Evolve Security Academy

These past 20 weeks have been filled with some incredibly rewarding moments thanks to the Evolve Security Academy bootcamp. It was easy to become immersed in all things security, and we touched on a plethora of different topics ranging from the basics... Read More and networking to application/offensive security, cloud architecture, scripting, cryptography, and so much more. You truly will get what you put in. If you take the time to really push yourself, complete labs multiple times, explore other security platforms to reinforce learning, and spend time outside of class practicing with your peers, you will be in for a great experience. The staff and instructors were incredibly helpful, kind, knowledgeable, and available to help with any questions or concerns. They were all a Slack away and were often available outside of class hours. Speaking of class hours, the schedule was very reasonable and provided just enough time to feel challenging but not punishing. Two hours every Monday through Thursday and 4-5 hours every other Saturday meant that I could keep up with other commitments outside of class while continuing to stay connected to the curriculum. Classes were also reasonably broken down into lectures and lab-time which was conducive to a dynamic learning environment. We were able to absorb new information in a formal class setting while we also got to look forward to breaking out into more casual groups to focus on hands-on labs and presentation skills. The bootcamp does offer job search assistance in the form of 1-on-1 counseling, resume reviews, and group sessions with the career counselor every other Saturday. This help is here if you need it, however the bootcamp does not offer a job placement guarantee like other bootcamps. Therefore, career resources can be used at your discretion and I found these to be a great baseline for what's to come. Overall, I think this is a great curriculum for beginners and veterans alike who require some flexibility in their schedules. The course is unequivocally challenging and will put your skills and mind to the test. Additionally, there are some topics that are fairly skin deep, so outside learning is almost fundamental. This is great practice though since cybersecurity is an evolving field and constant learning and digging will be a requirement for any student and professional going forward.

This has been by far one of the best training courses I have ever attended. Interactive, keeps you on your toes, and material is not just "death by power-point". Truly engaging and practical. The instructors are top notch and understand that not everyone... Read More who attends the course even has the basic understanding of how a network works or how information traverses the internet. In fact, they approach it that way as to include everyone and get you involved. The labs are very well put together and easy to access. If you run into any issues or just feel like you are struggling, there is always someone you can reach out to for help. By the end of the course, I went from having basically zero knowledge of the industry to being competent in the use of industry standard tools, network architecture, security frameworks, penetration testing, scripting, etc. Absolutely amazing and highly recommended!

Throughout the 20 weeks of this program, the curriculum proves to be challenging, yet forgiving. A well blended schedule of labs and lectures allow the attendees to build on previous knowledge; how far and how well each student is able to progress is... Read More solely dependent on how much time they spend utilizing the materials given to them. An efficient alternative to traditional higher education, the boot camp is an enriching process full of team bonding, independent study, and guided learning when required.

The Evolve Security Academy has been a great experience. From the moment you log on to the class, you're greeted with encouragement, excitement, and everyone on the staff willing and wanting to help you succeed both personally and professionally. A daunting... Read More subject like cybersecurity is made easy thanks to the structure of the class and the help of fellow students and instructors. I'm excited to continue my cybersecurity career thanks to Evolve. I would 100% recommend the course for anyone interested in entering the cybersecurity field.

The course was designed to give us firehose training and slowly increase our understanding throughout the course. At times, it could be challenging trying to figure out things with little experience. But with practice and repetition, it felt good to witness... Read More the progress we made by the end of the course. Having classmates to encourage each other and practice with made the learning experience fun. The career coach also gave us great advice in making ourselves more marketable and teaching us how to navigate the job search. I would 100% recommend this course to anyone who’s looking to break into the cybersecurity industry.​

My six month course with Evolve has been amazing. It is a part-time program with ~2 hour lectures every weeknight and a 5 hour lecture every other Saturday. Class times are usually at night so it is manageable even with a job. Course covers everything... Read More from networking, cloud security, programming, hacking, malware analysis, and IT infrastructure. While a lot of the homework just consists of just watching VODs, the lectures are very hands-on and they will have you work as a team to do various cyber security tasks. For example, you might work as a group to create a map of a corporate network with the right appliances so that everything is secure. The programming portion of the course is very difficult if you are not from tech, but it would make your life easier if you practice some basic programming before you join (like C or Python). But overall, I think the instructors were the best, especially Mike. He explained things very clearly, and was very patient with people asking questions. Job support is there if you need it, but it's just basic things like mock interviews and resume reviews. However, they do provide an alumni portal where you can expand your network with people currently working cyber jobs which is very beneficial. If you have no background in tech and are willing to take the dive into an exciting new field like cybersecurity, Evolve is an awesome place to start!

Pros: knowledgeable instructors, well planned material Cons: a bit intense and time consuming Overall this was a great program. The course material was well planned and the instructors and fellow students were all eager for everyone to succeed without... Read More just giving us the answers. Emphasis on teaching not just the answers, but how to find the answers they don't teach.

The entire cohort is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the information security career field. Passionate instructors take students from learning basic protocols and concepts to executing a client's internal and... Read More external vulnerability assessment. The Career Coach is a bonus to the program.​

If you're willing to put in the work and spend hours learning the material; this Boot Camp will pay off. The team at Evolve Security provided the structure I needed to stay focused and get my OSCP. We did have an instructor change half way through bit... Read More they recovered well and it did not interfere with the flow of the course. The team cares about the students and makes themselves available at all hours. They have a little work to do with the new changes to the exam but I am confident they'll adjust.

When beginning to study for the OSCP, I wish I had known about this course because it was exactly the stepping stones I needed to learn the material. It gave me a good foundation of all the concepts that OSCP covers and I enjoyed doing it. The teachers... Read More are extremely helpful and are always willing to answer your questions or point you in the right direction. It is a good in between of hand holding and tough love you need to gain the knowledge of a Penetration tester.