The Student Experience
Learn what to expect as a student in our Cyber Defense Analyst Bootcamp.
The Onboarding Experience
The Bootcamp Experience
The Alumni Experience
What’s It Like as a Student in the Cyber Defense Analyst Bootcamp?
Glad you asked! Use the menu to the left to navigate through the steps you'll take—from discovering if we're the right training provider for you to the first night of class!
The Onboarding Experience
Step 3: Book a Meeting
Once we receive your application, be sure to keep an eye on your email! We'll send you a reminder to book a video call with us (usually via Zoom) so we can start the intake process. No need to be nervous—we just want to learn a little more about you and your goals and make sure our experience is a good fit for you!
Still nervous? Here's a more comprehensive list of what we'll discuss during our call:
- Expectations and requirements of the bootcamp
- Career outcomes
- Payment plans and available scholarships
- Any questions you have!
Step 4: Receive a Checklist
To *officially* kick off the onboarding process, we'll email you an onboarding checklist to keep you on track and get you ready to begin class! Steps include...
- Paying your deposit
- Figuring out your financing plans
- Completing our Cybersecurity Foundations course
- A verbal 1:1 assessment
- Reviewing the course calendar
- Reviewing the student handbook
Step 6: Attend Class Sync Before Bootcamp
A week before we officially kick-off the bootcamp, we'll get everyone together virtually to give you a taste of what you can expect during the bootcamp. This is a great opportunity to test your webcam/microphone, meet your instructors and classmates, and ask any last-minute questions you have!
The Bootcamp Experience
Step 2: Attend Class
Class is held Monday through Thursday from 7-9pm CT. This is where we’ll put you to the test as we teach! We may detonate malware on your workstation for you to triage, or you may prepare intel on threat actors to share live with the class. Every in-class deliverable will be a report, which will help us make sure you can demonstrate and articulate your knowledge.
Please note that you’ll be expected to keep your webcam on, be attentive, and interact with your instructors and peers during class time.
Step 3: (Optional but recommended) Attend FAQing Friday
Every other Friday from 5-6:30pm CT, we spend a bit more time brushing up on the core expectations of the bootcamp. Sometimes, we even have a little home lab fun and tool development time! Oh, and we’ve been known to bring in guest speakers like John Hammond, too. ;)
Step 5: Prepare for and Attend Your 1:1s
You’ll be expected to schedule and attend two 1:1s with your instructors during the bootcamp. This is your platform to talk about your class experience with an instructor to ask questions and provide feedback.
Your instructor will strategize with you on how to proceed with the job hunt, and also review your assignments with live feedback on how to improve your analysis and reporting. These will be talked about in class so you’ll know what to expect—and when it’s time to schedule your conversations.
You can expect to complete at least five deliverables to demonstrate your knowledge:
- Network traffic analysis
- Binary triage
- Endpoint triage
- Log analysis
- Cyber threat intelligence
Step 6: Complete Career Support Assignments
These assignments will help you build a good resume, showcase your skills, successfully interview, and (hopefully!) land a job. That’s right—it’s not uncommon for students to land a job while they’re still in the bootcamp.
We’ll help you build your LinkedIn and teach you how to network in a technical field (aka, moving past the schmoozing).