Admittedly, there are still not many institutions offering high
quality cybersecurity courses in Kenya.
But we have a few
colleges doing an exemplary job training the next generation of cybersecurity
engineers.
These are our focus on
this article plus the cybersecurity courses they currently offer.
Cybersecurity courses
in Kenya and the colleges to check out
Here are the best
cybersecurity courses in Kenya.
Certified Ethical
Hacker (CEH)
This is one of the
foremost cybersecurity certification in the industry and a must-have for
anyone aspiring to build a career in IT security.
The course covers 19
of the most critical security domains that any ethical hacker should be
familiar with when setting up an organization’s information security system and
is tested by the EC council(International Council of Electronic Commerce
Consultants), a global leader when it comes to Cyber Security education.
You have to pass
EC-Council’s demanding Certified Ethical Hacker exam to get the certificate.
Duration of study
6-9 months
Requirements
The course is open but
you need to have a thorough understanding of computer networking, a bit of
coding, and information security theory.
Where to take the
certified ethical hacker course in Kenya
1. Computer pride learning centre, JKUAT Tower, Nairobi, along Kenyatta Avenue.
Call 0705 900 900 or email: info@computer-pride.co.ke
2. AFRALTI (African Advanced Level
Telecommunications Institute), Waiyaki Way, next to Nairobi Water Company. Call 0710-207061 or
email: info@afralti.org
3. iLabAfrica, Strathmore University, Makadara,
Nairobi Call:0711 416 998 or
email: ilabitsecurity@strathmore.edu
How much does the
certified ethical hacker course cost in Kenya?
The course doesn’t
come cheap and you have to cough up between shs.50000-shs.70000 depending on
the institution. Plus, you have to set aside about $500 for the final exam.
Certified Information Security Manager(CISM)
CISM is highly valued
in the Kenyan market and it can open many doors for you in the future.
The course
demonstrates you have the necessary knowledge and experience to deploy
super-effective security management services.
Indeed, those who earn
the CISM certification join an elite group of cybersecurity professionals who
sit at the apex of information security functions in both the private and
public sectors.
It’s one of the best
cybersecurity courses in Kenya for those who harbor dreams of rising to head
IT security teams in their firms.
The course is tested
by ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) and covers the
following domains:
- Information
Security Governance
- Information
Risk Management
- Information
Security Programs Development
- Information
Security Programs Management
- Incident
Management & Response
Duration of study
9-12 months
Requirements
You must have at least
5 years of IT security experience, 3 of which must have been at a
management level.
Where to take the CISM
course in Kenya
1. KCA University, Thika Super Highway. Call 0710 888022 or email: callcentre@kca.ac.ke
2. Strathmore University cybersecurity training
department, Makadara, Nairobi Call:0711 416 998 or email: admissions@strathmore.edu
How much does the
C.I.S.M course cost in Kenya?
The course will again
cost you a pretty penny. For the exam, you should budget Kshs 50,000+
while tuition can set you back Kshs.60000-100000 on average.
CISA (Certified
Information Systems Auditor) course
We recommend CISA for
the following individuals:
- IS
(information security) consultants
- IS
(information security) Security & Control professionals.
- Chief
IS (Information Systems) Officers
- CEOs
- Accountants
who wish to venture into systems security
- Information
Systems Auditors
- Internal
& External Auditors.
The technical skills,
expertise and practices acquired in the CISA program, tested by ISACA enable
you to invent and establish controls to counter various types of threats.
Duration of study
9-12 months
Requirements
Like CISM, you must
have at least 5 years of IT security experience, 3 of which must have
been at a management level to pursue CISA.
Where to take the CISA
course in Kenya
1. KCA University, Thika Super Highway. Call 0710 888022 or email: callcentre@kca.ac.ke
2. Strathmore University, Makadara, Nairobi Call:0711 416 998 or email: admissions@strathmore.edu
How much does the
C.I.S.A course cost in Kenya?
The course has a
similar fee structure to CISM. Budget Kshs 50,000+ for tests while tuition
averages Kshs.60000-100000.
Certified Information
Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
The CISSP is another globally recognized cyber
security certification for those who desire to establish a career as an IT
security professional and is the first information security course to satisfy
the tough requirements of the ISO/IEC
Standard 17024.
CISSP training covers
every area of ICT security and will help you achieve your goal of becoming a
top-rated information security professional.
CISSP is recommended
for individuals at the intermediate stage of their careers including IT
security consultants/managers, ICT directors/managers, IS security
auditors/architects, system security engineers, CIOs, and more.
It’s examined by ISC2, an internationally recognized not-for-profit operating in the
IT security field.
Duration of study
40 hours (1-week crash
program) in some colleges but can be several months if you’re a part-time
student.
Pre-requisite
5 years of ICT
security experience (full time).
Where to take the
CISSP course in Kenya
1. AFRALTI (African-Advanced-Level-Telecommunications-Institute), Waiyaki Way, next to the Nairobi Water
Company. Call 0710-207061 or email: info@afralti.org
2. Techno Brain Training Kenya (New Horizons), EcoBank Towers, Muindi Mbingu Street. Call
0733-600 316
How much does the
C.I.S.S.P course cost in Kenya?
CISSP training costs
Kshs.50000-100000 on average.
CCNA Security CISCO
certification Kenya
A CCNA
Security certification shows that you’re more than a network professional
and you can develop a robust security infrastructure, recognize
assorted threats and vulnerabilities, and mitigate security threats
too.
Overall, this is a nice addition for those who have completed the CCNA certification at any of the
cisco centres in Nairobi or elsewhere in the country.
Duration of study
1 month.
Pre-requisite
CCNA
Where to take the CCNA
Security course in Kenya
1. AFRALTI
(African-Advanced-Level-Telecommunications-Institute), Waiyaki Way, next to the Nairobi Water
Company. Call 0710-207061 or email: info@afralti.org
2. Techno Brain Training Kenya (New Horizons), EcoBank Towers, Muindi Mbingu Street. Call
0733-600 316
3. Computer pride learning centre, JKUAT Tower, Nairobi, along Kenyatta Avenue.
Call 0705 900 900 or email: info@computer-pride.co.ke
4. Kenyatta university CISCO Networking academy at the various campuses
5. JKUAT cybersecurity training section.
How much does the CCNA
Security course cost in Kenya?
CISSP training costs
Kshs.25000-50000.
Diploma in Cyber
Security
Another course that
can help you compete for cybersecurity jobs in Kenya is the Diploma in Cyber
security.
The problem is, no
local college is accredited by the government to deliver this program meaning
you have to rely on foreign accreditations.
But it’s not all gloom as a Kenyan
institution, the Institute of Software Technology(IST) has partnered
with the ATL Foundation to teach this course in Nairobi.
ATL is endorsed by the
IADL (International Association for Distance Learning) as well as the USDLA
(United States Distance Learning Association) so you’ll be getting a credible
paper.
If that doesn’t sound like a deal, explore
international institutions like the Toronto School of Management.
Needless to say, you
need to have enough money if you choose this path.
CompTIA Security+
This is a
globally recognized ICT security certification that validates your foundational
skills and proves that you’re competent enough to undertake core security functions
in a firm.
It’s a good beginner
course and perhaps the best starting point for new students or other IT-staff
interested in getting baseline skills in computer security.
Here you need to pass
the CompTIA Security+ exam to be certified.
Be sure to combine it
with advanced certifications like CISM and CEH if you want to become attractive
to employers.
Requirements
None, but you must
have passed the CompTIA A+ and Network+ exams, or possess equivalent knowledge.
In addition, it’s
preferred that you have about six-nine months of practical experience in
networking (especially in configuring security parameters).
Duration of study
1-3 months
Where to take the
CompTIA Security+ course in Kenya
Schools offering cyber
security courses by CompTIA include:
1. Computer pride, JKUAT Tower, Nairobi, along Kenyatta Avenue.
Call 0705 900 900 or email: info@computer-pride.co.ke
2. Techno Brain Training Kenya (New Horizons), EcoBank Towers, Muindi Mbingu Street. Call
0733-600 316
How much does the
CompTIA Security+ course cost in Kenya?
Fees vary but like
most COMPTIA network security courses in Kenya, it starts at shs.35000.
Meanwhile, the exam fee is at the present set at $339.
Masters in Computer
Security in Kenya (masters in cybersecurity in Kenya)
If you wish to advance
your knowledge, consider taking the masters in information security course at
Strathmore University.
The masters in cyber
security program is designed for Penetration Testers, Chief Information
Officers, Information Security Architects, Network Security engineers, Incident
Responders, and Forensic Experts in the Defense forces, Police Service and
private/public security enterprises.
The cost may rise
above shs.2 Million considering that it's taught in partnership with a Spanish
University and could involve spending time in Spain.
Cybersecurity courses
in Kenya [mostly for beginners]
Here are more
non-specialized Cybersecurity courses in Kenya.
These courses are
ideal for those who want to gain general knowledge about IT security practices
and standards.
Note that these do not
have a high demand among cybersecurity firms in Kenya as some of those we
reviewed above.
Digital Forensics
Certification Kenya
This is a local cybersecurity course by
the Kenya cybersecurity forensics association and is
best for those who want to master digital forensics (preservation,
identification, retrieval, and documentation of computer-based evidence
concerning cybercrimes).
The fee was shs.25000
last time I checked and the training was running for 3 Saturdays.
Certified Secure Computer
User(CSCU)
This again comes from
the EC-Council and will educate you on how to protect your information assets.
As mentioned earlier,
this is a fundamental course for those who want to learn how to detect diverse
computer/network security threats like credit card fraud, identity theft, virus
and backdoors, phishing scams, email hoaxes, and more.
Contact Computer Pride
if you wish to take the course.
Cybersecurity courses
in Kenya –Helpful organizations
Just like cryptography
courses in Kenya, students pursuing cybercrime courses should join
professional organizations in this area.
This will help you
meet industry leaders, network, and possibly make connections that can help you
secure a job soon after graduating.
Now, one of the first institutions to come to the mind is KCSFA (Kenya cybersecurity forensics association).
This brings together
IT security experts in Kenya and can be a good platform to interact with the
gurus.
The other you should
consider are:
Kenya professional society of criminology– This is a non-partisan and nonprofit
making organization bringing together professionals actively engaged
in Criminology including cybercrime.
ISACA Kenya- this is the association to be in if you’re
studying for an ISACA certification. You will meet mentors and a supportive
group of IT security pioneers in Kenya here.
Cybersecurity
Internship in Kenya
Obviously, it’s
critical that you attend internship in the course of your studies or
immediately you graduate.
It will help you hone
your skills and even land a job if you prove yourself during the industrial
attachment period.
You should consider
the following firms when searching for cybersecurity internship in Kenya.
- Safaricom
- Ernest
and Young.
- Various
Banks in Kenya.
- National
Intelligence service(NIS).
- SACCOS
in Kenya.
Wrapping it up
There goes our list of
recommended Cybersecurity courses in Kenya.
As you have noted, we
still don’t have a specialized degree in cybersecurity in Kenya like it is the
case in other nations.
For this reason, the
best way to become a cybersecurity expert in Kenya is by first enrolling for a
Diploma or Degree in ICT (or computer science) then registering for the
certification courses we have mentioned in this guide.
Specifically, you can
target CompTIA Security+, CEH, and CISA.
With these 3 plus a
3-6 month internship, you should be good to go.
Of course, you can
take up more programs if your budget and time allow.
Note that the demand
for cybersecurity experts is expected to continue soaring across the globe as
criminals become more clever meaning that you have a great opportunity to make
tons of money with the right skills.
Good luck.