How to Learn Cybersecurity at Coding Temple

Table of Contents

• Why Learn Cybersecurity at Coding Temple Now?
• What You’ll Learn in Coding Temple’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp
• Preparing for Cybersecurity Certifications at Coding Temple
• Landing a Job After Coding Temple’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Cybersecurity experts are in high demand as online threats become ever-present. Responding to the market need and requests for a cybersecurity bootcamp, Coding Temple designed a self-paced program directly informed by the CompTIA Security+ exam and cybersecurity professionals working in the field. Backed by their lifelong career support, Coding Temple’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp offers a money-back guarantee in addition to preparing students to pass the CompTIA Security+ exam. 

Meet Our Experts:

• Gregg Walrod is the Director of Engineering and Programs at Coding Temple. 
• Owen Dubiel is a cybersecurity professional who works with Coding Temple to ensure their bootcamp curriculum is relevant to today’s cybersecurity needs. 

Why Learn Cybersecurity at Coding Temple Now?

Gregg: Listening to both the hiring market and direct requests from prospective students, we knew it was time to develop our cybersecurity curriculum in 2023. Coding Temple speaks to people that are looking to change their lives and careers and do something important and meaningful. Between 2017 and 2023, there were over 4,000 publicly disclosed data breaches, proving the significance of what it’s costing industries and the need for skilled professionals, making cybersecurity roles one of the most in-demand for the foreseeable future.

Why is cybersecurity such a solid career path?

Owen: I don't know many other careers within any sector of business that change on a weekly basis. The amount of data and details that you have to look at that could change based on some random software update or the lack thereof is incredible. Cybersecurity keeps you on your toes! Now more than ever, companies are looking for security professionals, especially those with hands-on experience. Coding Temple is right to meet this need of supply and demand. 

Gregg, what is your advice for students embarking on a cybersecurity program like this? 

1. Commit to being a lifelong learner. Coding Temple teaches you to learn how to learn. The world and the tech world are ever-evolving, so keep an open mind! 
2. It's impossible to know everything about everything in tech. Know that you have access to resources and that there will be times you need to research. 
3. Accept when you need help. The only way you’ll be successful in any of these programs is knowing when you're not grasping something, so don’t waste time spinning your wheels for too long! One of the biggest benefits of paying for this program is having access to 1:1 support with our instructors. Be humble, schedule an appointment, and get the help that you need!

What You’ll Learn in Coding Temple’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Gregg: The curriculum is divided into 10 lessons, each one focusing on 2-3 topics. Within each lesson, there is a hands-on project that offers experience similar to what they’d be expected to produce in that role. Our curriculum gives you an understanding of the world of cybersecurity. We’re also focusing on bite-sized content in 2-3 minutes versus having students watch a long video. 

Owen: The course starts with an overview of the sector into the traditional security analyst mindset, which offers a taste of different sectors from an enterprise perspective.

The Cybersecurity curriculum covers:

• Security policies
• Security frameworks that are commonly referenced within the enterprise
• Threat factors and how you can utilize threat intelligence for detection and response capabilities
• Intro to network security
• Cryptography
• Cloud security
• AI

By no means do you have to be an expert in any of these sectors to take this course! We cover some 101 content and provide references for additional learning, so if you're struggling with a section we can point you to resources for further learning. We also want to make sure we’re introducing students to upcoming topics about the direction of cybersecurity so they feel prepared for where the career is headed. 

Will students complete labs during the bootcamp? 

Gregg: For our first launch of this cybersecurity bootcamp, there are 10 robust hands-on projects, one for each lesson, with the tenth one being a multi-part project. Once they complete their final project, they'll have to schedule a 1:1 with our cybersecurity instructor to present what they built. 

Is the cybersecurity program a full-time or part-time bootcamp?

Gregg: Right now, the cybersecurity program is available in our Flex option. With our Flex program, there will be a cybersecurity expert students can schedule 1:1 time with.

How many hours a week should students expect to spend on the bootcamp?

Gregg: Ideally, students complete one lesson a week and finish the program in 10 weeks. As with Coding Temple’s other bootcamps, students can take a slower pace and maintain a full-time job while attending bootcamp. Typically, it takes 3-4 months to complete the program or 400 hours. 

Who are the instructors for the cybersecurity bootcamp? How are they trained?

Gregg: A non-negotiable for all of our cybersecurity instructors is that they have worked in the field for at least a few years and ideally have also taught cybersecurity in some capacity. We are thrilled to welcome John Early to our team  as our first Cybersecurity Instructor. With over 20 years of experience as a technology leader, John brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our organization. He has a proven ability to mentor and manage teams, driving them to exceed organizational standards. John's dedication to mentoring and coaching our students will undoubtedly contribute to our team's growth and success.w. 

Preparing for Cybersecurity Certifications at Coding Temple

Gregg: The goal of this curriculum is to help you pass the CompTIA Security+ certification when you graduate. We're CompTIA-certified and have worked out a partnership so we have full access to CompTIA's curriculum and materials! We’ve broken the CompTIA materials down to make them digestible for Coding Temple students and built the curriculum around what will be on the exam. 

Once a student graduates, they will get access to the exam but we recommend they do some practice tests first. They get access to the material for life when they graduate so they can go back and reference any of the material, which is built to specifically prepare them to pass that exam. Each lesson is built with several questions they have to answer to pass the module. CompTIA is one of those exams where they like to give you two answers that could roughly be correct, but you need to really read the answer to make sure you pick the right one and pass the exam.    

What It Takes to Get Into the Cybersecurity Bootcamp 

Is there an ideal student for Coding Temple’s cybersecurity bootcamp?

Owen: Looking at it from an employer's perspective, ideal students are those that are:

1. Hungry to learn
2. Have passion for tech or any part of security
3. Interested in daily changes 
4. Able to roll with the punches

Previous experience could help you but it’s not required. You have to have some basic computer literacy. Any type of working or educational experience will help you, but CompTIA Security+ is designed as that first step into the realm of security.

Gregg: Coding Temple hosts a What to Expect event to go over the personality traits and what we’re looking for in prospective students. Take this program if you have a strong attention to detail and a strong ethical mindset. 

Do you need to know how to code to get into cybersecurity?

Owen: No, you don’t need to know how to code to get into cybersecurity! There are realms within security that may require some coding but others that don’t. After completing this course, you’ll have a better idea of what sector of security you’re interested in working in. There are also two different approaches to getting into the industry:

1. Knowledge-first - where you get your degree and certifications first
2. Experience-first - where you start at an IT help desk and work your way through the systems engineering track to build technical hands-on skills and get certified later to elevate your career.

Is this course appropriate for beginners?

Gregg: We are absolutely building this program for beginners! Terminologies and acronyms are often made out to be more complicated than they really are and they can often scare people away from cybersecurity. We’re dedicated to hiring instructors that can spend that 1:1 time with students as it gets complicated. They also need to take a customized approach to supporting students when they’re struggling and will be available for scheduled appointments to help. We’re hiring instructors that can break down difficult topics into digestible pieces. 

Owen: That said, if you come in with zero experience, you may have a hard time digesting some of the information. The biggest challenge for those with zero exposure to the industry is learning the terminologies and acronyms.

What can applicants expect from the admissions process for the cybersecurity bootcamp?

Gregg: Applicants will meet with our admissions team and go over those traits. If someone has no idea which program they want to take, we’ve come up with a quiz to help them decide! Based on some of the personality traits, they’ll be recommended which program might be best for them. All Coding Temple programs have a high-level technical aptitude test to make sure they have enough computer knowledge to operate effectively in the bootcamp. There aren’t any technical requirements that are specific to cybersecurity. 

Landing a Job After Coding Temple’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Owen: The cybersecurity bootcamp is tailored initially for the entry-level cybersecurity analyst role, but it also has a use if you're in industry as an entry-level and you're trying to move up the ranks, to either a tier-two security analyst or prepare for a cyber engineering path. 

By obtaining the Security+ certification through our bootcamp, it prepares you for that mid-level experience. If you get the certification, it gives you the credibility to get an initial job. Once you have that first job, if you don't have the certification and you go back and get it, it proves to your employer that you're taking your job seriously and you're ready for more responsibilities and a promotion!

What kinds of career support can Coding Temple’s cybersecurity students expect?

Gregg: Coding Temple has been rebuilding our Career Services department over the last few months and cybersecurity students will have the same career support as any of our other programs! This includes:

• Mock interviewing
• Resume prep
• LinkedIn review
• Phone screening 
• Take-home challenge

These steps must be completed and approved by our Career Partnerships Team before students start applying for jobs and using our employer network and hunter boards. Once grads are ready to apply for jobs, Career Services will be with them along the way to prepare for interviews and introduce them to other employers. As with all Coding Temple programs, grads receive career support for life!

We also have a money-back guarantee if students don't get a job within 270 days of graduating and working with their career partnerships team.

Find out more and read Coding Temple reviews on Course Report. This article was produced by the Course Report team in partnership with Coding Temple.