As indicated by an analysis, around 30,000 websites fall victim to hacking each day, with an occurrence of a new attack somewhere on the internet happening every 39 seconds. In the United States solely, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) documented 791,790 complaints related to cybercrime in 2022, showing a 69 percent rise from 2019. The financial losses resulting from those complaints exceeded $4.1 billion.

There has been a growing need for skilled cybersecurity professionals, as businesses now have to allocate more resources, including time, money, and talent, towards the detection and prevention of cyberattacks.

If you are beginning your career or looking to make a career change, there are five crucial reasons why you should think about entering the current and upcoming tech industry.

1. The Huge Number of Cybersecurity Jobs

When conducting a brief search on any well-known job portal using the keyword “cybersecurity,” you will likely come across numerous job vacancies that have not been filled, possibly numbering in the hundreds or even thousands.

The rate at which companies are generating new cybersecurity jobs surpasses their ability to recruit suitable candidates.

From April 2020 to May 2021, close to 500,000 cybersecurity job postings were seen throughout the United States. Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that there could be up to 3.5 million vacant positions in cybersecurity worldwide by the end of 2021. This figure signifies a remarkable expansion of 350 percent in available cybersecurity jobs since 2013.

Finding the right job is always challenging, but professionals possessing cybersecurity skills undoubtedly possess a significant edge in this fiercely competitive job market.

2. The Cybersecurity Skills Gap

The rate at which people are acquiring the necessary skills is not keeping up with the increasing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals.

The cybersecurity skills gap is anticipated to deteriorate further.

Research conducted by Frost & Sullivan reveals that the shortfall of proficient IT experts is projected to escalate by an extra 1.8 million positions by 2022.

Professionals who possess the necessary skills and experience to fulfill these positions currently can anticipate an increased number of job prospects. They might even have the opportunity to negotiate for a better salary.

3. Nearly Every Industry Needs Cybersecurity Professionals

Skilled cybersecurity professionals are now in demand across all industries, not just the tech sector. Every sector requires these experts to safeguard their networks, data, and online transactions.

It is evident that certain sectors, like healthcare and finance, require cybersecurity.

Sectors that previously did not consider cyber attacks a concern now face the threat of such attacks.

The occurrence of ransomware attacks has significantly increased for state and local governments. With the increasing connectivity of cars and household appliances in the Internet of Things (IoT), there is a growing demand for tightened cybersecurity measures. The fitness and hospitality sectors are also confronted with financial and legal consequences arising from data breaches.

So if you are interested in a career in tech but want to avoid the typical technology start-up, a career in cybersecurity will allow you to utilize your technical skills in almost any industry that interests you.

4. Cybersecurity Has Many Different Career Pathways

To outsmart cybercriminals, it is necessary to have groups of specialists with varied expertise and knowledge. Your journey in cybersecurity will be shaped not only by your individual skillset but also by your distinct interests and strengths.

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) has developed the Cyber Career Pathways Tool to provide a representation of the cybersecurity workforce. It outlines 52 unique cybersecurity roles categorized into five skill-based communities. Another resource, Cyberseek.org, presents an alternative depiction of potential career paths in cybersecurity. By beginning with six initial roles, the site highlights the skill overlaps and the potential growth from entry-level positions to more advanced roles.

Cybersecurity career pathways often begin in a technical field, as indicated by these tools, although not all of them.

Starting with a coding certification or a bachelor’s degree in IT is an excellent beginning point. By doing so, you could be involved in activities like creating secure networks, designing systems to safeguard cloud-based databases, or developing security software to integrate into the newest online application.

As your experience grows, you might discover a keen interest in risk analysis, choose to pursue further education in security governance, or aim for an advanced degree or technical certification.

In this ever-changing field, you have the chance to shape your career to align with your growing interests.

5. Cybersecurity May be Future-Proof

Job growth in the field of cybersecurity is expected to persist for the foreseeable future.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 33 percent increase in information security jobs based in the United States between 2020 and 2030. Comparatively, the average growth rate for all occupations in the next decade is expected to be 7.7 percent.

Regrettably, businesses in urgent need of cybersecurity professionals will continue to face the skills gap for an extended period. Unlike other sectors that may experience fluctuations with the economy, the requirement to remain vigilant against cybercrime remains constant, even during a recession.

Put simply, if you start a certification or degree program in cybersecurity now, the desired job you have been longing for will still be available upon completion. There is a promising future for individuals possessing the necessary skills, knowledge, and mindset to actively combat cybercrime.

5 Best Cybersecurity Courses Online for Beginners

Below is a compilation of the top online cybersecurity courses, designed to help you easily determine which ones are valuable for your time investment. Every course has specific requirements, curriculum, cost, and target demographic. Irrespective of your intention to enhance your cybersecurity expertise for personal, occupational, or academic reasons, there is undoubtedly an appropriate choice among the options listed.

1. StationX VIP Membership

StationX provides a wide range of courses dedicated to cybersecurity, covering various areas such as ethical hacking, penetration testing, networking, DevSec, digital forensics, cloud security, networking, and incident response. The platform also offers specialized courses designed to help individuals pass leading security certifications and effectively prepare for examinations.

By paying $149 per year for the StationX VIP Membership, you can enjoy unlimited access to all courses, which typically range from $90 to $2,000 each. This discounted fee (usually priced at $1,199) is definitely worthwhile considering the value it offers. Additionally, new courses taught by esteemed security experts are constantly being added, ensuring that you receive top-notch training.

We recommend beginners to commence their cyber security learning journey with The Complete Cyber Security Course. This course is divided into four separate volumes, and delivered by cybersecurity specialist and CEO of StationX, Nathan House. Below is a brief synopsis of the topics covered in each volume.

Hackers Exposed: Learn to stop hackers, block tracking, and prevent government surveillance.
Network Security: Find out about network security, wifi security and hackers, firewalls, password managers, and more.
Anonymous Browsing: Discover the world of anonymous browsing including hiding IP addresses, Tor, and VPNs.
End Point Protection: Learn about antivirus software, malware, encryption, and application control.

In summary, this training toolbox is a valuable resource for anyone starting a career in the industry, offering regular updates to keep you informed about cybersecurity advancements and boost your professional progress. Whether you wish to enhance cybersecurity within your organization or simply expand your knowledge in the field, this membership allows you to customize your learning experience effectively.

2. Coursera Introduction to Cyber Security Specialization

Coursera functions by organizing numerous courses into a “specialization,” giving you the option to either enroll in all the courses within that specialization or select specific ones. Each specialization also includes a practical project that must be fulfilled to obtain a certificate.

There are four courses included in the Introduction to Cyber Security specialization.

Introduction to Cyber Attacks: Provides a basic understanding of threats and vulnerabilities, and an overview of how cyberattacks are carried out.
Cyber Attack Countermeasures: Teaches the basics of cyber defense and cryptography, including authentication solutions and public-key cryptography.
Real-Time Cyber Threat Detection and Mitigation: Discusses real-time cybersecurity techniques and how to detect and prevent common attacks.
Enterprise and Infrastructure Security: Introduces more advanced topics such as enterprise compliance frameworks and issues in blockchain and mobile security.

This series of courses is not ideal for home users seeking to enhance their cybersecurity understanding as it delves deeper into the subject. Instead, it primarily caters to business owners or individuals aspiring to become cybersecurity professionals. It is recommended to allocate approximately four months to finish these courses, assuming a weekly study commitment of four hours. However, the flexibility of online learning allows you to proceed at your preferred speed, so take as much time as necessary.

Many individual Coursera courses can be taken without charge, but if you want a certificate, you need to pay a monthly fee to complete a specialization and its hands-on project. Once the seven-day free trial ends, each specialization costs between $49 and $79 per month. Therefore, the faster you complete the courses and projects, the lower your payment will be. Another option is to subscribe to Coursera Plus, which costs $59 per month and provides unlimited access to over 7,000 specializations with no extra charges.

3. Cyber Aces Online

If you are at all interested in cybersecurity, you have probably heard of the highly regarded SANS Institute. For the past thirty years, this organization has been conducting research and education programs in the field of information security. And now, they are offering their SANS Cyber Aces Online courses completely free of charge.

Running in-person training events worldwide is a regular practice for the institute, but the price tag for attending these events is usually in the thousands. Hence, receiving free online training from them is quite an enjoyable experience. Nevertheless, the current selection is limited, featuring only one course. However, if your aim is to begin your journey in the cybersecurity field, it is an ideal option.

The course covers the following and teaches the basics of cybersecurity:

Operating Systems: Focusing on command line usage, this module teaches concepts and commands in Linux and advanced use of Windows.
Networking: This covers the fundamentals of computer attacks and corresponding defense from a network point of view. You’ll find out about the protocols used in each OSI layer, in particular, the networking layer.
System Administration: The final module teaches administrative functions in popular scripting environments.

You have the choice to enroll in courses with or without quizzes, which consist of multiple-choice questions and evaluate your knowledge and comprehension of every module.

The aim of this course is to educate potential cybersecurity professionals as well as the general public. By providing free courses like this, the SANS Institute desires to enhance cybersecurity awareness and ultimately contribute to reinforcing national security.

4. Heimdal Cyber Security for Beginners

Heimdal Security, a respected company specializing in combating cybercrime, is currently providing their Cyber Security for Beginners course at no cost. While most courses on the list cater to aspiring cybersecurity professionals, this particular course is designed to enhance the home cybersecurity knowledge of general users.

You will receive lessons directly to your inbox every two days for approximately five weeks, ensuring that this course is tailored to your pace. Throughout 20 lessons, you will acquire knowledge on:

Cybersecurity basics such as vocabulary and setting up a security system
Tools and tactics that can shield you from malware
How to make your system less vulnerable to cyber threats
Ways to keep your kids and other loved ones safe online
How to explore the web safely (including email and social media)
Security skills such as knowledge of how attacks work and how to avoid and deal with them

The lesson titles such as “Mastering basic security terms in 20 minutes – Bye-bye technical jargon!”, “Safely navigating social media: Share, Tweet, Protect, Repeat”, and “Cybersecurity guidance for parents and children” clearly target home users and may not be as applicable to individuals seeking a cybersecurity profession.

5. Cybrary Introduction to IT and Cybersecurity

If you are considering a career in cybersecurity and are contemplating the suitable path to pursue, this course might be suitable for your needs. Its purpose is to assist you in choosing between the key areas of cybersecurity, and it offers comprehensive coverage of four main disciplines in a modular format that consists of slightly over four hours of video content.

During the course, you will acquire knowledge on system administration, privacy analysis, network engineering, incident response and forensics, and penetration testing.

There are numerous free Cybrary courses available and if you enjoy this specific course, there are plenty of others to select from. You have the option to browse their library by course type and level of difficulty. All courses are showcased in video format, making them ideal for individuals who prefer visual learning.

It is important to be aware that once you are enrolled, there is a rather strong push to upgrade to the Insider Pro version of Cybrary, which grants you access to supplementary courses and benefits such as career guidance and mentorship. This upgrade carries a cost of $59 monthly, which may seem expensive, but if you have an interest in any of the additional features (such as preparation for certification), it could be worth considering.