Learn All About Cybersecurity with this IBM Course

This Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools and Cyber Attacks is a beginner-level online course offered by IBM on the Coursera platform. The course is part of the "IBM Cybersecurity Analyst" specialization and provides an overview of the cybersecurity landscape, common cybersecurity threats, and an introduction to cybersecurity tools.

The course is designed to help learners develop a foundational understanding of cybersecurity concepts and techniques. It covers network security, access control, threat analysis, and cryptography. Learners will gain hands-on experience with popular cybersecurity tools such as Wireshark, Nmap, and Metasploit through the course. 

Experts working in IBM Security Learning Services are the faculty for this course. The faculty assist clients daily in the field at their locations as ethical hackers and penetration testers, as well as in their Security Operation Centers. These subject matter experts (SMEs) are from the United States, Costa Rica, Italy, Canada and the UK. 

The content was good, but the delivery was poor. I would prefer instructors who are native English speakers, as it was very difficult to understand portions of the content. I wonder why they couldn't facilitate that given all the instructors are doing is narrating

This course is intended for anyone who wants to gain a basic understanding of cybersecurity or to acquire the skills to work as a Junior Cyber Security Analyst. Completing this course also makes you eligible for the Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools and Cyber Attacks IBM digital badge.

The course is divided into 5 modules:

Introduction to Cybersecurity

This module provides an overview of cybersecurity and the different types of cyber threats.

Cybersecurity Tools 

This module introduces learners to popular cybersecurity tools used for vulnerability scanning, network mapping, and penetration testing.

Cyberattacks

This module covers the most common types of cyber attacks, including malware, phishing, and denial of service (DoS) attacks.

Cybersecurity Architecture

This module overviews network security architecture and access control.

Cybersecurity Policies

This module covers cybersecurity policies, standards, and best practices.

The course is self-paced and can be completed in about 6 weeks. Learners who successfully complete the course will earn a certificate of completion. The course is suitable for beginners interested in pursuing a career in cybersecurity or who want to gain a foundational understanding of cybersecurity concepts and tools.

I took up this course during my final year of Bachelors in Technology. This was a great way for me to familiarize myself with the basic concepts of cybersecurity and IT, which include the CIA Triad and what each of the letters means, firewalls and their purposes, the basics of cryptography, the history and importance of cybersecurity in the late 20th and 21st Centuries, the types of malware and security and data breaches and how to combat them, various cybersecurity and IT resources, tools and online articles, and the careers one can start in cybersecurity and IT.

The only critique I have of this course is that spelling and sentence structure in the paragraphs below some of the videos could be edited so that notes can be easier to read and understand in preparation for quizzes. I also do think some questions in some of the practice quizzes and end-of-the-week quizzes could be worded better or could have been discussed more in the chapters. Reading material can also be revised to aid easy learning.

Despite this, I plan to continue with the next 3 courses to earn my certificate. I recommend this course to any college students, college graduates or those thinking of switching to the IT and cybersecurity fields.

With cybersecurity skills, you can work across many industries, including the government, banking, business, education, and healthcare sectors. Cybersecurity offers fantastic earning opportunities. According to Glassdoor, the highest annual salary for a cybersecurity engineer in the U.S. is $153,865. So I've decided to do a Cyber Security course. Then I came across this course on Coursera with the highest rating.