Cybrary is one of the worlds top cybersecurity and IT online development platforms. But, as the world gets more technology reliant, there is an increasing abundance of online learning platforms and the problem is knowing which one to chose from.
But do not fear. I am here to make your life a little bit easier by writing an in-depth review of Cybrary. In fact, I’ll even give you a review of all of their reviews across the internet! Okay, let’s jump in.
What is Cybrary?
Founded in 2015, Cybrary is an award-winning online learning platform for those wanting to specifically advance their career in the cybersecurity or IT industry. It is a reputable site, with over 3 million users, and 500 million minutes of IT-training videos.
But, “why a career in cybersecurity?”, you may ask…
Well, the world is getting more and more reliant on tech, and there is absolutely no sign of this trend slowing down. However, security breaches have increased 11% since 2018 and 67% since 2014. Hackers actually attack every 39 seconds (an average 2,244 times a day) and the average cost of a data breach was a massive $3.92 million in 2019. Clearly, there is an increasing need of cybersecurity professionals to help protect our computer systems and networks. As such, careers in cybersecurity are quite attractive. With a shortage of skilled professionals and an increase in demand, cybersecurity jobs are plenty and salaries are rising rapidly.
The problem is, is that by some estimates, there are only 1000 cybersecurity specialists capable of effectively operating our cyberspace. But, it is predicted that there is a need for 10,000 to 30,000 of these professionals. Clearly, there is a HUGE lack of trained and skilled professionals. The field needs more people to protect our sensitive data, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information, personal information, intellectual property, data, and governmental and industry information systems from threat and damage… so why not get involved and be part of the solution?
Types of Courses Offered by Cybrary
Cybrary offers ‘career paths’ in a vast range of subjects. Such subjects include network security, penetration testing or security architecture.
Each career path is a collection of content that is carefully designed to give you all the skills, knowledge and abilities to work in that particular role/field. This content includes video materials, assessments, hands-on skill development labs and practice exams.
Every career path is broken down into three different levels. The first level is for beginners, which are those people who know very little about cybersecurity and are looking to star their career. Next is the intermediate level. This level is designed for those looking to advance the cybersecurity knowledge and skills that they already have. Finally, the advanced level focuses more on management and leadership within the cybersecurity field.
On every level of the career path, the courses will vary in how long they take to complete. But, most of the videos are between 4 to 1o minutes long. Unfortunately, there is no way to download courses. So, internet connection is a must. Different instructors and course have different ratings from previous students, so you can can see how many students have taken a course and what they thought.
Some courses offer certificates upon completion, which is a nice touch. And, cybersecurity or computer science students can complete courses which can help them study to earn the CompTIA certification.
Pricing for Cybrary Courses
The world of online courses is getting more and more competitive. And like anything, the cost increases with demand.
However, many of the courses Cybrary offers are completely free. You can, however, upgrade to Cybrary Insider Pro. This costs $49.50 a month, or $33.25 if you choose to be billed annually. With Cybrary Pro, you receive unlimited access to video courses, skills assessments and practice tests. You also receive expert created career paths and access to a live lectures and a slack community, which allows you to connect and network with other professionals and mentors. This is seemingly a better option than the basic plan, which only offers limited course access and career paths that aren’t custom.
Site Organization & Membership
When you first land on the webpage, Cybrary looks like it hasn’t got much about it. Which, is ironic for tech individuals!
However, once you’ve created you FREE account, by inputting your email address and validating your email, the site appears more user friendly. There is a a dashboard on the page, where you can see your career paths, your upcoming classes, assignments, recommendations and bookmarks you’ve saved for later.
In general, the courses are neatly organized. They are put in categories base on what organization they are connected with (e.g., CompTIA, Azure, Oracle, VMware) and are sorted in accordance to their level, instructor and career path.
Customer Reviews of Cybrary: Our META Review
I must admit, although I created a free account I did not test out the Cybrary courses myself – as I’m more of a writer than an IT-type. But fear not, our team here at The Career Project has done the research about what other (more-techy) people have to say. We’ll bring you a “review of their reviews”, if you will.
In general, Cybrary has really good customer reviews across the internet. Let’s look at some specifics.
On G2.com, for example, they have 4.5 stars out of 5. One user commented that “the best aspect of the platform is the learning content is free and high quality. The platform aligns individuals with the needed training and practice to get an entry-level job”. Similarly, another user wrote “I really love the labs at Cybrary because they offer a real-world scenario and situation. They are really useful and make the theoretical concepts stay longer in my mind”.
Gartner and Trustpilot also have favorable reviews for Cybrary. Their students are generally quite pleased with the platform and the skills they were able to develop. Most of the complaints had to do with the the price point and the fact that some users were upset that the majority of Cybrary courses were free several years ago (when they started) whereas now only some courses are free. That said, considering the value they are providing and how it translates to earning potential for IT professionals, we think the pricing is still quite reasonable.
We also checked their listings on hiring sites like Glassdoor and Indeed, and it seems the staff is engaged in their work, treated well and that the company is generated operated very well. All of that should give you more confidence if you were considering taking one of their courses.
Here’s one more student comment that we found that seems quite indicative of the majority of the reviews we read:
“Cybrary helped me prepare and pass my CISSP exam. Aside from some courses in my degree program being related to the domains of the CISSP, Cybrary was primary resource that I used to study”.
Conclusion: Our Review of Cybrary Reviews
Overall, Cybrary seems to be a top contender in the world of online learning platforms.
Working to target specifically cybersecurity professionals, Cybrary offers a low cost way to gain expert skills that are in-demand in today’s workplace environment. Better yet, they offer many courses for free so if you are on-the-fence about getting into the cybersecurity field then taking a free course with Cybrary seems like a great way to test the waters.
Are you a cybersecurity professional who has used Cybrary before? If yes, let me know what you think. Did you find it a useful tool to enhance your skills?
