> “Cybersecurity. Entry Level”: a free course for university students taught by Kaspersky experts | Kaspersky official blog

You can find plenty of stories online from students in technical fields sharing their worries about school and their career path. One computer engineering student complained about the lack of hands-on experience, saying he was so used to learning theory that he had no idea how to apply it at work. Another student, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, worried that he hadn’t picked up any of the practical skills employers actually want, and joking that McDonald’s is the only place he’ll be able to get a job. Students, especially those at technical universities, often don’t see the practical value in what they’re learning. As a result, many don’t know what to do next or how to find a job. Here’s a look at where that anxiety comes from, what steps can help overcome it, and why knowing the basics of cybersecurity can come in handy for anyone starting out in a technical field. Where the anxiety comes from, and what to do about it The most important thing to know about the fear of not living up to your potential is that it’s completely normal to feel it. American clinical psychologist, Meg Jay, in her book The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter — And How to Make the Most of Them Now, argues that the years between 20 and 30 are some of the toughest. A person not only runs into their first, often unsuccessful, work experiences and makes bad decisions (“many firsts and worsts”), but also feels unsure of themselves. Reasons may vary. For example, according to Harvard’s Making Caring Common project, 34% of young people aged 18–25 reported feeling lonely, while 58% said they felt their lives lacked “meaning or purpose”. Half of respondents said not knowing what to do with their lives was hurting their mental wellbeing. That said, Meg Jay writes that this decade plays a key role, since it’s when people make 80% of their major life decisions. According to the psychologist, many young people believe they need to work out what to do with their lives before they can start taking action. Jay, however, disagrees with this approach. She offers the concept of identity capital: the combination of education, work experience, skills, and connections that makes young people valuable professionals. Even without full confidence in a career choice, taking small steps like applying for an internship or taking an extra course can help build a meaningful path for professional growth. On top of that, it’s important for young people to figure out what they enjoy doing, what they’re good at, what the world needs, and, of course, what people are willing to pay them for. Which skills are sure to come in handy The concept of identity capital is especially relevant for students in technical fields. According to the World Economic Forum, an average of 39% of workers’ current skills will be transformed or become outdated by 2030. That’s why one should not only stick to one’s chosen field of study, but also build skills in adjacent fields. The same report highlights fast-growing areas like AI, big data, computer literacy, and cybersecurity. Cybersecurity, among others, has its own advantages. Experts note that the digital landscape is changing rapidly, and cybercriminals are taking advantage of this. Indeed, a recent study of ours found that more than half (56%) of internet users encountered scams or phishing over the past year, and the attacks themselves have become more frequent. In 2025, Kaspersky solutions detected an average of half-a-million new malicious files per day, which is 7% more than the year before. Human error remains a leading cause of security incidents. For this reason, employers want to make sure all their staff have at least a basic knowledge of cybersecurity: it lowers risk and reduces the cost of dealing with incidents. Knowing the basics of cybersecurity is becoming not just a competitive advantage, but also an integral part of training for professionals in every technical field. For students, a basic understanding of cybersecurity opens the door to professional development in a wide range of consulting roles. Such professions are quite widespread — especially among young professionals with modest work experience. Against the backdrop of an acute shortage of cybersecurity professionals, these consulting services are in high demand, which is a good sign for graduates with some level of cybersecurity in their background. The cybersecurity knowledge and practical skills of the specialists of the future are of great importance for their potential employers. For these businesses, a cyber-savvy workforce reduces the need for expensive third-party cybersecurity consultants. Even professionals who lack dedicated technical training but have reasonable digital literacy can significantly reduce the risks of security incidents — in particular in cases involving human error. Pavel Laskov, Professor for Data and Application Security at the University of Liechtenstein What’s more, the spread of digital resilience skills benefits not only employers, but also employees themselves: learning the basics of cybersecurity helps develop systems thinking and the ability to see the elements of a structure not as disconnected objects but as a unified whole. It also allows professionals to work across different roles and protect their personal and work data from scammers. With that in mind, a logical step toward building your identity capital could be Kaspersky Academy’s free online course Cybersecurity. Entry Level. The course is designed for first and second-year students at colleges and universities. It helps them understand what cybersecurity is, what tools cybercriminals use, what fields and specialties information-security professionals work in, and what the future holds for the industry and those working in it. The program was recently expanded with a new module, Security by Design, which covers information-security architecture and design of inherently secure systems. Kaspersky’s leading experts cover every topic in the course in plain, easy-to-follow language with examples, so students get a comprehensive view of cybersecurity straight from practitioners. The course lasts one month, and students who pass the final test receive a Kaspersky Academy certificate. The main goal of the course is to raise students’ awareness of cybersecurity, and teach them how to protect themselves against the most common types of cyber-incidents. During the course, students will gain knowledge and skills that will serve them well — no matter what field of study they choose. The course is available as video lessons on the Kaspersky Academy learning platform. To get access to the course, submit a request on the program’s website providing your academic email address (with a university or college domain). Educational institutions can easily integrate the course into their curriculum: it’s available in SCORM — a standard e-learning format — to institutions that join our Kaspersky Academy Alliance partner program.