Introduction
Google offers several certificates for different paths including Cybersecurity. Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate asserts that you can learn Cybersecurity with no degree or prior experience. This blog post will review the Google Cybersecurity certificate.
- Who is it for?
- The curriculum
- Skills you will gain
- Cost of the Certificate
- How much can you make with a Google cyber security certificate?
- Can you get a job with the Google Cybersecurity certificate?
- Pros and Cons
- Is Google Cybersecurity worth it? Should you take it?
Employers of Cybersecurity professionals would want someone with enough knowledge depth and some practical skills. A good certification should at least validate the former. We will explore how Google Cybersecurity certificate fairs in this regard.
Who is it for?
There are no prior work cybersecurity or degree requirements for this certificate program. It is for people who want to gain entry into cybersecurity – beginners. It is also for people desiring to improve their cybersecurity skills or pass the CompTIA Security+ exam – the Industry-standard exam for cybersecurity roles.
The Curriculum – What You Will Learn
The Google Cybersecurity certificate program consists of individual courses, totaling about 170 hours of training materials, including videos, quizzes, assessments, and hands-on practice. You can access the Certificate program through Coursera. You will learn the following in each of the courses below;
- Course 1: Foundations of Cybersecurity – You will learn the evolution of Cybersecurity, protecting against threats, risks, and vulnerabilities, cybersecurity tools, and programming languages. 14 hours.
- Course 2: Play It Safe: Manage Security Risks – You will learn about security domains, Security frameworks, and controls. Introduction to cybersecurity tools, using playbooks to respond to incidents. 11 hours
- Course 3: Connect and Protect: Networks and Network Security – You will learn Network Security, Network operations, Security against network intrusions, and security hardening. 14 hours
- Course 4: Tools of the Trade: Linux and SQL – You will be introduced to Operation Systems, Linux OS, Linux commands in Bash shell, Databases and SQL 27 hours
- Course 5: Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities – This is an introduction to Asset Security, Protection of Organizations assets, vulnerabilities in systems, and Threats to asset security. 26 hours
- Course 6: Sound the Alarm: Detection and Response – An introduction to detection and incidence response, Network Monitoring and Analysis. Incident investigation and response, Network traffic, and logs using IDS and SIEM tools. 24 hours
- Course 7: Automate Cybersecurity Tasks with Python – You will be introduced to Python, writing effective Python code. Working with strings and lists, and Python in practice. 30 hours
- Course 8: Put It to Work: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs – Protect data and communicate incidents, Escalate incidents, communicate effectively to influence stakeholders, and Engage with the cybersecurity community. Finally, how you will find and apply for cybersecurity jobs. 18 hours.
Skills you will gain
The certificate program will equip you with the skills you will need as a cybersecurity professional, you will learn to use some network and security tools. The skills you will gain are as follows
- Using Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools
- Python Programming skills.
- Intrusion Detection Systems
- Linux and Bash
- SQL
Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate cost
The certificate program is self-paced and delivered online through a Coursera monthly subscription of $39 (depending on your location – $49 per month in the US). The cost will depend on how long you spend in completing the courses. On average, 2-6 months for most persons (1-2hrs daily). The total cost range will be $78 – $234 ( or $98 – $294 in the US).
How much can you make with a Google cyber security certificate?
The Google cybersecurity certificate prepares you with skills to work in an entry-level job role. What you earn with this certificate depends on your location, Specific job role, experience, etc. Some of the job roles you could apply (and salary)for are ;
- Cybersecurity analyst -$81268
- Security operations center (SOC) analyst -$71,964
- Security analyst –Â $71,438
- IT Security Analyst- $89,153
- Information Security Analyst- $90,143
- Cyberdefense Analyst – $80,363
These job roles pay significantly higher with added years of experience. Generally, the Salary range for the Google Cybersecurity certificate in the US is  $57,000 –  $186,000 per year (according to ZipRecruiter). The average is about 132,000 per year or a $64 hourly rate.
The best approach to getting any of these job roles is to focus on just one and tailor your Resume to meet the requirements. Review the relevant courses to fine-tune your skills for the job role.
Can you get a job with the Google Cybersecurity certificate?
The chances of getting a job with the Google Cybersecurity Certificate (and indeed any certificate) largely depend on many factors – including your background, goals, experience, resume, and portfolio. With these other factors in good standing, you can get a job with it.
Your chances are further enhanced by taking this certificate program by
- Access to a Private Job Board with over 300 companies hiring for Cybersecurity positions.
- It helps you optimize your portfolio and Resume.
Pros and Cons
The Pros and Cons of the certification are as follows;
The Pros
- The certificate courses are well structured. It teaches you the skills that companies are actually looking for. Real-work cybersecurity skills.
- It has good acceptance from many private organizations for entry-level cybersecurity job roles. Google is a respectable global brand.
- The certificate program assists in optimizing your portfolio and resume and gives you access to a Private Job Board.
- It is cheap and the program is beginner-friendly
- The reviews on Coursera are great (4.8) indicating positive feedback from those who have taken the certification and claim that it has positively impacted their career.
- Sharable certificate on LinkedIn, which increases your visibility to prospective employers.
The Cons
- The certificate is a certificate of completion rather than a certificate from writing a professional exam.
- It is not included in the cybersecurity qualifications required for IT professionals who work for Government agencies (DoD 8140, DoD 8450, etc). You may not be able to get Government agencies jobs with it.
Is Google Cybersecurity Certificate worth it?
Yes, it is worth taking, the value proposition in terms of the real-world cybersecurity skills you gain. Also, the career opportunities it affords you. The cost is very cheap, and the certificate curriculum reflects current trends in Cybersecurity. It also helps you prepare for other Standard-Industry certification exams like the CompTIA Security+.
Should you take it? – yes, considering its worth.
