Often, when we discuss cybersecurity, we think of financial institutions, government, and other large organizations. However, cybersecurity affects us all. In a March 2021 FBI* press release announcing the 2020 Internet Crime Report, the Agency noted "information from 791,790 complaints of suspected internet crime—an increase of more than 300,000 complaints from 2019—and reported losses exceeding $4.2 billion."
Just as we practice good personal hygiene to keep our bodies clean and healthy, we should practice good cybersecurity hygiene (or just cyber hygiene for short) to help keep our computer systems and other electronic devices secure and healthy.
Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute defines cyber hygiene as “a set of practices for managing the most common and pervasive cybersecurity risks.” In their article, Cyber Hygiene: 11 Essential Practices, Practice 4 is “Conduct cybersecurity education and awareness activities.”
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As we approach the end of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, let's review some sources of low-cost and free training to help us strengthen our cyber hygiene habits.
For anyone with a background in the government IT arena, when thinking of sources of high-quality, free cybersecurity training, the Federal Virtual Training Environment (FedVTE)* is probably at the top of your list!
FedVTE courses range from beginner to advanced levels and in some cases can help you to prepare for and maintain your IT certifications. In addition to resources available to public sector workers and former military personnel, FedVTE also provides over a dozen courses free to members of the public.
SANS Institute
On their website, the SANS institute, founded in 1989, describes its mission as “to empower cyber security professionals with the practical skills and knowledge they need to make our world a safer place.” According to PC Magazine, SANS is an acronym for SysAdmin, Audit, Network and Security.
SANS offers many courses, certifications, and other resources for cybersecurity professionals. A number of these assets are free to members of the SANS Community including one-hour demos for over 60 courses.
Grow with Google
In another article, we mentioned Google as a source of free and low-cost training. In the US and Canada, users can enroll in Google’s Cybersecurity Professional Certificate on Coursera at a cost of $49/month after a 7-day free trial.
Coursera offers more than 5,800 courses, Professional Certificates, and degrees from world-class universities and companies.
Bonus Resources
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)* provides a comprehensive list of free and low-cost training.
If you are looking for resources to help you prepare for cybersecurity certification exam, Forbes also offers this list of cybersecurity certification and free training to help you prepare.
These are just some sources of low-cost online training. Follow our blog to discover more or visit our Eventbrite page for our upcoming courses and free webinars.
If you need onsite or customized training, we are here to help.
*Note: Although federal websites are listed on this page, the U.S. government, neither endorses nor guarantees any external organizations, services, advice, or products included on this website or links to non-government resources listed on this website.
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