and consulting firm.

Cryptography helps in providing secure communication between a sender and the intended recipient only. In other words, this important cybersecurity measure helps prevent adversary interference.

In Cryptography I, students learn the inner workings of cryptographic systems and how to use them in practice. Participants in this course, organized by Stanford University, will also have the opportunity to work on practical problems in the field. The course lasts approximately 23 hours over a seven-week period and has flexible deadlines for assignments. Participants who complete the course can share their certification on LinkedIn. Cryptography I is taught by Dan Boneh, professor of cryptography and electrical engineering at Stanford. He also leads the Applied Cryptography Group and co-directs the Computer Security Lab at Stanford.

The Hardware Security course offered by the University of Maryland is part of the school’s online Cybersecurity Honors program, which covers cybersecurity fundamentals, hardware, and cryptography. This course focuses on understanding the vulnerabilities of digital system design flows and physical attacks against these systems.

Taught by Gang Qu, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, Hardware Security also covers the notion that security stems from hardware design and teaches students how to use tools to harden and secure hardware. The class takes approximately 12 hours to complete over seven weeks. Students who enroll in the Cybersecurity Honors program can earn a certificate upon completion.

At the University of Michigan, students can enroll in the History, Technology, and Security of the Internet, which provides insight into the basics of network technology and the impact of the Internet on our lives, our culture and our society. The course also covers the early days of the Internet, including how it was created, who created it, and how it works. Other course topics include Internet Marketing and Growth and Transport Control Protocol.

During the last two weeks of the 10-week course, students also learn about web security and encryption to better protect the data. Charles Russell Severance, a clinical professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, teaches the course, which is about 15 hours in total.

Western Governors University is ranked by Fortune as having one of the best online cybersecurity masters degree programs in the USA Network and Security Foundations covers the components of computer networks and the basic security concepts associated with networks. In this introductory course, students also receive an introduction to network security, threats, risk mitigation, and security management concepts and practices.

The course is taught by WGU College of IT Program Manager Gerri Light and WGU Instructor Michelle Watt. The self-paced course takes up to 10 hours per week to complete over an eight-week period. WGU also offers an unlimited-access version of the course for $166.08, which allows students to review materials after course completion. Alternatively, students can take the course for free with limited access to materials only during the registration period.

Find out how the schools you’re considering fared in Fortune’s rankings of the best master’s programs in data science (in-person and online), nursing, computer science, cybersecurity, psychology, public health, and analytics commercial, as well as the Ph.D. in education programs MBA programs (part-time, executive, full-time, and online).