Level Effect

I came into the CDA Bootcamp with very few technical skills. I had used a Linux shell a few times, set up a Virtual Machine once, and understood very little about how Operating Systems work or why they are vulnerable to attack. However, by the time I... Read More graduated, I felt prepared to tackle the CDCP (optional certification after bootcamp graduation) and enter the job market. I’m a big fan of how the course is structured. Every week a new module gets released with a few interrelated topics that require you to read some material, watch a short (20min) lecture, do a lab on the provided Virtual Machine and complete a challenge where you put your skills to the test. There are also optional labs and challenges for the more advanced students. There will be a few lessons you need to get through every weekend before class starts so that you are familiar with the topics. The classes are two hours long, but since they are conducted using Zoom and Prezi, they are very engaging. The instructors spent the first hour of class reinforcing the topics through interactive lectures, answering our questions, or walking us through labs. We broke into small groups in the second hour and worked on the weekly individual or group challenges. It may sound repetitive, but trust me, you’ll need the reps! On Friday, there was an optional FAQ. The optional class featured a respected industry figure, a lab, or a value-added FAQ (not just rambling). The class vibe was great, and communication with other students and the instructors was super easy through discord. In my cohort, we set up an additional study group to help with the super challenging stuff. All the instructors are knowledgeable in their respective fields and very personable. They are true mentors if you approach them with your issues. If you already have some experience in cybersecurity or IT, you will be in better shape out of the gate than I was. I came to the course with 20 years of experience in another unrelated career field but found many unexpected opportunities to bring in my previous experience. I’m building a new career, and the bootcamp has given me the tools.

I finished this course Dec 2021 and enjoyed my experience overall. This is my second cybersecurity bootcamp and every bootcamp curriculum is different. This course focuses more on defensive best practices and triage within Windows environments. It's very... Read More well structured by introducing core fundamentals via live and video lectures, however the lab material is document based and a little underdeveloped compared to other educational platform options that are out there. The instructors are very knowledgeable and offer open office hours and make themselves available for students that have questions or require assistance. The course instructors all have intelligence backgrounds, but what makes this bootcamp different is the passion they have for the craft and desire to teach. This course benefits exponentially from Will Nissler and wouldn't be the same without him.

Level Effect is an intense program but the difference from any other cyber security Bootcamp is they teach you practical skills. This was my second cyber security Bootcamp and I can honestly say I learned 1000% more in this course then the last place... Read More I went. I am not bagging on the last place because they did set me up with some fundamentals, but Level Effect took its training to another level. They really drill down on a few select topics versus learning just a little but about everything. Rob, Greg, Anthony and Will are amazing instructors. They have worked all kinds of jobs in cyber and really know what this industry needs more of and how to train for it. I felt more comfortable coming out of this Bootcamp than the other 2 (web development and cyber security). Almost everything you do at Level Effect is hands on. They train you for a SOC Analyst 1 position which honestly is closer to SOC 2. This course will expose you to real-world challenges ranging from threat intelligence, system triage, network analysis, and malware analysis. They teach you how to triage a system, write a report, and remediate the infected machine. You will have a lot of hands-on practice with known industry tools (e.g. Sysinternals Suite, Wireshark, Mitre Att&ck), report writing and triaging systems. Unlike other Bootcamps they do not preach a job percentage of students who have gotten jobs, instead they really focus on the training which I liked a lot. They do give job assistance on what to look for, mock interviews, resume writing, but they do not boast about getting people jobs. Although my current job is on the red team, I thoroughly have a better understanding on how cyber security works as a whole and I am able to understand how to truly attack and defend a system.

I am a graduate of Level Effect's CDA course. It is a 3 month intensive program that focuses on training entry-level people as a SOC Analyst 1. This course will expose you to real-world challenges ranging from threat intelligence, system triage, network... Read More analysis, and malware analysis. They teach you how to triage a system, write a report, and remediate the infected machine. You will have a lot of hands-on practice with known industry tools (e.g. Sysinternals Suite), report writing and triaging systems. By the end of course, you will be able to confidently triage a system and come up with a way to fix it. The course includes video lecture, labs, group work and challenges. All the instructors (Greg, Rob, Anthony and Will) are knowledgeable, personable, and available to answer any relevant questions. They continue to help even when you've graduated providing services like job support (e.g. providing mock interviews of what potential employers will ask you during an interview.) They are always open to suggestions and feedback to help improve their course and Foundry platform so don't be afraid to let them know! I highly recommend this class to anyone interested in cybersecurity specifically if they want to become a SOC Analyst 1. The people behind Level Effect are awesome people and it was a great experience to learn from them. They really helped grow my love and interest for cybersecurity. I'm so happy that I took the chance on their course and I wouldn't have gotten as far without them.

The short summary - 1. Level Effect's CDAB initiates its trainees into the field of Cybersecurity and gives them the necessary material and skills to become employable as Security Analysts 2. The course doesn't just give trainees technical skills; it... Read More also teaches them how to begin thinking like an Analyst 2. CDAB content is taught by seasoned Cybersecurity professionals who are excellent instructors, and who are devoted to the success of their trainees 3. All materials (such as VMs) are provided on an easy-to-use platform 4. Online course material is available even after course completion The longer version + my personal experience - After deciding to pivot my career to Cybersecurity, I began looking into training courses that would prepare me to become employable in the field. I came across the CDAB after reading an endorsement of the course and its instructors on LinkedIn and decided to look into it. As I read the course outline and what the course would accomplish for the successful student (looking to enter the field of Cybersecurity), I thought to myself "well this looks too good to be true"... I reached out to a friend who works in a senior-level position in the field and spoke with him about the course - he helped me put together a list of questions and a general strategy that would help me verify, as best as I could, ahead of time that the CDAB would be worth investing. I then arranged a phone call with Greg. Greg answered all of my questions and also connected me with CDAB graduates who, like myself, did not come from an IT background. The CDAB graduates advised me that the course was designed for someone in my position, and that if I were to run into any difficulties I would only need to reach out to Greg and Rob who would assist me with what I'd need. Following these conversations, I decided to sign up. Not having an IT background, much of the subject matter in the first 3 weeks overwhelmed me. I reached out to Rob for advice and assistance, and we set a time each week during which he would help me break down key aspects of the content, ensuring that I would not fall behind. Fast forward to Week 12 and I was already at advanced stages of interviews for 2 Cybersecurity positions. For those looking to enter the field of Cybersecurity, and for those looking to become Security Analysts, I highly recommend CDAB. The course material is well-constructed, attainable, and relevant. Further, its instructors are Cybersecurity professionals with a wealth of knowledge and experience, who are invested in their trainees (even following course completion).

The short summary - 1. CDAB initiates its trainees into the field of Cybersecurity and gives them the necessary material and skills to become employable as Security Analysts 2. The course doesn't just give trainees technical skills; it also teaches them... Read More how to begin thinking like an Analyst 2. CDAB content is taught by seasoned Cybersecurity professionals who are excellent instructors, and who are devoted to the success of their trainees 3. All materials (such as VMs) are provided on an easy-to-use platform 4. Online course material is available even after course completion The longer version + my personal experience - After deciding to pivot my career to Cybersecurity, I began looking into training courses that would prepare me to become employable in the field. I came across the CDAB after reading an endorsement of the course and its instructors on LinkedIn and decided to look into it. As I read the course outline and what the course would accomplish for the successful student (looking to enter the field of Cybersecurity), I thought to myself "well this looks too good to be true"... I reached out to a friend who works in a senior-level position in the field and spoke with him about the course - he helped me put together a list of questions and a general strategy that would help me verify, as best as I could, ahead of time that the CDAB would be worth investing. I then arranged a phone call with Greg. Greg answered all of my questions and also connected me with CDAB graduates who, like myself, did not come from an IT background. The CDAB graduates advised me that the course was designed for someone in my position, and that if I were to run into any difficulties I would only need to reach out to Greg and Rob who would assist me with what I'd need. Following these conversations, I decided to sign up. Not having an IT background, much of the subject matter in the first 3 weeks overwhelmed me. I reached out to Rob for advice and assistance, and we set a time each week during which he would help me break down key aspects of the content, ensuring that I would not fall behind. Fast forward to Week 12 and I was already at advanced stages of interviews for 2 Cybersecurity positions. For those looking to enter the field of Cybersecurity, and for those looking to become Security Analysts, I highly recommend CDAB. The course material is well-constructed, attainable, and relevant. Further, its instructors are Cybersecurity professionals with a wealth of knowledge and experience, who are invested in their trainees (even following course completion).

Network Fundamentals, Network Hardening, Defense in Depth, OSINT, Malware Identification, Identifiers of Network Compromise, and Cyber Security concepts. This is what encompassed the course and allowed for some excellent training. This is not a certification... Read More bootcamp but more of a job training course which allows you to test for the CDA certification. So the concepts taught are all based on real world incidents and it shows you how to handle them as a member of a security team. Even with no It background this course will give you a solid understanding of what you need to do to be a Cyber Security Analyst / Consultant. Now you would still need to continue your studying and implementation of IT concepts but this is a great start to a job and career in cyber security. Course is broken down into learning modules that utilize video learning, individual hands on exercises ( through VMs of windows and linux ) and also group exercises which have you work as a team to solve issues.

I have taken another book camp and me and my classmates came away feeling jaded. I then took a chance on Level Effect based upon a recommendation and it was the best decision I ever made.

The founders have over a decade of experience and have served Intel... Read More in the military and Booz Allen Hamilton at the NSA. Greg and Rob are amazing instructors and really want every student to succeed. The value of the course is beyond simple the material. Like Kung-Fu masters teaching their students, Greg and Rob pass on their experience on top of the knowledge provided. I have done a lot of research and I just haven't found any other certification or course that teaches all the little nuances that Level Effect does. They truly go above and beyond.

The Foundry platform they use works very well and the labs really help to reinforce what you learn in a easy to use manner.

Level Effect's CDA is where I recommend you start your path on being Kung-Fu Cyber Defenders. You would have a very solid and firm foundation.

Lastly, this course is very inexpensive and provides an immense amount of value.

If you have any concerns or would like to talk in more depth about my experiences feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-blase/

The construct of this course is absolutely unmatched. I have not come across any other curriculum that demystifies the growing number of cyber roles and titles, and how they unite in a security operation environment. Real world experience is built into... Read More each course subject and provides a unique perspective on analysis. A majority of the presentation and supplemental material is reserved for self study so that each student gets as much hands-on lab time as possible during each live session. The virtual environment is quick and easy to spin up with almost no manual installation by the student. If you are tired of bouncing around within multiple training platforms trying to understand all the facets of what a cyber defense analyst really is, then this course is for you!

This is the 3rd security boot camp I've taken and by far the best experience I've had. The other students in the class were all great to work with and helped me learn when I got stuck. The instructors were phenomenal and always willing to answer questions.... Read More The pre recorded videos flowed perfectly into the lectures and labs for the week. I chose to take this boot camp because it has a heavy emphasis on windows and defense techniques which I could directly apply to my day to day work. I would HIGHLY recommend taking this boot camp if you are new in cyber security industry or are looking to get started.