By Betty Vandenbosch, Chief Content Officer at Coursera 

With businesses rapidly moving their operations to the cloud and consumers demanding better data protection, the cybersecurity industry is facing a significant talent shortage. In fact, 3.5 million IT security roles are likely to go unfilled by 2021. 

To address this talent shortage, we are excited to announce the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, which will help learners launch a career in the field of IT security. The certificate is designed to help learners without cybersecurity experience become job-ready within eight months. Taught by architects, security operation center analysts, and security engineers from IBM, the courses draw on experts’ real-world experiences working on large-scale security systems at IBM and many of their clients. 

At $49 per month, the certificate offers an affordable stepping stone for individuals to enter the cybersecurity field. In eight courses, learners will develop the needed technical skills, covering a range of digital forensics concepts and cybersecurity analyst tools. To boost learner confidence before entering a new career in cybersecurity, the certificate includes a hands-on security breach project and 12 virtual labs featuring industry tools. Program completers are also eligible for the System Analyst Fundamentals IBM digital badge. LinkedIn profiles with IBM digital badges receive six times more profile views than those without. 

The IBM Professional Certificate comes at a critical moment for IT security, as enterprises and governments adapt to the impact of COVID-19. As organizations shift to remote work, they’re increasingly vulnerable to new cyber threats, and over half of cybersecurity teams are understaffed. The IBM Professional Certificate equips learners with the tools to help address malicious cyber activity while paving the way for a sustainable career. 

We’re proud to collaborate with IBM, the world’s biggest enterprise security vendor, to provide high-quality training to learners everywhere. Together, we hope to train thousands of IT security professionals to bridge a critical skills gap and help organizations around the world thrive in a safer digital ecosystem. 

Learn more about the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate.

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