<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="15" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> Master’s in Cybersecurity Online From UC Berkeley </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Earn a Master’s in Cybersecurity Online in Just 20 Months </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>The UC Berkeley School of Information’s online Master of Information and Cybersecurity prepares students to become leaders in cybersecurity. No GRE/GMAT required.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-15" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-15" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://ischoolonline.berkeley.edu/requestinfo/cyber/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://coins2day.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UCB-CYB_School-Secondary_Stacked_RGB_COLOR.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://ischoolonline.berkeley.edu/requestinfo/cyber/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> <table class="edu-card-table"> <tbody> <tr> <td>GRE Required</td> <td>No</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Part Time</td> <td>Yes</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="55" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> Hawai‘i Pacific University MS in Cybersecurity </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Certification prep available </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>The online MS in Cybersecurity program from Hawai‘i Pacific University prepares students to defend their organization from data breaches, strengthen their résumé by taking key certification exams, and advance their career as responsible leaders in cybersecurity.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-55" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-55" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="http://onlinedegrees.hpu.edu/requestinfo/mscyb/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://coins2day.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HPU-UMT_logo-university_primary_cmyk_rev.jpg?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="http://onlinedegrees.hpu.edu/requestinfo/mscyb/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="16" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> Online Syracuse University M.S. in Cybersecurity </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Earn a Syracuse Univ. M.S. in Cybersecurity in 15 Months </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>Syracuse University’s online M.S. in Cybersecurity prepares students to effectively combat cybercrime. No GRE currently required, but a master’s degree is preferred. </p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-16" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-16" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinegrad.syracuse.edu/requestinfo/mscy/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://coins2day.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SYR-UMT_Lockup_Eng-Comp-Sci_Full-Configuration_RGB_COLOR_900px.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinegrad.syracuse.edu/requestinfo/mscy/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

ad_Cyber

cat_Certification

Low Intent

ptype_Explainer

Sydney Lake

<p>The <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/information-technology/best-masters-in-cybersecurity/">field of cybersecurity</a> is full of opportunities for people of all different backgrounds—but it can often be difficult to decipher what exactly is needed to land an entry-level job. The industry still tends to hire candidates who are tech savvy, but cybersecurity experts are pushing for companies to hire for the non-technical and train for the technical aspects of these roles. </p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>Now there’s a benchmark for entry-level candidates to illustrate an interest in the industry and willingness to learn—and that’s a new online program offered by nonprofit cybersecurity certification organization (ISC)<sup>2</sup> called <a href="https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CC">Certified in Cybersecurity</a>. This program, which <a href="https://www.isc2.org/News-and-Events/Press-Room/Posts/2022/08/31/ISC2-Launches-Certified-in-Cybersecurity-Entry-Level-Certification-to-Address-Global-Workforce-Gap">launched</a> in the spring, helps candidates learn the basics of cybersecurity including security principles, business continuity (BC), disaster recovery (DR) and incident response concepts, access controls concepts, network security, and security operations. </p>



<p>And there’s an enticing incentive for people interested in cybersecurity careers—this new certification is free for the first 1 million people who sign up to complete the online course and certification. In the three months since its inception, the program has <a href="https://www.isc2.org/News-and-Events/Press-Room/Posts/2022/12/08/ISC2-Recruits-110000-People-Interested-in-a-Cybersecurity-Career-in-Three-Months">registered more than 110,000 candidates</a>. As the world’s largest nonprofit association for certified cybersecurity professionals, (ISC)<sup>2</sup> chose to invest in entry-level candidates, although the organization has certification programs for the upper echelons of the industry.</p>



<p>“As we promote hiring for non-technical skills and personality attributes, it [gives] that little extra insurance that allows [employers] to have confidence that this person has demonstrated that they have the capability to understand these core concepts,” Clar Rosso, CEO of (ISC)<sup>2</sup>, tells <em>Fortune. </em>“Since this workforce gap is this big hairy issue, this is what we’re investing in now.” </p>



<p>Projections from cybersecurity research firms including CyberSeek and Cybersecurity Ventures show that the industry has more than <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/articles/companies-are-desperate-for-cybersecurity-workers-more-than-700k-positions-need-to-be-filled/">700,000 unfilled positions</a> in the U.S. Globally, the estimated gap is about 3.4 million.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-get-certified-in-cybersecurity-for-free">How to get certified in cybersecurity for free</h2>



<p>There are many different ways to enter the cybersecurity industry, according to <a href="https://www.isc2.org//-/media/ISC2/Research/2022-WorkForce-Study/ISC2-Cybersecurity-Workforce-Study.ashx">(ISC)<sup>2</sup>’s Cybersecurity’s Workforce Study 2022</a>. Nearly half of the people under the age of 30 who enter the cybersecurity workforce are coming from a career outside of IT, the study shows. So this new entry-level certification levels the playing field, allowing those people with less exposure to technical training to learn cybersecurity basics. </p>



<p>“It’s really designed for no-experience people, people who are maybe doing career changes, and also people who are in IT and want to move over to security,” she adds. </p>



<p>To develop the Certified in Cybersecurity program, (ISC)<sup>2 </sup>went out into the cybersecurity marketplace and interviewed hiring managers to figure out the kinds of skills entry-level cybersecurity workers need to be successful without getting too technical, Rosso says. </p>



<p>There are three pathways candidates can take in the Certified in Cybersecurity program, all of which include cybersecurity training and the exam needed to earn the certificate. Candidates choose whether they’d like to attend live sessions in addition to the self-paced curriculum; this option costs $649. The free pathway includes just one chance to take the certification exam, whereas a $199 option includes two chances to pass the exam. </p>



<p>The course takes 14 hours to complete, and—depending on the learning pathway you chose—will include just self-paced course material or a blend of self-instruction and live courses. There are also pre- and post-course assessments, study sheets, quizzes, and interactive study materials such as flashcards. Students have access to the material for 180 days.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-much-entry-level-cybersecurity-workers-can-make">How much entry-level cybersecurity workers can make </h2>



<p>The cybersecurity or information security analyst role is a popular job held by entry-level candidates—and it’s also one of the <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/articles/this-cybersecurity-job-is-one-of-the-fastest-growing-in-the-u-s-and-it-pays-six-figures/">fastest-growing jobs in the U.S.</a> Salaries for cybersecurity or information security analysts range from about $80,000 to $100,000 and the median base salary for this role grew to $102,600 in 2021, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information security analysts or cybersecurity analysts with a bachelor’s or master’s degree can earn well into the six-figure range.</p>



<p>True entry-level cybersecurity workers make between $70,000 and $80,000 per year, data from several job recruiting sites shows. That’s about double the average salary for entry-level employees at U.S., which stands at about $40,000, according to Indeed.</p>



<p>Depending on certification and education levels, cybersecurity workers can make pay packages in the $100,000 to $200,000 range, with top leadership—chief information security officers—making between $250,000 and $400,000, Mary McHale, a career advisor for the master’s of information and cybersecurity program (MICS) at the University of California—Berkeley, <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/articles/graduates-with-a-masters-degree-in-cybersecurity-are-landing-starting-pay-of-214000-and-up/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20CISO%20roles%20are%20going,the%20organization%2C%E2%80%9D%20McHale%20says.">previously told <em>Fortune</em></a><em>. </em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-certification-exam-and-partnerships-with-universities">Certification exam and partnerships with universities</h2>



<p>The certification exam takes two hours to complete and includes 100 multiple choice questions. Students must correctly answer 70% of the questions to pass. There are questions about all of the main concepts in the training course including security principles, business continuity, disaster recovery and incident response concepts, access controls concepts, network security, and security operations. </p>



<p>(ISC)<sup>2 </sup>is also working on developing partnerships with universities to include the certification in their programs. The organization is first planning to work with <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/information-technology/best-online-masters-in-cybersecurity/">cybersecurity degree programs</a>, as well as business programs to offer the certificate program. </p>



<p>“We’ve noticed the employers are still hiring for certification, not necessarily degree programs,” Rosso says. “We are just in the very beginning stages of working with universities to help guide them and share with them information we have from industry about what’s important to cover in their programs.”</p>



<div class="wp-block-group pro-tip-box-widget"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading pro-tip-box-heading">Read more</h3>



<li>Looking into learning more about cybersecurity? Check out our ranking of the <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/information-technology/best-masters-in-cybersecurity/">best masters in cybersecurity programs</a>.</li>
<li>Our list of <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/information-technology/most-affordable-online-masters-in-cybersecurity/">affordable online masters in cybersecurity programs</a> can help you find the school that best fits your budget.</li>
<li>Achieve your goal of becoming an expert in data science by choosing from our list of the <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/information-technology/best-masters-in-data-science/">best masters in data science</a> programs.</li>
<li>Interested in computer science? Here’s our ranking of the <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/information-technology/best-online-masters-in-computer-science/">best online computer science masters programs</a>.</li>
<li>Cybersecurity is essential in the modern workforce, and one of the <a href="https://coins2day.com/education/bootcamps/best-cybersecurity-bootcamps/">best cybersecurity bootcamps</a> can help you hone that skill.</li>
</div></div>
</div>

(ISC)2’s new online program Certified in Cybersecurity helps entry-level candidates learn the basics of cybersecurity.

Launch your cybersecurity career for free: This organization is giving away 1 million entry-level certifications

F-Search

Education

Education Articles

Jasmine Suarez

Tech

Fortune earns a commission for purchases made from affiliate partners via some links on our site; other links are not affiliate partner links. <a href='/affiliate-disclosure/'>Click here</a> to read the full Fortune advertiser disclosure and how we earn commissions.

We have independently evaluated the products and services below. We may earn affiliate revenue from links in the content.

Fortune Editors

Fortune Education is designed to be your guide to navigating this new, rich and somewhat overwhelming world of education. Our team of experienced editors is committed to scouring the universe of online offerings in order to rank, rate, provide comparisons and recommend the right solutions for you and your career.

Fortune Education

Uncategorized

homepage

articles

Articles Hub

By Region

By State

By Cost

Business

Career Hub

Health and Wellness

EDUCATION

EDUCATION ARTICLES

LAUNCH YOUR CYBERSECURITY CAREER FOR FREE: THIS ORGANIZATION IS GIVING AWAY 1 MILLION ENTRY-LEVEL CERTIFICATIONS

Launch your cybersecurity career for free: This organization is giving away 1 million entry-level certifications | Fortune Education

Preston Fore

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

https://coins2day.com/education/articles/real-estate-school-review-aceableagent/?itm_source=parsely-api

Rich Griset

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

https://coins2day.com/education/articles/free-data-analytics-courses/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brad Haft

Best nutritionist certifications for 2024

https://coins2day.com/education/articles/best-nutritionist-certifications/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brit Morse

A law associate making $300,000 a year at Skadden Arps quit over the firm’s deal with Donald Trump

/article/rachel-cohen-making-300k-year-law-associate-skadden-arps-quit-protest-firms-deal-trump/

Get ready to pay more than $2,000 for a new iPhone: Experts say Trump’s 125% tariff on China is a ‘complete disaster for Apple’ akin to ‘Armageddon’

/2025/04/10/apple-iphone-16-price-complete-disaster-china-trump-tariffs/

It’s about to get a lot harder for job seekers as tariffs are set to make the hiring landscape even more daunting

/2025/04/07/trump-tariffs-labor-market-more-challenging-job-seekers-economists-say/

This company does peer performance reviews—And then lets everyone read each other’s evaluations

/2025/03/24/performance-review-process-company-allows-all-workers-read-garner-health-workplace-culture/

2024 health coach certification review: Catalyst Coaching Institute

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-catalyst-coaching-institute/

A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type

/education/careers/nurse-salary/

2024 health coach certification review: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-institute-for-integrative-nutrition/

10 high-paying public health jobs right now

/education/careers/public-health-jobs/

Whether you’ve just completed your undergraduate degree or you are a professional with years of experience, Fortune is here to guide you on the next step of your educational journey.

Launch your cybersecurity career for free: This organization is giving away 1 million entry-level certifications

About the Contributors

Top Articles

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

Best nutritionist certifications for 2024

Online Syracuse University M.S. in Cybersecurity