Main image of article Google Launches New Cybersecurity Certificate

For those interested in cybersecurity as a career, Google has launched a new cybersecurity certificate designed by its in-house cybersecurity experts.

The Google Cybersecurity Certificate is a free entry-level certification that doesn’t require previous cybersecurity experience. Its coursework covers tools, platforms, and programming languages such as Python, SQL, Linux, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools, as well as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).

According to Google, learning topics will include:

  • “Programming for cybersecurity tasks.
  • “Frameworks and controls that inform security operations.
  • “Using security information and event management (SIEM) tools for cybersecurity.
  • “Detecting and responding to incidents using an intrusion detection system.
  • “Performing packet capture and analysis.”

Google estimates the free course will take between three to six months to complete, and all of the learning is remote. You can get started via Coursera.

“Global interest in cybersecurity jobs among job seekers has reached an all-time high on Google Search this year, yet businesses continue to report a large cybersecurity skills gap,” Lisa Gevelber, founder of Grow with Google, wrote in a statement accompanying the certification’s release. “The data is clear: we must create more pathways for people to enter the cybersecurity field and build a lasting career. Google is combining our industry-leading expertise in cybersecurity with our proven approach to training people for in-demand jobs to help create a solution. The Google Cybersecurity Certificate will help businesses fill cybersecurity roles and enable people to earn an industry-recognized credential that will qualify them for a great job.”

Last month, Google paired with Coursera to introduce two professional certifications, Data Analytics Certificate and Advanced Data Analytics Certificate. As the names imply, those certifications were for data analysts, data scientists, and business intelligence (B.I.) specialists. Over the past five years, the search-engine giant has also launched certifications in a variety of tech subjects, including data analytics, digital marketing and ecommerce, IT support, project management, user experience (UX) design, and more. 

For those interested in a cybersecurity career, now’s a good time to consider it. According to CyberSeek, a cybersecurity analytics site developed by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education at NIST, CompTIA and Lightcast, the U.S. needs 530,000 more cybersecurity specialists to close existing supply gaps. Those with the right skills, experience, and certifications may have their pick of opportunities, especially if they focus on a job like cybersecurity engineer.