Evolve Security Academy

I was just out Downtown Chicago with some IT professionals with experience in cyber security. Shocking it was to learn about the day to day breaches and the increase in the sophistication level of attackers despite technology improvements by security... Read More professionals. I thought – no industry is immune to threats – this to me means there would be a continuous need for security professionals across every industry to assist organizations detect possible threats to avoid being breached. Sounds interesting right? So off the back of the chat with these IT guys, I decided to enquire more about cyber security and what life is like as a cyber security professional. Evolve Security Academy came up in one of researches and here I am today in the process of ‘evolving’ as a cyber security pro.

I must state that this academy is exceptional in many ways. The course schedule was the first catch – very flexible. We had remote class work the first 4 weeks of the training. Tedious but was good exercise for people with little or no knowledge and wanting to get into the infosec space. For the in-person part of the training, we kick off at 6pm to 9pm Mondays through Thursdays and 9am to 3pm every other Saturday. I look forward to every class – Paul Petefish, our instructor starts off the class by getting us to discuss what’s in the news re data breach etc . Then we have our lecture; Paul knows his stuff. He dissects each curriculum in such a way that a novice is able to grab infosec concepts as quickly as possible. The Q&A during lectures is helpful. Our adjunct instructors are industry experts – imagine being in a classroom with such great talents! There is also the opportunity to attend seminars for free (e.g. THOTCON) - thanks to Evolve’s leadership team.

We get hands-on experience. Lab work is fun – we pen test, run vulnerability scans, harden systems, etc). We sometimes get to work in groups; this helps me a lot as I get to pick others’ brains (especially when we’re doing lab work) and ultimately expanding my cybersec knowledge. The team is a fantastic one – from diverse background, and with wealth of experience from various industries.

Chocolate, chips, peanut butter cookies etc keep the team going throughout the lecture. The class is never boring! It has been a rewarding experience so far…. More weeks to go. I recommend Evolve Security Academy to anyone looking to become a CyberSecurity pro in 13 weeks.

To preface, this is not a mere coding bootcamp... It's way better.

Evolve is the FIRST and currently the ONLY information security bootcamp program offered. Participating in this yet unproven program was a big risk... but without risk there is no reward,... Read More and this has been an extremely rewarding experience.

So far this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. If you are at all interested in information/cyber security, I absolutely recommend Evolve Security Academy.

Even if you don't have a technical background, you can be successful if you are passionate, curious and resourceful (ie. good at googling). I started with zero formal technology training, but Evolve academy has given me the tools to succeed in this extremely awesome, interesting, explosively growing field.

The bootcamp course is intense and challenging but not overwhelming. The part-time program is 12 weeks in-person (4 weeks remote). Despite working full time and having class up to five days a week, I am never tired or dreading class, in fact I look forward to it. Class structure includes starting with a lecture and then hands-on lab work to really dig in and learn the material firsthand. The curriculum includes everything from policy, encryption, network architecture, social engineering, computer forensics and a lot more. Whether setting up and hardening your own Linux server in Asia, or creating a comprehensive security policy for a local startup, or penetration testing the network of an actual company-- the class will provide you with actual, real-world experience, not just theoretical knowledge. Classes are held in 1871, which is fun and offers many amenities. The people in my very small cohort all come from vastly different backgrounds and we have become a very close, supportive group.

The program founders and instructors are passionate, intelligent and capable. They will listen to and value any comments, concerns or recommendations you have as a student, and advocate for you. Paul has spent many years in the field, is a great instructor and really knows his stuff. We have also had many talented guest speakers from all over the industry come to class and work directly with us, as well as countless opportunities to network and meet people currently working in the industry, including attending hacker conventions like THOTcon and BSides for free.

Evolve has been a great experience. We are about halfway through the cyber security bootcamp and have already gotten hands on experience. Class usually begins with a lecture discussing our current module, and then follows up with an in-class lab which... Read More applies the knowledge we just learned to a real world example. Learning about different policies and architectures is great, but using the lab to apply our newly acquired knowledge allows us to gain a firm grasp on the concepts at hand and understand how to modify our approach for each situation.

The instructors at Evolve Security Academy have created a fantastic learning environment and team setting for this course. I am looking forward to progressing through the remainder of the course and to continue the learning experience with our team. Each day we learn new material building off the previous day. If at any time there is a section or concept that is unclear to a student, we work together as a team to explain the problem and ensure everyone has an understanding of the material.

Despite your background, if you are willing to put in the work and have the right attitude you will succeed.