Firstly cybersecurity refers to removing unwanted threats from systems, networks, and programs. These threats aim to access confidential information for manipulation, removal, or other illegal purposes. And that costs money and resources for the organization. What’s worse is that people have to suffer from unwanted consequences. Statistics tell us that yahoo holds the largest data breach of all time, which affected 3 billion accounts of users. Another interesting fact is that there were 3950 data breaches in 2020. And these huge breaches cost millions.
As scary as it sounds, preventive measures must be taken to stop the damage or future threats. That is why cybersecurity has evolved to protect our systems. Even companies today hire cybersecurity professionals to protect their sensitive data from leakage and unwanted threats.
Cybersecurity skills are not easy to master. They require effort, along with practice and patience. For that, you should definitely take the help of cybersecurity courses available online.
Recommended skills and Pre-requisites for Cybersecurity courses
The cyber security courses in India mentioned below don’t require such hardcore skills. However, one needs to have computer and IT knowledge, such as computer networks, systems, and operating systems. It is definitely recommended that you take up these courses only when you have studied Computer Science and IT as one of the specializations in your undergraduate/postgraduate degree. Otherwise, in case you want to switch to an IT career, make sure that you can grasp these hard skills as easily as possible. Or you can take up the required course for basics as well. While some courses also require to have work experience in security analysis as well. Please check the detailed prerequisites before taking up any course.
Cybersecurity courses available in India
Cybersecurity certifications are the gateway to your career’s success. That is why it is important to take up the certifications and the certification courses to learn the best. the courses that I have listed here are online ones. Because I think that professionals find it more comfortable to pursue the profession. However, in offline programs, the ones I saw were only in the form of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. And those need to be pursued full-time. Another point is that they were expensive. Therefore, the courses which I found useful are briefed below:
Simplilearn
Simplilearn hosts multiple courses on its platform. It is one of the best online Bootcamp programs. There are certification courses, master’s programs as well as advanced courses. The one which I found worth taking is the “ Master’s program in Cyber Security Expert.” this program requires a candidate to at least hold an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree in any discipline. And the total fee is ₹84499. The courses included in this program are an introduction to cybersecurity, CompTIA Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker, and CISSP training. Along with that, there are three electives: certified cloud security professional, CompTIA Network+, and CISM. Lastly, when you finish the course, it gives you the certificate for completion. Surprisingly, it also enrolls you in its job assistance program, where you can learn how to appear for placements and get a chance to appear in very good placements.
EC-Council
Ec-council has courses on VAPT Track, Incident Handling and Response Track, and Forsenics Track. Here our focus is on VAPT Track. So it has several courses falling into its category: Certified Network Defender, Certified Ethical Hacker, EC-Council certified security analyst, and Licensed Penetration Tester. Among them, I would recommend you consider the “Certified Ethical Hacker” and “Licensed penetration tester.” The CEH certification requires a candidate to have at least 2 years of experience in IT Security. And after that, you can take up the training. And if someone doesn’t have the experience, you must first understand the basics from different courses. It asks you to complete its training of approximately 5 days. After that, you can appear for the 4-hour exam and then its practical exam of 6 hours.
Regarding “Licensed Penetration Tester,” it holds two 12-hour practical exams that will test your practical skills in real-life scenarios. There are no mandatory prerequisites for taking up the examination. However, they recommend you take CEH/ECSA practicals prior to the CPENT examination.
IIT Delhi
IIT Delhi also offers an online program for its students. The course duration is of 6 months. And the total fee for the program is ₹ 118,000. The important topics it covers are Network Security, Cyber forensics, Incident management, and some other topics. The eligibility criteria for this program is that the candidate must be a graduate/post-graduate in any of the degrees from BE, M.Tech, BCA, MCA, Bsc in computer science, or BSc in information technology. The course is online, and it conducts its classes on weekends. It is a self-paced course that also offers certificates on completion.
Conclusion
Those were the best courses that I found useful for pursuing cybersecurity. The course you take up is completely your choice. However, I would like to point out that one needs to look at the content quality and the topics covered in each course. Make sure you do your research properly. And don’t blindly follow the low costs of the course. We all know that the best quality comes at a price. So look carefully. Start your career in cybersecurity today.
