Free Online Classes for those looking for a little something extra

I just passed the CISSP and I'm always looking for more on the topics I cover in a particular exam. i came accross this class on www.coursera.org called Information Security and Risk Management in Context. 10 week course that JUST started. If anyone is in the InfoSec field and either studying for an exam or just wants some more brain food, check it out, it looks to be good from what Ive seen so far on it. It is hosted by the University of Washington. Week 1 is basically due today but they give you a week leeway. Take a look if you are interested.

The course states it might take between 3 and 5 hours per week to complete each week. Not bad for a side class.

Additionally, the site has 198 classes on everything under the sun from Cryptography (yes there is a class on specifically Crypto, it is very advanced) to Model Thinking. This isn't just for InfoSec students.

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Comments

NetworkingStudent

Thanks for posting rep given. Are there any other sites that offer courses like this?
I wanted to sign up for a class, but I saw this in their license agreement. Funny thing is I almost didn't read the liscense agreement.

Notice for Minnesota Users
Coursera has been informed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education that under Minnesota Statutes (136A.61 to 136A.71), a university cannot offer online courses to Minnesota residents unless the university has received authorization from the State of Minnesota to do so. If you are a resident of Minnesota, you agree that either (1) you will not take courses on Coursera, or (2) for each class that you take, the majority of work you do for the class will be done from outside the State of Minnesota.

cyberguypr

I am taking this course and am not impressed so far. The first set of lectures is from 2006. Let's see if it gets better. Second week material should be posted tomorrow.

@NetworkingStudent Be careful. I hear this guy enrolled from Minnesota and got a visit from the Men In Black.

Paperlantern

Yeah i was perusing more of the site and looking at more of the amterial and I noticed the 2006 thing too. hopefully the course will provide more recent stuff than 6 years ago as we move forward.

I took some of the crypto course back in march and that course was some SERIOUSLY hard stuff. At least for my level of mathematics and formula comprehension.

vanquish23

I might sign up for the "An Introduction to Interactive Programming" in Python class depending on my new job and starting at WGU.

cyberguypr

I hear you about the math. I glanced and the lectures and when I saw the math I put a big "NOT FOR ME" label on the course.

Paperlantern

Oh you looked at the crypto? Yeah I made it through three weeks of it, I did pick up quite a bit, but I had no
idea going in tha it would have been that advanced. I stopped week 4.

computer g33k

Coursera is great site, there needs to be more of these types of sites. I enrolled in the class as well.

Princessh1977

Great info. thanks for sharing!

Paperlantern

I contected ISC2 regarding this class, and they said it would be fine for CPEs as well. Dont know if that might change people's mind about taking it and sticking all the way through it. You just have to only count the time spent while you are IN a valid 3 year term of certification.

cyberguypr

Well, 3 weeks into this course I am wondering if it is worth my time. I find it to be extremely watered down. I know it is an introduction course but the content is just too superficial. On the course discussion board many have complained about the same thing. The best comparison I can make is that the course feels like I'm reading Eric Conrad's 11th Hour book. Not that there's anything wrong with the book as it is intended to be the last step in your CISSP studies. But the course should be called glance, glimpse, peek or something similar into Risk Management. Maybe my expectations were too high. I wonder if the UW certificate program is any better.

The course may be good for someone who has never heard of any of this stuff. I feel like I learned more with the AIO and the OIG.

lsud00d

I started the Crypto class when Coursera first got up and running...the first discussion immediately delved into C and moderately advanced maths! Needless to say I didn't get very far.

N2IT

Thanks for sharing this information.

Paperlantern

lsud00d wrote: »

I started the Crypto class when Coursera first got up and running...the first discussion immediately delved into C and moderately advanced maths! Needless to say I didn't get very far.

Nor did I lol. It was quite advanced. I took it back in March of this year, also when it kind of started to get rolling. Yeah, I was in the same boat my friend!

cyberguypr wrote: »

Well, 3 weeks into this course I am wondering if it is worth my time. I find it to be extremely watered down. I know it is an introduction course but the content is just too superficial. On the course discussion board many have complained about the same thing. The best comparison I can make is that the course feels like I'm reading Eric Conrad's 11th Hour book. Not that there's anything wrong with the book as it is intended to be the last step in your CISSP studies. But the course should be called glance, glimpse, peek or something similar into Risk Management. Maybe my expectations were too high. I wonder if the UW certificate program is any better.

The course may be good for someone who has never heard of any of this stuff. I feel like I learned more with the AIO and the OIG.

I feel the same way. I will likely stick with it for the CPEs, and really, if i only pick up 3 or 4 things throughout the class, then well, I picked up something, and you cant go wrong for free. There were rumors that this was watered down a bit to try and entice people to take the full class (and thus, pay for it) at UW. Almost like the free online bit was a teaser. I'm still optimistic, its only 30% complete. I'm game to ride the wave all the way in to shore.

CodeBlox

Thanks for sharing this. I signed up for the compiler course.

RobertKaucher

I also survived about 4 weeks of the crypto class and I was just lost by the math. I picked up a book on probability and hope that I can get up to scratch and take the course again or something similar. it was a really good course.

Paperlantern

I agree here, Dan Boneh, the instructor, I believe is incredibly well versed in Crypto, when he explained concepts and talked ABOUT crypto... removed from the arithmetic aspect, I understood what he was saying, and no doubt I picked up some things that helped on the CISSP from those 3 some odd weeks I did do. I just need more background before I could attempt the class again.

lsud00d

RobertKaucher wrote: »

I also survived about 4 weeks of the crypto class and I was just lost by the math. I picked up a book on probability and hope that I can get up to scratch and take the course again or something similar. it was a really good course.

I have no problem with calc/diffeq/etc, but I disdain probability/statistics which is unfortunate since I think cryptography is very interesting so I don't know how far I'll delve into it aside from higher level concepts

Paperlantern

Not to necro this thread, but this deals directly with this... The coursera class has progressed a bit and I believe up to week 6 is available for access at this point. I held off on moving forward until Nov 1 so I could claim as much time as possible for CPE on my CISSP so I'm only just now starting week 4, it isnt due until Nov 5th. Just curious if anyone has still stuck with it, and has maybe moved even further than I have and found it got better. It seems to be getting better for me, but I'm not sure how anyone else feels and am curious. Thoughts?

cyberguypr

I completed up to week 4 but had to put it on hold due to my SANS training. Up until that week I didn't find much value. Next week I'll resume it and will update once I go over the contents of weeks 5 and 6.

Paperlantern

Ive completed this course now, and I will say the material got a bit more engaging and meaty as time went on. Still not up to par really with something you would expect to pay a few grand for, but for a free offering I don't think this is too bad, plus it netted me 13 CPEs. There is another one on offer now called Building an Information Risk Management Toolkit, also from Dr. Endicott Popovsky, on Coursera. I have already enrolled. Can't hurt.

cyberguypr

Good to hear. I just couldn't take it anymore and abandoned it.

WiseWun

@Paperlantern, what is 13 CPEs? Are they credits given upon completion of the course?

I have signed up for the following courses.

Internet History, Technology, and Security
Introduction to Computer Networks
Microeconomics Principles
Building an Information Risk Management Toolkit

Paperlantern

WiseWun wrote: »

@Paperlantern, what is 13 CPEs? Are they credits given upon completion of the course?

I have signed up for the following courses.

Internet History, Technology, and Security
Introduction to Computer Networks
Microeconomics Principles
Building an Information Risk Management Toolkit

Sorry for the delay in response WiseWun, work has been VERY busy for the last month+ with a datacenter move and more, 13CPEs are Continuing Professional Education credits required by ISC2 to retain my CISSP. I need to earn enough of them over the course of 3 years to be able to stay certified.

pinkydapimp

Paperlantern wrote: »

Ive completed this course now, and I will say the material got a bit more engaging and meaty as time went on. Still not up to par really with something you would expect to pay a few grand for, but for a free offering I don't think this is too bad, plus it netted me 13 CPEs. There is another one on offer now called Building an Information Risk Management Toolkit, also from Dr. Endicott Popovsky, on Coursera. I have already enrolled. Can't hurt.

So a 10 week course nets you 13 CPEs? how do you calculate that? if they estimate 3 hours a week, wouldnt it net you ~30 CPEs?