A new professional cybersecurity certificate has been published by Google. On May 4th, they announced the sixth topical branch in their ever-expanding certificate program, named 2023.
It comes after five other highly effective entry-level certificate programs in project management, UX design, digital marketing & e-commerce, data analytics, and IT support.
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“Grow with Google”: what is it?
Individuals interested in “training, tools and resources to grow skills, careers, or businesses” can apply for the Grow with Google initiative.
The goal of Grow with Google is to make high-quality technology training accessible to everyone. Since 2017, they have been teaching digital skills, and as of right now, they collaborate with Coursera to give courses.
Since entering the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) market in 2012, Coursera has emerged as a prominent figure in the online learning sector.
Google published a few advanced-level courses in Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, and IT Automation categories, but the new Cybersecurity certificate has been designed with novices in mind. (I wrote about this here).
No prior experience is required to get started. A basic introductory module serves as the program’s starting point. The program covers technical topics such as SQL, Linux, and Python and includes a capstone module on preparing for cybersecurity jobs.
Prepare for the job
Additionally, as part of Google’s Grow With Me programs, companies, and academic institutions are collaborating to match program graduates with jobs.
Starting February 7th, 2023 deprecated the original job platform; however, CareerCircle is still hosting the new one for this year.
Several of the disciplines draw participants to this in large part because they offer entry-level pay close to or more than six figures. Marketing materials for cybersecurity mention a $100K+ sum.
These figures are obviously subject to bias and may not be appropriate, given the applicant’s background. It is a well-known fact, nevertheless, that these technical positions generally pay well.
How Does the Coursework Appear?
After looking over the eight courses that comprise the Cybersecurity degree, I realized that it was quite similar to the first Data Analytics certificate I had earned a few years prior.
It starts with a brief introduction to the area before diving into a variety of advanced ideas and developing technical skills. The complete list is as follows:
Cybersecurity’s Basis
Be cautious: Control Security Risks
Link and Safeguard: Trade Tools for Networks and Network Security: Vulnerabilities, Threats, and Assets related to Linux and SQL
Set Off the Alarm: Identification and Reaction
Use Python to Automate Cybersecurity Tasks
Make Use of It: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs
In an introductory course, we can expect Google to cover a broad range of topics, as some of the titles clearly show.
In my experience, the video courses have also been lengthy. Thus, I advise speeding up the video playback to 1.5 or 2.0 times the standard pace. In past courses, I found that I had minimal trouble keeping up with the presenters.
