Announcing the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate on Coursera

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Whether you are a new graduate starting in your career, recently unemployed because of pandemic-related shutdowns, or someone who has been on the job hunt for a while, the post-pandemic job market will be unfamiliar terrain. New economic realities and the highest unemployment rate in generations have changed the landscape of getting hired. Now, more than ever, it’s essential to focus on building the right skills for in-demand career fields.

Cybersecurity is one of the most in-demand career fields today

• Based on the (ISC)2 CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE STUDY, 2019, the global cybersecurity workforce gap is estimated to be 4.07 million and needs to grow by 145%.
• The current shortage in the U.S. of Cybersecurity jobs, according to Cyberseek.org is over 500K.
• CISO Magazine reports, “This skill gap may further be exacerbated by a distinct lack of female representation.”
• Not only is there a shortage of dedicated cybersecurity professionals, Robert Herjavec, founder and CEO at Herjavec Group in an article for Cybercrime magazine, “There is a zero-percent unemployment rate in cybersecurity and the opportunities in this field are endless,” added Herjavec. “Gone are the days of siloed I.T. and security teams. All I.T. professionals need to know security – full stop. Given the complexity of today’s interconnected world, we all have to work together to support the protection of the enterprise.”

Cybersecurity threats continue to rise globally

The IBM X-Force® Threat Intelligence Index 2020 report  provides insights on the trends shaping the cybersecurity threat landscape, including:

• 8.5 billion records breached in 2019, giving attackers access to more stolen credentials. Securing credentials and access controls is more important than ever.
• One hundred fifty thousand vulnerabilities disclosed to date. Patching vulnerabilities is still a problem for many organizations, and cybercriminals know that.
• Ransomware attacks up 67% year-over-year in Q4 2019. Threat actors are innovating with new ransomware code for destructive attacks.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 32 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for information security analysts is expected to be very high, as these analysts will be needed to create innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or causing problems for computer networks”.

A growing number of exciting, well-paying jobs in today’s security industry do not require a college degree. No previous cybersecurity knowledge or experience is needed, but you should be comfortable working with computers, be willing to develop new technical skills, enjoy collaborative problem solving, and communicating solutions.

Addressing the skills gap

Due to the shortage of skilled resources and the list of cybersecurity threats increasing IBM is dedicated to offering training to help close the cybersecurity skills gap.  This program is suitable for learners entering the workforce, professionals switching careers, and I.T. professionals with a need to enhance their skills in Cybersecurity.  Based on the NICE Framework, Cyber Defense Analyst role, the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate will give you the technical expertise to become job-ready for a cybersecurity analyst role.  Instructional content and labs will introduce you to concepts, including network security, endpoint protection, incident response, threat intelligence, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessment.

By the end of this program, you will have completed a real-world security breach hands-on project and applied concepts through industry tool virtual labs to provide you with the confidence to start a career in Cybersecurity.  Enroll in IBM’s new Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate today!

Here are some additional resources to help you through your cybersecurity learning journey:

IBM Skills Gateway

IBM Security Learning Academy

IBM Security Client Success – LinkedIn

IBM Security Community