Cybersecurity Classes Chicago, IL

Over five billion people use the internet every day. Whether you are posting on social media, shopping online, video conferencing, or watching news videos, internet access has become an integral part of people's lives. The same is true for businesses. Today, it is very difficult to do business without a website. Unfortunately, those connections come with dangers, and one of those is cybersecurity threats.

From October through December, 2023, more than eight million online accounts were exposed by data breaches. This can take the form of massive ransomware attacks against targets like Colonial Pipeline, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, and Kaseya. But cybersecurity threats can also target customer online banking information. Hackers, malware, and ransomware abound as malicious actors seek to profit or simply wreak havoc.

As a result, cybersecurity is becoming more and more important with each passing day. Indeed, there is a serious shortage of cybersecurity professionals and recent developments have shown how inadequate the United States’ cyber defenses are. But cybersecurity isn’t just something for sophisticated programmers working to protect national security. Every company with an IT department needs someone who can manage the company’s defenses against all manner of attacks. Cybersecurity professionals are going to be increasingly in-demand as skilled hackers are constantly searching for ways to infiltrate the security systems of both small and large businesses to steal data and passwords or to place ransomware.

One of the best ways to learn about cybersecurity is to attend a bootcamp. Bootcamps, unlike many shorter classes, are intensive, immersive, and focus on imparting precisely the skills that job recruiters are seeking. Some bootcamps even make a viable substitute for a college degree for individuals seeking to enter the workforce as quickly as possible, although most people working in cybersecurity have a college degree in computing or information technology.

A bootcamp can also help you pass a certification exam. If you plan to launch a cybersecurity career, you need to have a professional certification. These tests are administered by several organizations, including the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), ISACA, or CompTIA. Many bootcamps are geared specifically toward helping you pass a particular exam.

What Will I Learn in a Cybersecurity Class?

When you enroll in a cybersecurity bootcamp, you will learn to use the security tools to analyze and protect networks. You will learn penetration testing, how security processes and technologies work, and techniques to find and fix system vulnerabilities.

Network Analysis

A cybersecurity course will teach you how to analyze traffic on a computer network to identify anything out of the ordinary and determine if it is a problem. Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) involves keeping records of what is happening on the network and comparing those records to past examples to find unusual activity. Network Analysts learn how to stop threats and protect the network in the future.

System Administration

Another topic covered in a cybersecurity bootcamp is system administration. A System Administrator sets up and maintains the different parts of a computing system. They install, configure, and update software and hardware, oversee user accounts, run backups, and implement security measures. Cybersecurity professionals need to understand the parts of a system, how they fit together, and where vulnerabilities usually pop up.

Risk Assessment

Cybersecurity classes also cover risk assessment. You will learn to identify and evaluate risks to a system and how to protect against them. The course will teach you to define threats, pinpoint vulnerabilities, determine threat likelihood, and assess the impact of the threat. Risk assessment involves cataloging information assets and determining which are secure and which are not. When risks are uncovered, they should be assessed to determine the probability of a breach and the possible impact. The next step is to set security controls and monitor those processes over time.

White Hat Penetration Testing

White hat testing or ethical hacking is a common cybersecurity skill. This involves trying to hack into a system to identify vulnerabilities and then fix them. The white hat hacker is usually someone outside a company that is hired to identify security issues. They work with open-source software to find vulnerabilities and then report their findings to the customer. Ethical hackers look for ways to penetrate an organization's system and conduct anti-phishing campaigns. They simulate denial-of-service attacks and test the company's susceptibility to social engineering. White hat hackers use different tools to automate testing processes and often develop their own programs.

Bash Scripting

Bash scripting is the practice of writing algorithms on Unix or MacOS operating systems to automate and execute cybersecurity tasks. Bash scripting uses a text editor to write a series of commands that allow administrators to perform complex tasks with only a few lines of code. There is a separate system shell for Windows. Bash is used to automate tasks, which can help cybersecurity professionals with repetitive tasks like penetration testing and vulnerability scanning.

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides cloud storage to millions of customers in a secure environment. Part of their service is providing cybersecurity to protect customer data from breaches and safeguard accounts. AWS offers many different products and earning an AWS certification is useful if you want to start a cybersecurity career.

Python Programming

Another skill covered in a cybersecurity bootcamp is Python programming. Python is a widely used language with many libraries and add-ons to speed up coding. Python also has a large community of coders around the world who hold conferences and help each other. It is easy to learn, versatile, and powerful. In a cybersecurity bootcamp, you will learn about tools and libraries like Nmap for scanning, PyREbox to locate malware, Metasploit for penetration testing, Volatility for digital forensics, and Scapy for ethical hacking.

What Can You Do with Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity training can help you learn to keep customer data and network systems safe from attacks. You can help a company keep customer and employee data safe from hackers through system tools and audits, but you can also educate employees on ways to avoid threats to the company. Cloud-based applications are surging in use, and as the products grow, so do the opportunities for hacking. Cybersecurity Engineers make sure that company data and accounts are safe in the cloud. This often involves training employees on how to use the services correctly. Cybersecurity professionals also need to implement fixes and monitor the network to be sure future attacks are repelled. Some of the specific threats you can train others about are problems with cloud computing systems, phishing, password and authentication, mobile device security, social media platforms, public wi-fi, social engineering, and email.

Phishing is a hack where attackers send emails or text messages to websites that can contain malware to collect data. There are four types of phishing: spear phishing, whaling, smishing, and vishing. Spear phishing is directed to an individual to get the person to give up important data like a social security number or birthday. Whaling is spear phishing directed at high-profile individuals. Smishing is done through text and vishing through phone calls. Security Engineers help to educate employees on ways to avoid these threats.

Setting a strong password goes a long way to protecting from data breaches and is another area that Security Specialists are called on to help with. Setting up password randomization and two-factor authentication for a company can cut down on password theft and protect company and customer accounts. Training staff on how to follow safe password recommendations can go a long way toward protecting valuable data.

As IT technology improves, more companies offer remote work and the option to work from different devices. Unfortunately, this can increase the threat of system attacks. IT Engineers are often called upon to help employees protect mobile devices and provide training for employees who work from home or are on the road. Weak passwords and ransomware are common problems for remote workers. Unencrypted file sharing and unsecured Wi-Fi networks are further threats.

Many companies use social media to promote goods and services, and this provides further opportunities for malicious actors to gather sensitive information. IT professionals working in cybersecurity develop instructions on privacy settings for social media accounts and help employees avoid spreading company information. Social engineering is a related problem whereby unscrupulous people attempt to lure employees in or impersonate clients. Employees are convinced to hand over information through psychological influence and subterfuge.

What Will I Need to Find a Job in Cybersecurity?

Many people who work in cybersecurity have college degrees in computing or information technology. However, as with many tech jobs, what you can do is often more important than a diploma. A certification course in cybersecurity can provide you with the technical skills you need to work as a Security Engineer or Security Analyst, including Python coding, Linux, computer networking, and cloud computing in AWS.

Many tech career training programs offer preparation for certification exams as well. These professional certifications are good to have but not necessary in many cases. That is not true of cybersecurity, however. Many employers require certifications in cybersecurity, and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommends certifications from CertNexus, CompTIA, Ec-Council, ISACA, ISC2, and OffSec. Many certification courses help you prepare to pass the certification exams.

Careers for Cybersecurity Bootcamp Graduates

Cybersecurity bootcamp graduates are in an excellent position to find a job in one of the fastest growing careers available. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an expected 32% job growth rate for Security Analysts in the coming decade. This is much faster than the national average of 5%. The median annual salary for a Security Analyst in the U.S. is $112,000.

There are several career paths available to you if you have cybersecurity training. You can become a Security Analyst and keep an eye on a company's computer network for malware and cyberattacks and take steps to prevent future attacks. Security Engineers design computer networks to be secure and develop and implement security policies. IT Security Specialists also perform security checks and fixes, but they are often responsible for training employees how to use the internet safely to cut down on vulnerabilities.

If you plan to switch to a new career in cybersecurity, you will need other skills as well. Before deciding on any technical career, you should think about your technical aptitude. Do technical skills like statistics and coding come easily to you, or is it a struggle to learn these kinds of subjects? Cybersecurity involves searching through reports and code for suspicious activities, so good attention to detail is crucial. Problem solving skills are something else necessary for a successful cybersecurity career. Finding problems and then determining the best way to fix them is an important part of the job.

You will need to learn how security works across various platforms so you can work in different situations. An understanding of how hacking works and basic forensics skills are a plus, too. It is easier to find problems when you have an idea how criminals tend to break in.

Communication skills are important, too. Not only do you need a thorough grounding in cybersecurity, you need to be able to express those principles to others who may not have a technical computing background. The cybersecurity team is often responsible for training other staff members on how to avoid leaving the door open to hackers. Teaching fellow employees how to identify suspicious email messages, create strong passwords, and keep the network safe requires patience and diplomacy.

Finally, the most important aspect of starting a career in cybersecurity is a desire to learn. Curiosity about how systems work, what can go wrong, and how to fix it will keep your job fresh and interesting. Any tech job requires keeping up with changes to the field, which come along at a rapid pace, but cybersecurity techniques and best practices are constantly changing to keep up with the criminals who want to profit from someone else's loss.

What Industries Use Cybersecurity in Chicago?

Any industry that relies on websites and databases is vulnerable to cyber threats. Some of the major industries in Chicago include finance and insurance, manufacturing, education, and government. Chicago is also home to many companies that do cybersecurity consulting and create products.

Computing and IT

Many people who land jobs in cybersecurity go to work for companies that provide the service to businesses. Large companies can afford to hire in-house cybersecurity professionals, but smaller firms find this cost prohibitive and turn to security companies and consultants. Some cybersecurity companies in Chicago that are involved in protecting businesses from cyber threats include Caterpillar Digital, Cloudflare, Motorola Solutions, Huntress, and Coro.

Finance and Insurance

Financial services and insurance companies are especially big targets for hackers because of the amount of money they handle. The role of a Security Analyst in the financial industry is first and foremost to protect customer assets and personal information. Two companies that work in cybersecurity in the financial sector in Chicago are TransUnion and CNA.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing firms like Chicago Metal Fabricators, Premiere Metal Works, Archer Daniels Midland, and Sterling Spring are also vulnerable to cyberattacks. These can come in the form of phishing, ransomware, intellectual property theft, supply chain attacks, and Internet of Things (IoT) risks. These attacks are expensive for companies and slow down production.

Education

Colleges and universities like DePaul and the University of Chicago hire cybersecurity graduates to monitor their computer networks and protect them from attacks. Schools have many areas of vulnerability but the most common are data breaches and ransomware attacks. Security professionals work with students and staff to encourage them to create strong passwords and avoid phishing emails.

Government

Another industry that hires cybersecurity professionals is the government. From the municipal to the national level, government agencies and administrations are vulnerable to phishing, social engineering, and ransomware threats. Tight budgets often lead to cutting corners for services like cybersecurity leaving governments vulnerable.

What Jobs Use Cybersecurity?

While job titles may vary, there are three career paths for cybersecurity bootcamp graduates. You can work as a Security Engineer, a Security Analyst, or an IT Security Specialist. As you gain more experience, you can become a Security Manager or specialize in an area like ethical hacking.

Security Engineers put together computing networks for companies and groups, search for weak spots in the system, and improve security systems for the future. Security Engineers work as part of a team with Security Analysts and IT Security Specialists to create individualized tools and monitoring software, to recommend security measures to company owners and stakeholders, to perform system tests, and to learn new technologies as they become available. Glassdoor.com lists the average salary for a Security Engineer in Chicago as $140,000 per year. A Cybersecurity Manager in Chicago with 4—6 years of experience makes an average annual salary of $161,000.

Security Analysts build firewalls, perform penetration tests, identify new threats, and give presentations on their findings. They monitor the system to catch attacks before they can do much damage. They often work as consultants and sometimes work part-time. Security Analysts are often in charge of training non-tech employees how to protect the company system. In the Windy City, a Security Analyst can command an average annual salary of around $100,000.

IT Security Specialists are responsible for finding problems and fixing them in company computer systems. They report to upper-level management about security issues and often work as part of a team. They can be employed full-time by one company or part of a consulting firm. They work for computer system design firms, consulting companies, private corporations, banks, small companies or enterprises like Walmart, UnitedHealth Group, and CVS. IT Security Specialists in Chicago earn in the neighborhood of $150,000.

Ethical or White Hat Hackers are specialists who are hired to discover system vulnerabilities and recommend changes to make them safer. They report to the security team and sometimes help to train staff on how to find and fix security problems and what to watch for in the future. An Ethical Hacker in Chicago earns about $135,000 a year.

In-Person Cybersecurity Bootcamps in Chicago

When choosing a bootcamp, learners have two options: commuting to an in-person bootcamp or attending one live online. Some people find that an in-person bootcamp helps them stay focused and complements their learning style better than an online one. In-person cybersecurity bootcamps can be found in the greater Chicago area at the Flatiron School and Northwestern University.

Flatiron’s intensive four-month course in Online Security Analytics is designed to teach the skills required to obtain an entry-level position in the field. The course comes with a money-back guarantee and financing options are available. Flatiron is located in downtown Chicago.

Learn the eight domains of computer system security with Computer Training Source's Certified Info Systems Security Professional CISSP in Chicago. CISSP is the premier certification for security professionals and this class provides the training to pass the certification exam and start a new cybersecurity career.

In nearby Evanston, Northwestern offers its own 24-week Cybersecurity Bootcamp that similarly arms its graduates with the knowledge base to enter the job force as a cybersecurity specialist. This course is taught part-time, allowing some flexibility to students with tight schedules.

Virtual Cybersecurity Bootcamps

In addition to the in-person bootcamps available in Chicago, several schools offer live online bootcamps that provide advantages of their own. These include the considerable convenience of being able to go to school from the comfort of home while still having the ability to ask questions of the teacher in real-time. Many adults find live online bootcamps to be a best-of-both-worlds situation.

Noble Desktop is providing this tool to help interested students locate an online cybersecurity bootcamp. The options include the SecDevOps course from Tech Talent South. A part-time bootcamp, the course covers cybersecurity software development and IT operations. Fullstack Academy's Cybersecurity Analytics Bootcamp is a live online course preparing students for in-demand cybersecurity roles. This beginner's course can be taken full or part-time. Another option is the Flatiron School’s Online Security Analytics course, which can be taken online as well as in-person in Chicago.

Cybersecurity Classes in Chicago

Sometimes a bootcamp isn’t what someone is looking for when it comes to furthering their tech education. A bootcamp may involve too large a time commitment or outlay of funds, or simply teach more than someone needs to learn. In some cases, a class will be preferable to a bootcamp.

Certstaffix Training’s advanced five-day courses prepare students for a variety of cybersecurity certification exams, including the CISSP, the CompTIA Security +, and the CompTIA PenTest+. Certstaffix classes are taught in their computer labs (one is located in downtown Chicago) but with live but virtual teachers. Their classes may also be taken online.

Noble Desktop offers several bootcamps that include cybersecurity training along with other subjects. In Noble's Data Science Certificate, you will learn Python coding for data science, SQL, automation, visualization, interactive dashboards, and machine learning. The Python Developer Certificate is a combination of the Python Programming Bootcamp and Python Web Development with Django course. Python's simple commands and numerous libraries make it a good choice for writing security programs. Finally, Noble's FinTech Bootcamp includes all of the courses in the Data Science Certificate plus Python for Finance Bootcamp or Financial Modeling Bootcamp. The financial services industry is one of the biggest employers of cybersecurity professionals and this course covers security techniques and tools.

Choosing a Cybersecurity Bootcamp

When you are choosing a cybersecurity bootcamp, you need to consider several variables. First, how do you prefer to study: online or in-person? Next comes the inevitable question of price. A multi-month bootcamp can cost as much as a car, although many schools offer financing options. You also need to consider scheduling, especially if you’re already working full-time. Furthermore, you’ll want to do your research into what subjects you wish to study and make sure that the bootcamp you’re considering offers them. Then there is the question of guarantees. Some schools will refund your tuition if you don’t find a job within a certain period of time, and some offer job counseling and search assistance.

Is It Worth It to Learn Cybersecurity?

If you are looking for a career that offers plenty of opportunities and a hefty paycheck, it is definitely worth your while to learn cybersecurity. The internet is showing no signs of slowing down, as a matter of fact it is continuing to grow with more and more companies establishing a web presence every day. As long as the internet exists, there will be criminals trying to steal data and passwords or launch ransomware.

Not only is the cybersecurity field expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, there are already many job openings. As a matter of fact, more than a quarter of the jobs currently available in the field are unfilled. If you enjoy working with technology, find careful monitoring and testing exciting, and thrive in a high-stakes environment, cybersecurity is definitely worth learning.

How Long Will It Take to Learn Cybersecurity?

As with most technology skills, the length of time it takes to learn cybersecurity varies from person to person. That time span is affected by how easily you learn new skills, your motivation, and how much time you have to devote to study.

If you enjoy coding and working with computers, that's a head start on learning cybersecurity, but it does take a special personality to be able to pour over reports looking for something out of the ordinary. If this doesn't phase you, your chances of success are good. The motivation of getting a job in cybersecurity goes a long way to keep you working toward your goal, and that shortens the length of time it takes. The more time you can spend on your coursework, the faster you will learn cybersecurity, too.

Finding a mentor can speed up the learning process. Some training programs provide one-to-one time with the instructor or a tutor to help you with difficult concepts. Keep in mind, too, that learning enough to get a job and mastering cybersecurity are totally different things. Expect to continue to learn throughout your career.

What to Learn Along with Cybersecurity?

Coding

If you have coding experience, you already understand the logic and structure used to write programs to find malware, create security scripts, and locate vulnerabilities in a computer system. If you don't, it's a good idea to take some coding courses while you are learning about cybersecurity. Python and JavaScript are good choices to start with and you can follow those with PowerShell, SQL, Bash, and Perl.

Data Analysis

You might think of data analysis as a skill for assessing business performance, it is also useful for cybersecurity. When you go to work as a Security Analyst, familiarity with using common analytics tools can help you find unusual patterns, identify threats, and determine risks. Data analysis skills can help you stay ahead of problems from potential fraud, unusual traffic patterns, data breaches, and hardware failures.

Operating Systems

Learning operating systems like Kali Linux lets you work in an isolated environment when you need to run security tests. This operating system is the one most used for white hat hacking and penetration testing. Parrot Security OS is another operating system used in cybersecurity. It comes with many pre-installed tools for digital forensics, vulnerability assessment, and penetration testing. Learning to use different operating systems can give you a leg up when you are looking for your first cybersecurity job.

Software Testing

Security Engineers need to test software for vulnerabilities, so taking some software engineering courses can help you pick up this skill. Some commonly used testing methods include vulnerability scanning, risk assessment, security audits, and ethical hacking. Software testing involves searching for bugs with techniques like black box and white box testing. In black box testing, the cybersecurity team tests an application without knowing anything about its structure. White box testing is used to improve the design, usability, and security of a product.

Digital Forensics

Digital forensics is the science of identifying, collecting, and storing electronic evidence stored on an electronic device like a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Digital forensics is a relatively new field and used to be used only to solve online crime, but these techniques are also used to find and secure evidence for other kinds of crime now. Different techniques are used to recover evidence from computers, mobile devices, and networks, and you can learn this skill in a digital forensics class.

Blockchain Security

Blockchain security is another good skill to add to your cybersecurity arsenal. Blockchains are databases that store data in groups or blocks linked together to form a chain. Once data have been added to the blockchain. The blocks cannot be deleted or changed, which makes blockchains tamper-proof. While cybersecurity involves keeping threats out and data protected, blockchain security is about transparency. It is difficult to hack a blockchain but encryption has been broken before. This is the frontier of security technology.

What is the Best Way to Learn Cybersecurity?

When you decide to learn a tech skill like cybersecurity, you will need to choose between different types of classes, including in-person, live online, or on-demand sessions. Many people prefer in-person instruction when learning something new because they feel more comfortable with an instructor and other students in the room to talk to. One disadvantage of in-person classes is that you often have to travel to get there, which takes time. Finding a parking space can also be a problem and is expensive, too. Finally, there may not be any classes offered in your area.

Live online classes have many of the advantages of in-person classes with a few extra benefits. Live online classes have an instructor and some students in a computer lab, with other students joining through a video conferencing platform like Zoom. Remote classes run just like in-person sessions. You can ask questions or get help when you need it, but you don't have to travel to class. You can log on from anywhere that has a stable internet connection. You can take a cybersecurity class from your home, office, or favorite cafe.

On-demand courses are pre-recorded videos you can watch from anywhere at any time. Unlike live classes, you can also go back and rewatch a section or an entire class if you need to. These classes often require a subscription for access, and some have an expiration date.

If you are motivated, it is possible to learn cybersecurity on your own for free. There are many tutorials and exercises available online as well as books and podcasts. This is easier to do if you have coding skills, experience with data analytics, and understand how operating systems work. Many people find it easier and faster to take courses.

Corporate Cybersecurity Training

Security threats are growing every day, and you can protect your company from data breaches, ransomware, and social engineering by arranging for corporate cybersecurity training. Noble Desktop offers live online corporate training for your staff with a remote instructor and your employees together in a conference room. You can choose from Noble's extensive catalog of classes or have a course designed especially to meet your needs. You can also purchase bulk discount vouchers for employees to choose their own courses. Find out what kind of corporate training is right for your company at corporate@nobledesktop.com today.