The Best Courses and Books to Learn Cybersecurity in 2022

April 2021 Facebook data breach exposed the personal information of 533 million users.

May 2021 Air India data breach exposed figures of over 4.5 million passengers.

June 2021, LinkedIn data of 700 million people was released on a dark web platform.

This, along with ransomware attacks on Pixlr, Accenture, Acer, T-Mobile, WannaCry, Petya, Mirai Botnet, and Pegasus, broke the news in 2021.

The world is moving online, digital transformation, virtual work, and cryptocurrencies present the dangers of the web, and hackers are on the hunt for ransom. From large organizations to smaller home servers, cybersecurity is becoming an in-demand skill. Analytics India Magazine has listed the best online courses and books for beginners to learn cyber security in 2022.

Online cybersecurity courses for beginners

1. Introduction to the Cybersecurity Specialization on Coursera

With a 4.7/5 star rating, this course is partnered with NYU and is one of the most popular cybersecurity courses on Coursera. The program lasts approximately four months if learned at the suggested rate of 4 hours per week. Introduction to Cyber ​​Security is a foundation course for techs and non-techs alike, and it covers security risks in real-world computer systems, networks, and software. The program includes cyberattacks, countermeasures, real-time threat detection and mitigation, and enterprise infrastructure and security. Additionally, it includes industry talks, quizzes, and applied learning projects to help students connect concepts to practice. The course instructor is Dr. Edward G. Amoroso, a research professor at NYU.

Find the course here.

2. The Complete Cybersecurity Course: Hackers Exposed! on Udemy

A best-selling course on Udemy, The Complete Cyber ​​Security Course is Part 1 of a 4-part series perfect for beginners. The Beginner to Advanced course teaches the landscape of threats and vulnerabilities through threat modeling and risk assessment. The program includes practical skills to mitigate hackers, trackers, malware, exploits, and cybercriminals across multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux. “We explore the Darknet and the cybercriminal mindset,” the module asserts, through concepts of encryption, various social engineering threats, and security screening of isolation and compartmentalization. It teaches the concepts through case studies of tracking and hacking used by national intelligence agencies such as the NSA, FBI and MSS. The course is taught by Nathan House, a cybersecurity officer with over 24 years of industry experience.

Find the course here.

3. The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Cybersecurity 2021 on Udemy

This course is a suitable choice for students with no cybersecurity background and covers the fundamental concepts of hacking, malware, firewalls, worms, phishing, encryption, biometrics, and BYOD. The first two sections cover the basics of hacking, followed by section 3 which explains common forms of hacking and malware. Finally, Section 4 teaches cybersecurity methods to protect systems and networks from cyberattacks. The instructor, Alexander Oni, is a web developer and cybersecurity expert.

Find the course here.

4. Fundamentals of cybersecurity on edX

Cybersecurity Fundamentals on edX comes from the Rochester Institute of Technology as part of their Cybersecurity MicroMasters program, but can be audited on its own as it is an introduction to computer security. The eight-week course teaches cybersecurity fundamentals such as detecting threats, protecting systems and networks, and anticipating potential cyberattacks. Additionally, the course includes essential techniques for protecting systems and network infrastructure, monitoring threats, and designing and implementing security measures for different organizations. The instructor, Jonathan S. Weissman, is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Security at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Find the course here.

5. Cybersecurity Basics: A Practical Approach on edX

“Learn to think like a hacker, but behave like a security expert,” the course description reads. The Cyber ​​Security Basics course presents the subject from different angles of the discipline, mainly covering existing security threats and how to protect against them. The course takes a hands-on approach to teaching computer forensics, assembly programming, cyber defense, and malware and advanced persistent threats. It is taught by three instructors who are researchers and professors at the Carlos III University of Madrid with years of experience in computer security.

Find the course here.

6. Win the Cyber ​​War – Advanced Cyber ​​Security and Cyber ​​Defense Certification Program on TalentSpring by IIT Kanpur

This certification is a 120-hour long course offered by IIT Kanpur, in association with TalentSprint, for aspiring cybersecurity professionals. The course combines theory and academics with a practical approach to mastering skills. The program’s hands-on approach includes capstone projects, hackathons, and campus tours. The course curriculum includes VPN, Reverse Engineering, Honeypot, Web Security, Access Control, Malware Analysis, Intrusion Detection, Secure Development, and more. It is taught by five cybersecurity research experts.

Find the course here.

7. Cybersecurity for Beginners by Heimdal Security

Heimdal is a cloud-based cybersecurity solutions provider that has developed an introductory online cybersecurity course. The course includes six modules teaching the basics of cybersecurity, the right tools to protect against viruses, detection and prevention to identify security vulnerabilities, protection against cybercriminal actions and safe ways to explore the web. The course instructors are Bianca Soare and Miriam Cihodariu.

Find the course here.

8. Cybersecurity compliance framework and system administration by IBM

Provided by IBM on Naukri Learning, Cybersecurity Compliance Framework & System Administration is a 16-hour introductory course that teaches critical principles of opensource server administration through real-world case studies. The course provides students with the knowledge to understand key cybersecurity compliance and industry standards for any cybersecurity role in the organization. The curriculum includes compliance frameworks and industry standards, client system administration, server and user administration, and cryptography and compliance pitfalls.

Find the course here.

Cybersecurity books for beginners

1. The Psychology of Information Security by Leron Zinatullin (Read here)
2. Penetration Testing: A Practical Introduction to Hacking by Georgia Weidman (Read here)
3. Hacking: The Art of Exploitation by Jon Erickson (Read here)
4. Cybersecurity for Beginners by Raef Meeuwisse (Read here)
5. Hacking: A Beginner’s Guide to Hacking, Basic Security and Penetration Testing by John Slavio (Read here)
6. Social engineering: the science of human hacking by Christopher Hadnagy (Read here)
7. Cybersecurity for Dummies by Joseph Steinberg (Read here)
8. Alice and Bob learn about application security from Tanya Janca (Read here)