The Lowdown on Udacity's Intro to Cybersecurity Nanodegree

Security and data breaches are a growing concern globally. Believe it or not, more than 3.2 million records were compromised in the 10 biggest data breaches in the first half of 2020. The data could be anything ranging from Social Security numbers to your credit card details to something as personal as a medical record.

That’s why cybersecurity is top of mind for every company around the world. With the increasing number of data breaches  — up 54% in 2019 — the role of a cybersecurity professional has become vital. In fact, the need for cybersecurity specialists has become so paramount, that according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupation is projected to grow at a much faster rate — more than 30% between 2018 and 2028 —  than the average of all other occupations.

As demand for cybersecurity specialists reaches a fever pitch, Udacity is excited to announce the release of the all-new Introduction to Cybersecurity Nanodegree program — created in collaboration with SecurityScorecard — a great start for anyone interested in this critical field.

Prep for Future Jobs with our Introduction to Cybersecurity Nanodegree program

This Nanodegree program prepares students with a strong foundation in cybersecurity skills and knowledge. The program is a great start in the Cybersecurity field or a great supplement for IT professionals looking to build stronger Cybersecurity skills.

The Nanodegree program fills in the gap in hands-on skills-based training in the field of cybersecurity.

Currently, there are many university or college-level programs focused on the theory of cybersecurity without addressing the practical application of that theory; boot camps could provide practical training, but it comes with a very high price tag. 

Udacity’s Nanodegree program fills that gap by offering the right balance of structured content and practitioner-level skills for existing cybersecurity professionals. Our project-based learning approach prepares students for the real-world problems faced by organizations globally.

Data breaches and security threats are a growing concern and with this program, you will not only learn the fundamentals of cybersecurity but also get to implement and test them in a real-world context.

Here’s what you’ll learn in the Introduction to Cybersecurity Nanodegree program: 

COURSE 1: Cybersecurity Foundations

This foundations course explains security fundamentals including core principles, critical security controls, and the best practices.

PROJECT 1: Securing a Business Network

Investigate and fix security issues on a Windows 10 client system as a way of demonstrating fundamental cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and abilities. 

COURSE 2: Defending and Securing Systems

Get exposed to a diverse group of technologies that will provide or enhance the skills needed to enter the field.

PROJECT 2: Monitoring and Securing Douglas Financials Inc.

Analyze Windows and Linux servers and report recommendations on OS hardening, compliance issues, encryption, and network security for Douglas Financials Inc.

COURSE 3: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Incident Response

Learn how to identify security threats and gaps, fix issues, and respond to inevitable attacks.

PROJECT 3: Navigating a Cybersecurity Incident

Apply the skills you have acquired to navigate a potential cyber incident threatening a hospital.

COURSE 4: Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Learn about the functions of Governance, Risk, and Compliance and how each function operates alongside operational controls to strengthen an organization’s security.

PROJECT 4: Create the SwiftTech GRC Program

As a brand new GRC analyst for SwiftTech, you’ll need to understand the business quickly and improve their GRC documentation to help support the organization’s goals.

This program is great for IT professionals, risk analysts, and QA engineers who need to build foundational Cybersecurity knowledge, though any individual with basic familiarity of network connectivity and operating systems would also benefit from these critical skills.

Partnering with Industry-leader SecurityScorecard

Udacity has partnered with SecurityScorecard to bring industry-relevant cybersecurity skills training to students and businesses globally, starting with the Introduction to Cybersecurity Nanodegree program.

“Our goal at Udacity is to train the world’s workforce in the in-demand careers of the future, and cybersecurity is a critical industry that’s experiencing a significant gap between demand for and supply of qualified professionals,” said Alper Tekin, Chief Product Officer at Udacity. “We’re excited and proud to partner with SecurityScorecard to bring practical cybersecurity skills training to students and companies across all industries, to answer the massive demand for cybersecurity professionals.”

SecurityScorecard is the global leader in cybersecurity ratings and the only service with over a million companies continuously rated. Founded in 2013 by security and risk experts Dr.Aleksandr Yampolskiy and Sam Kassoumeh, SecurityScorecard’s patented rating technology is used by over 1,000 organizations for enterprise risk management, third-party risk management, board reporting, due diligence, and cyber insurance underwriting. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Udacity to bring easily accessible cybersecurity education to the public,” said Aleksandr Yampolskiy, CEO and co-founder of SecurityScorecard, the global leader in security ratings.

“Our company mission is to make the world a safer place. By partnering with Udacity we are making additional progress on this journey and helping to facilitate the development of future and current cybersecurity professionals. The world needs skilled security practitioners and we’re happy to join Udacity in this endeavour.”

Learn About Cybersecurity with the Best Instructors

This program has been created in collaboration with some of the top professionals and academics in the industry.

• Ron Woerner, CEO, Cyber-AAA  
• Jerry Smith, Information Security Engineer, University of Alabama, Birmingham
• Christine Izuakor, CEO, Cyber Pop-Up 
• Sean Pike, Senior Director, Security and GRC, Business Wire

Industry-wide Demand for Cybersecurity Specialists on the Rise

According to Microsoft’s research, there are upwards of 744,000 cybersecurity professionals today, but cybersecurity roles are expected to grow 750% in the next five years, amounting to almost 6.4 million jobs and not nearly enough qualified cybersecurity professionals to fill them.

When demand for a role is over double the supply of qualified applicants, that typically translates to big advantages for those job-seekers. For example, the median salary for cybersecurity professionals as of May 2019 is $99,730 per year and $47.95 per hour.

Beyond compensation, cybersecurity professionals also benefit from job opportunities across the full spectrum of industries, given that every business needs to maintain adequate security practices and infrastructure to avoid data breaches. Particularly high demand for cybersecurity professionals comes from sectors like Information Technology & Services, Defense & Space, Computer Network & Security, Management Consulting, and Financial Services. 

Enroll Today!

Excited to get your start in this in-demand field? Enroll today in Udacity’s new Introduction to Cybersecurity Nanodegree program!