Cybersecurity Bootcamps Jacksonville, FL

The more we depend on computers—and the more information we put into them—the greater the risk of bad actors tampering with it. Hackers are out there, sometimes to make money from their actions, and sometimes for the simple (if perverse) pleasure of wreaking havoc. In June 2021, for example, LinkedIn experienced an enormous hack of over 700 million users’ records, which were then posted for sale on a Dark Web forum.

The LinkedIn incident is only one example of the kinds of cyberattacks and data breaches that happen as a result of our dependence on computers. To paraphrase a slightly infamous quote, the only way to stop a bad guy with a computer is with a good guy with a computer. In other words, with cybersecurity experts whose jobs are to protect networks from cyberattacks. While some of these experts are hackers in their own right, the field has become an entire legitimate profession, with its own knowledge base and official certifications. As computers develop and as hackers become more and more sophisticated, the need for even more sophisticated cybersecurity is going to continue. Although it doesn’t say much in favor of human nature, cybersecurity is going to remain a growth industry for some time to come.

Perhaps the best way to launch yourself on a career in cybersecurity is by attending a bootcamp, that is to say, an intensive class that focuses on precisely the skills needed to land a job. Some of the longer bootcamps can even take the place of a college degree, as they teach the essential and practical matters for which job recruiters are always on the lookout. Bootcamps call for a degree of commitment not required for ordinary classes, but the commitment pays real-world dividends once the course has been completed.

Jacksonville Careers for Cybersecurity Bootcamp Graduates

As long as there are computers (and as long as there’s a darker side to human nature), there are going to be hackers, meaning that your data (and your very system at times) are vulnerable and require a certified cybersecurity professional to keep them safe. Cybersecurity professionals can work either independently as consultants or for specialized security firms. They can also work as adjuncts to the IT departments at larger companies that can afford (or cannot afford) to keep them on staff. This is true for the world in general and for Jacksonville in particular, especially given that the city has a rapidly developing tech sector.

Cybersecurity professionals are well paid. Cybersecurity analysts in Jacksonville make close to $90,000 per year, while, moving further along the career path, IT security specialists are making average annual compensation (bonuses included) of close to $130,000.

In-Person Cybersecurity Bootcamps in Jacksonville

If you like the idea of breaking into cybersecurity as a field and are in search of a bootcamp in the Jacksonville area, you’ll find one at the University of North Florida. Its part-time (ten hours per week, twenty-six weeks) Cyber Bootcamp teaches everything you need to know to begin a career in the field. The class covers both offensive and defensive strategies for protecting networks against attack, including vulnerability discovery, threat modeling, and recon prevention. Resume preparation and job-search assistance are included in the package.

Virtual Cybersecurity Bootcamps

Online education is a fairly new innovation, being one of the applications of the internet that emerged as the world began to shift many real-world activities online. Although it didn’t always get the respect it deserved in its early years, educators, students (and, yes, job recruiters) have since come to realize its many advantages. You don’t have to drag yourself any further than the living room to attend class, you can work free of distractions, and, yet, you’re working with a teacher who is with you in real-time. You can go ahead and ask questions to your heart’s content and interact with the instructors just as though you were in the same room as them.

Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, offers students several cybersecurity bootcamps. These include their Cybersecurity Bootcamp program. Running full-time for eight weeks, the bootcamp covers a wide variety of cybersecurity topics, including extensive study of the use of the computer language Python to protect networks, along with such other topics as cloud computing and digital forensics. Tuition includes a free retake option (so you can be sure you’ve learned everything there is to learn) and one-to-one mentoring of students.

Other schools that offer cybersecurity bootcamps include the Flatiron School. Their four-month Online Cybersecurity Analytics course covers the field extensively, including threat intelligence and event management. A capstone project and job coaching are included as well. (The course may also be taken part-time for eight months.) Something slightly different is offered by Tech Talent South: SecDevOps, which focuses on software development and such cybersecurity platforms as Agile and Docker.

Cybersecurity Classes in Jacksonville

If a bootcamp sounds like too much of a commitment to you, that’s perhaps because it may well be one. Some people don’t need that kind of intensive training, and, instead, find the learning experience they need in a cybersecurity class. Noble Desktop offers several of these online, including an Introduction to Cybersecurity that, in 24 hours of classroom time, covers many of the essentials of the field. Noble also has a Digital Forensics class, for a further 24 hours of classroom time, that covers the day-to-day operations of a Security Operations Center.

Most cybersecurity professionals have at least one professional certification under their belts. These include CompTIA Security+ and CISSP. Those preparing for the exams that end in certification will find prep classes being given locally in Jacksonville by Certstaffix Training. (Do note that Certstaffix Training’s classes are taught virtually, but with the option to take them in their computer labs. They may otherwise be taken completely online as well.)

Choosing a Cybersecurity Bootcamp

How do you choose a cybersecurity bootcamp? In a word: carefully. You’re going to be making a sizable investment of both time and money, and, therefore, you should look before you leap. You’ll first have to decide how you want to learn: in-person or online. After that comes the inevitable question of cost and payment plans that may allow you to defer some of the cost of tuition until after you’ve completed the course. You’ll next have to consider scheduling and if you can, for example, make a full-time bootcamp work with your other commitments. Then you’ll have to do some research into the field and determine which aspects of cybersecurity you wish to learn about most. That done, you’ll need to make sure that that subject matter is taught at the bootcamp for which you sign up. There are other matters to be considered as well (job assistance, one-on-one mentoring, retake options), all of which may seem like a great deal about which to think. Still, you’re making an important decision, and, like all important decisions, it shouldn’t be entered into hastily.