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    • Pen Testing

    Penetration Testing Courses Online

    Master penetration testing for cybersecurity. Learn to identify vulnerabilities, perform security assessments, and mitigate threats.

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    Explore the Penetration Testing Course Catalog

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      M

      Meta

      Advanced React

      Skills you'll gain: Jest (JavaScript Testing Framework), React.js, JavaScript Frameworks, API Design, Unit Testing, UI Components, TypeScript, Javascript, Integration Testing

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.4K reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Single Page Web Applications with AngularJS

      Skills you'll gain: Angular, JavaScript Frameworks, Unit Testing, Ajax, Cloud Applications, Web Applications, Front-End Web Development, Javascript, Application Programming Interface (API), Model View Controller, Web Services, Software Architecture, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), UI Components

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.9K reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      D

      DeepLearning.AI

      Probability & Statistics for Machine Learning & Data Science

      Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Statistics, Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Probability & Statistics, Sampling (Statistics), Probability Distribution, Probability, Statistical Inference, A/B Testing, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Machine Learning, Data Science, Exploratory Data Analysis, Statistical Visualization

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      565 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Michigan

      Evaluating Designs with Users

      Skills you'll gain: Usability Testing, User Experience, UI/UX Research, User Research, Test Case, Usability, Test Planning, Interviewing Skills

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      294 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Minnesota

      User Interface Design

      Skills you'll gain: UI/UX Research, User Research, Design Research, User Interface (UI) Design, Usability Testing, Prototyping, User Interface (UI), User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Usability, User Experience, User Centered Design, Graphic and Visual Design, Ideation, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Design, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience Design, Interaction Design, Qualitative Research, Design Thinking

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.8K reviews

      Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      D

      Duke University

      Inferential Statistics

      Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Inference, Statistical Reporting, Statistical Methods, R Programming, Statistical Software, Statistical Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Data Literacy, Sampling (Statistics), Probability Distribution, Software Installation

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.7K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      I

      IBM

      IBM Mainframe Developer

      Skills you'll gain: Mainframe Computing, COBOL (Programming Language), Software Development Life Cycle, z/OS, Unit Testing, Systems Analysis, Job Control Language (JCL), IBM DB2, Systems Development, Debugging, Pseudocode, Software Development Methodologies, Virtualization, Agile Methodology, Software Development, Virtualization and Virtual Machines, Test Driven Development (TDD), Programming Principles, Report Writing, Editing

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.2K reviews

      Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

    • C

      Coursera Project Network

      Building Test Automation Framework using Selenium and TestNG

      Skills you'll gain: Test Automation, Test Case, Selenium (Software), Software Testing, Maintainability, Test Data, Debugging, Configuration Management

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      156 reviews

      Advanced · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • G

      Georgia Institute of Technology

      Machine Design Part I

      Skills you'll gain: Failure Analysis, Mechanical Design, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Analysis, Engineering Analysis, Engineering Design Process, Engineering Practices, Engineering Calculations, Verification And Validation

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.2K reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • T

      Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

      Antimicrobial resistance - theory and methods

      Skills you'll gain: Laboratory Testing, Quality Assurance, Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, Bioinformatics, Clinical Laboratory Science, Epidemiology, Medical Science and Research, Public Health, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, Data Sharing

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.5K reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      M

      Meta

      Measure and Optimize Social Media Marketing Campaigns

      Skills you'll gain: Marketing Analytics, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Campaigns, Marketing Effectiveness, Social Media Strategy, Digital Advertising, Advertising Campaigns, Social Media, Data Analysis, Data Presentation, Marketing, Business Metrics, Statistical Reporting, Facebook, A/B Testing, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Marketing Communications, Performance Reporting, Return On Investment, Presentations

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.9K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • É

      École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées

      Mastering bitumen for better roads and innovative applications

      Skills you'll gain: Environmental Engineering, Environment Health And Safety, Civil Engineering, Transportation Operations, Construction, Market Dynamics, Transportation, Supply Chain, and Logistics, Material Handling, Chemical Engineering, Product Testing, Technical Standard, Performance Testing, Manufacturing Processes, Laboratory Testing

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.3K reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

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    1…131415…124

    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular pen testing courses

    • Advanced React: Meta
    • Single Page Web Applications with AngularJS: Johns Hopkins University
    • Probability & Statistics for Machine Learning & Data Science: DeepLearning.AI
    • Evaluating Designs with Users: University of Michigan
    • User Interface Design: University of Minnesota
    • Inferential Statistics: Duke University
    • IBM Mainframe Developer: IBM
    • Building Test Automation Framework using Selenium and TestNG: Coursera Project Network
    • Machine Design Part I: Georgia Institute of Technology
    • Antimicrobial resistance - theory and methods: Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

    Skills you can learn in Computer Security And Networks

    Cybersecurity (33)
    Google (25)
    Google Cloud Platform (17)
    Internet (17)
    Cryptography (16)
    Network Security (16)
    Linux (12)
    Software Testing (12)
    Information Security (10)
    Application Programming Interfaces (8)
    Kubernetes (8)
    Web (8)

    Frequently Asked Questions about Pen Testing

    Penetration testing, commonly referred to as pen testing or “ethical hacking,” is the process of conducting a simulated cyberattack on an organization’s computer system. Pen testing is an important technique used by cybersecurity professionals for exposing database vulnerabilities and network security flaws that could be exploited by hackers. With so much of today’s critical business as well as personal information accessible through the internet, cyberattacks can be incredibly costly or even dangerous, making this process of identifying vulnerabilities essential.

    Pen tests may use a variety of methods to execute a cyberattack, including brute force attacks, SQL injection, phishing, or even hardware devices. In order to simulate real-world cyberattacks as closely as possible, a “single-blind” test is typically carried out by an outside cybersecurity or IT security analyst with no prior knowledge of the network security systems in place, and in a “double-blind” test the company’s own IT and cybersecurity team is not given advance notice. Pen testing procedures also vary depending on whether the organization wants to simulate an external attack from an outside hacker or an internal attack from a disgruntled employee.‎

    Pen testing is an essential part of the toolkit of IT security analysts and cybersecurity consultants, who are responsible for helping companies protect their computer networks and systems against malicious cyber attacks. Unknown network security vulnerabilities can lead to incredibly costly data breaches, potentially exposing private information of an organization, its employees, and its customers, making the identification of these flaws a critically important part of cybersecurity.

    Given the elevated and increasing importance of cybersecurity today, professionals in this field are highly sought after. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, information security analysts earned a median annual salary of $99,730 in 2019, and these jobs are expected to grow by 31% between 2019 and 2029 - much faster than average job growth across the rest of the economy.‎

    Certainly. Coursera offers many opportunities to learn about penetration testing and other cybersecurity topics, including individual courses and Specializations spanning multiple courses. You can learn from top-ranked schools like University of California Davis, University of Maryland College Park, University of Colorado, and the University of London, or you can take courses from IBM to earn a professional certificate in cybersecurity. Regardless of where you want to learn from, Coursera lets you view course materials and complete coursework on a flexible schedule so that you can add these important cybersecurity skills to your resume while continuing to pursue your other schoolwork or existing career.‎

    Because penetration testing isn't a beginner-level skill, you should have a solid technical background in basic Unix commands, software development, and using Linux. Without this experience and skill set, you'll likely struggle with learning pen testing. You should also have a good foundation in the basics of coding, particularly full-stack skills, including Python, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. Some classes may have other prerequisites, such as having an understanding of TCP/IP, networking, and/or Bash scripting.‎

    If you have a strong drive to understand how things work and to beat hackers at their own game, then learning penetration testing might be the ideal subject for you. As a pen tester, you'll be tasked with finding and fixing vulnerabilities, including ones that were previously unknown. You'll also discover how an attack would impact a business and assess how effectively organizations are able to respond and detect attacks. If working on the front lines in the war against hackers and those who threaten cybersecurity sounds exciting, learning pen testing will get you on your way to creating a career doing just that.‎

    Although you don't need a degree to build a career in penetration testing, gaining a formal education in computer science or computer security can help you develop some of the skills you'll need. Common undergraduate degrees for people interested in this field include information security, computer engineering, cybersecurity, and math. Some penetration testers go on to earn their master's degree in cybersecurity or a related field while others go on to work as a network or systems administrator before pursuing certification. Some of the most common certifications include the Certified Ethical Hacker or the Licensed Penetration Tester Master from the EC-Council, the Certified Expert Penetration Tester from the Information Assurance Certification Review Board, and the CompTIA Security+ credential.‎

    Any organization within any industry can benefit from pen testing, but some of the industries most likely to hire pen testers include those that are highly regulated, like health care, banking and finance companies, and service providers. Pen testers can use their skills to test for compliance with regulations. For example, pen testers might perform an audit of a medical device company, hospital, or health care information exchange to ensure it's HIPAA-compliant. Other places rely on pen testing to reveal vulnerabilities in their websites, networks, and systems to remain more secure and enact policies to stay that way.‎

    Online Pen Testing courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Pen Testing skills. Choose from a wide range of Pen Testing courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.‎

    When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Pen Testing, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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