Google on Thursday announced a new cybersecurity training program. Those who sign up for the class will prepare for a cybersecurity analyst career and they will receive a professional certificate from Google when they graduate.
The new Cybersecurity Certificate is part of the company’s Grow With Google initiative. The program was built by Google experts and it’s hosted by online course provider Coursera.
Interested individuals can sign up for a 7-day free trial, after which they will have to pay $49 per month to continue learning.
In addition, educational institutions such as Purdue University, the University of Texas System, Syracuse University, and Northern Virginia Community College will offer the new course from Google to their students.
Google says no relevant experience is necessary for the course and participants are able to learn at their own pace, with classes running for 6 months at 7 hours a week.
The training provided by the internet giant is useful for various analyst roles, including SOC, information security, IT security, and cyber defense analyst.
“The Google Cybersecurity Certificate will teach learners how to identify common risks, threats and vulnerabilities, as well as the techniques to mitigate them,” Google explained in a blog post announcing the new training program. “The program will prepare people for entry-level cybersecurity roles by providing hands-on experience with industry standard tools including Python, Linux and an array of security tools, including Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) programs.”
Google pointed out that there are hundreds of thousands of cybersecurity job openings in the United States, and that the median entry-level salary in this field exceeds $100,000 per year.
It also noted that it’s collaborating with over 150 US companies that are committed to considering graduates for entry-level jobs. Cybersecurity Certificate graduates will gain access to an exclusive job platform where they can apply for job openings from these employers.
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