Video
John Hammond
John provides an honest review of Level Effect training.
Learner stories Their work.
Their work.
Their experiences.
Hear from people who’ve trained with Level Effect, from earlier courses to Guardian Foundry.
Getting hired
Where learners went next.
Posts learners shared when they started security roles. Roles and employers are as each person shared them at the time.
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Yes, I started my first week at my job as an Information Security Analyst during my Capstone week. Within my first month a manager told me I was performing closer to Tier 2 level. It's all thanks to Level Effect. Put the work in and trust the process. For some it might take longer to get into a job but you will be providing value from day 1.
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I'm turning the page to start a career in cybersecurity and want to give a huge shoutout to the folks at Level Effect, who have helped tremendously on my new path. On Monday, I start as a SOC Analyst at Bank of America and couldn't be more excited!
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Level Effect aligns their curriculum to NIST's standards for a cybersecurity analyst and gave me so much practical, hands-on experience in log analysis, malware, network traffic analysis, report-writing, and so much more. My experience in Level Effect and the resulting projects gave me lots to talk about in interviews and I was able to do very well, receiving multiple offers.
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I attribute my path to getting a job in Cyber Security to Level Effect and the instructors. I can't emphasize enough how much they put into each student's success. They always make time no matter how busy they are. I would highly recommend looking into Level Effect if you are thinking of attending a bootcamp or are already searching for one.
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I have accepted a position as an Associate SIEM Engineer at Optiv! Everyone at Level Effect like Anthony Bendas, Rob Noeth, and the team — your program helped change my life and I sincerely thank you all for the help and support!
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Hi Anthony, I want to share the WONDERFUL news that I was offered and have accepted the Bank of America position! I'm very excited and am so thankful for your help with the mock interview. I felt confident answering all the technical questions, which is something I never thought I'd be able to say. Thank you (and all the Level Effect team) for really taking care of me! Couldn't have done this without you. Kind regards, Jake Roeder
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Thanks to Level effects @Anthony Bendas I was able to obtain a new position "Network security engineer" Yeah apparently out of all the candidates I was most knowledgeable with pcap files. Thanks to you guys!!! Huge salary increase too thanks!
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I am proud to say that I have accepted a position as a Threat Operation Analyst at Huntress! The time I have spent working for them has been incredible! Big thanks to the Level Effect team for helping me get my first job in cybersecurity.
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Hey y’all! I’m 5 weeks into my SOC role @ an MSSP (doing level 1 alert triage) and I wanted to share what info from the course has been most impactful • Windows and definitely Active Directory (a lot is about whether someone is authorized to do something and behavior around authentication events) • NETWORKING - lots of events happening around network traffic, lots • Email security! - lots of alerts around initial access • Log analytics - getting comfortable performing searches and pivoting —- understanding what the alert is concerned with helps here • Report writing!!! This part lol - looking back at past reports and notes from my colleagues helps to know what the business expects but definitely have to have discernment. I’ve looked back at the class module and it’s truly great stuff
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Hey Rob!! Long time no talk, hope things are going well for you! I just got accepted into a Red Team Operator role/development program at the Bank and wanted to say thanks for creating such great Windows Internals content - I reviewed that section from the course before my interview and you better believe they asked the “what happens when you open a browser on a technical level” question. Just wanted to highlight the quality of the program to this day and can’t thank you all enough! All the best, Adam
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I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Cybersecurity Intern at Ameritas!
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Ok thanks Anthony. Good hearing from you too, and I’d like to thank all those instructors who spoke me out of alert fatigue and imposter syndrome. lol everything in the bootcamp for sure made the hiring manager take a shot on me. And yalls instruction.
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Anthony Bendas Thank you! The skills I learned at Level Effect certainly helped me land this one. :D
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I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Information Security Analyst at Blue Shield of California!
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Excited to announce I have started my journey in Cyber Security as a Application Security Consultant with Optiv!!! #cybersecurity
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The classes have been serving people well. It's one of the main reason's i landed my first tier 1 SOC role recently.
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My first day as an Associate Cyber DevOps Engineer at SKOUT Cybersecurity was incredible! I can't believe I'm getting paid to do something this awesome! Thanks Level Effect!
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Happy to share that I've joined Bear Robotics as a Product Security Engineer! I'll be working on product security for the robots and the software around them: open-source compliance, vulnerability triage and remediation, and security checks in CI. Thank you to Philomena Terrae for the guidance during my internship, and to Anthony Bendas with Level Effect, Brad Tenenholtz, Soojin Shim and everyone who helped me make the move into security.
In their words
What learners told us.
These accounts describe each person’s experience at the time they shared it. Roles and employers are their original attribution; these are personal accounts. Guardian Foundry’s current plans distinguish AI feedback from instructor reviews on designated exercises.
As anyone with a bunch of “big name” certs will tell you, it’s the practical interview questions that make you sweat. Interviewers can tell who doesn’t have depth. This new program from Level Effect overfills those practical gaps with a ton of hands-on experience! It’s insane, thanks LE!
Jordan WestfallFounder of Cyber-Cola
Level Effect has carried me through my cybersecurity journey. It'll teach you to walk, crawl and then run whilst hammering down the consistent practice of methodology and report writing through each step of your journey. With Guardian Foundry, these guys have gone from professional delivery to elite delivery. Personal development and progression is what drives the Level Effect team; your wins are their wins.
Jordan AbbottLevel Effect Alumni
I've taken several courses from Level Effect and find their content to be comprehensive and very hands-on. If you're interested in a career in cybersecurity, these folks give you the best practical learning experience, plus numerous opportunities to showcase your work that you can then put on your resume, GitHub, LinkedIn, etc... Now, their new Guardian Foundry platform takes that awesome content and puts it together in a format that allows students pursue manageable, "real-life"-friendly chunks at a time, all the while making it fun!
KarinaLevel Effect Alumni
I spoke with a college friend that went through the Level Effect training and successfully switched from nursing to cybersecurity—he had many positive things to say about the bootcamp. The initial informational call I had with Will sold me—his passion and vision for the bootcamp hooked me and I signed up the next day. Working with Rob on malware analysis was my favorite part but the most difficult and ultimately rewarding was the CTI week with Anthony. CTI week was hard, and I faced a lot of self-doubt, but by the time I took my CDCP and received my results, it was the biggest confidence boost to get positive feedback on that section and it really helped me feel like I deserve to be here in this industry. In terms of my current job, the weeks covering ELK really gave me a leg up in my SOC position over the other new hires. When I got notice I was chosen for the first interview for my SOC job, I panicked. I reached out to Will in the morning and that afternoon we had a meeting. He ran me through potential questions, what to expect, and most importantly for me, a pep talk that I sorely needed. I aced all the interviews and was hired within two days.
West CarrCyber Defense Analyst alumni
The instructors were people first and foremost, and they had a wealth of knowledge. Their passion for cyber and other areas is palpable and makes you want to strive for more. The course structure albeit rigorous leads to so many worthwhile skills it felt incomparable to any other program. My favorite week would have to be the Linux week by far because it was a little foreign. It was a puzzle among puzzles and required you to think outside the box. It's not about how much you know about Linux but how you can reason your way out of a problem. This course has been life-changing in many ways, and I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. The Discord is filled with a wealth of knowledge and assistance.
Brenden MatosCyber Defense Analyst alumni
Level Effect had a good brand reputation and was consistently praised by students on social media in a way that I hadn't heard before. Phrases like "it's all you need to start in cyber" got me interested enough to sign up. Linux week, and team triaging malware. Working as a team hunting down evidence of malware became like a sport and our team leaned on each other for everything from analysis to report writing. Level Effect gave me the confidence that the knowledge and skills gained during my time was applicable, relevant and valuable to organisations. Teaching isn't easy, especially technical subjects around cyber, and it was clear that the instructors put a lot of time and energy into something they are clearly passionate about. Having educators like that is super rare, and I feel very fortunate to be an alum.
Michael WalkerCyber Defense Analyst alumni
The inquiring interviews (the ones you can make before deciding to pay) were what sold me. I got two perspectives and both came off as instructors performing a passionate project to teach others. Static malware analysis with Rob is really high up on my list of favorite topics covered, especially with how quickly he was able to perform each analysis to show the speed that the students can reach with enough practice. I saw Level Effect's CDA program a lot like a hands-on lab course from a university, and even then the experience topped that. I've heard alumni compare the course to that of an apprenticeship, and I'd have to agree that is what it resembles most.
Patrick WojnoCyber Defense Analyst alumni
Level Effect isn't like any other training program you will find out there! This course has a primary focus on giving you real world hands-on experience. You will not only learn the basics of cybersecurity, but you will also be trained and ready to take on your first entry-level position as a SOC analyst. I had so much fun in my experience, and I couldn't recommend it enough!
Ismar DiazCyber Defense Analyst alumni
Level Effect has a friendly environment. They care about their students and are willing to help them to grow in their new career. Level Effect's CDA program was the best decision I ever made in my entire career. The professors and team are outstanding!
Maria CadavidCyber Defense Analyst alumni
This is the third security bootcamp I've taken and by far the best experience I've had. I chose to take this course 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 course if you are new in cybersecurity industry or are looking to get started.
Nicolas DiamondCyber Defense Analyst alumni
The CDA program is an incredible course with the most relevant real-world materials I have seen to date. The instructors have a special blend of entertainment, education, and true expertise that made it fun to learn in-depth cyber concepts remotely. I initially had my doubts about a virtual course with this timeline, but I quickly found the pace and unique set up convenient and engaging. The materials covered in this course will put the student at a distinct advantage in technical interviews and substantially lower the barrier to entry across the cyber realm.
Gregory MeltonCyber Defense Analyst alumni
I was searching for a platform to improve my cyber skills "I saw all the others " but when i found Level Effect i knew this was "The ONE"😆 , with this bold new move to 🎉 Guardian Foundry💯 it's going to be even better🤘
AyindayLevel Effect Alumni
The platform itself feels polished and premium, and one of the biggest standouts to me is that your work is actually being reviewed by the creators of the platform, not by an AI bot. I honestly wish something like this had been around when I first started. It would have saved me a lot of time, money, and headaches.
Michael FinkLevel Effect Alumni
Level Effect delivers one of the most hands-on cybersecurity training experiences available. I already recommend it for anyone looking to dive in and get their hands dirty, Guardian foundry is a whole new layer to sink your teeth into!
MythosLevel Effect Alumni
It keeps getting better over here. This new platform made me think I came across your training at the wrong time AT FIRST, but I'm still grateful I was a scholarship winner.😃
Raeyana (CI RAE)Level Effect Alumni
Course shoutouts
Posted by learners, course by course.
Screenshots of posts learners shared in our community and on social media.
SOC100 6
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I wouldn't go to another training provider for cyber studies. Geniunely, I managed to attend a practical cyber environment and SOC100-1 helped me alone deal with Windows administrations, GPOs, rogue users, etc. I didn't do the fancy IR stuff - it was merely practical security at the fundamentals. Won my loyalty before that, but it secured the next 2 years of my life lol.
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I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: SOC100-1 from Level Effect! 🎤 Let me start off by saying, this isn’t just another course where you’re left to navigate on your own, only to finish it and get stuck in tutorial land. Outside of the intensive hands-on practice you get across different domains, what truly sets it apart is the live mentorship from instructors with 15–20+ years of industry experience and the strong sense of community support among students. I truly believe what the people at Level Effect are doing in the security space will change the game in how students and professionals are trained, making them ready for a long-term, successful career in the cybersecurity field. I’ll share some of the hands-on experiences and insights I’ve gained from this first course (out of five), but this in no way covers everything in detail.
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Great insight from Level Effect! If you're on the fence about learning cybersecurity and feel stuck in a cycle of labs and platforms that only teach tools without explaining why you're doing X, why you're analyzing Y, or what Z actually mean - this is where Level Effect stands out. I personally learnt more from SOC100-1 than I have a 1-2 years of fiddling around on and off lab platforms. The reason so many in the Level Effect community are excelling together? We’re building strong IT fundamentals & then layering everything on top. Each topic is layered perfectly, ensuring a deep conceptual understanding rather than just memorizing steps. Not to forget the career prep they give in building your personal brand! Highly recommend for anyone serious about cybersecurity!
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I'm a sys admin and still learned a ton of stuff from these highly experienced gentlemen
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Just finished day two!! Feel so much more confident navigating the CMD prompt & the Windows OS! Should make me so much better at my help desk job! Cant wait to see the difference!
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After earning my Level 1 cybersecurity certification, I realized there was still so much more to learn and master. While exploring YouTube, I stumbled upon Level Effect and their SOC100 course streams. Intrigued, I decided to dive deeper into their offerings. Level Effect’s instructors are exceptional, breaking down complex topics with clarity and detail. They start with the fundamentals of Windows, Linux, and Networking, building a strong foundation before moving into advanced and security-focused topics. This approach has been instrumental in reinforcing and expanding my cybersecurity knowledge. For anyone looking to embark on their cybersecurity journey, I highly recommend Level Effect. Their courses are comprehensive, and the community support is phenomenal. It's been a game-changer for my learning experience.
Cyber Defense Analyst 8
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So glad to see Level Effect on this list — their training programs are second to none! :) The Cyber Defense Analyst Program kicked my butt while I was going through it (thanks for that, Anthony Bendas), but it's almost unfathomable how much I learned.
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Shout out to this incredibly wholesome group of instructors, TA's, and support staff. They're definitely trying to make their efforts to educate and make course material more accessible and to the point. I cannot thank or praise them enough for their life-changing programs like this one and their Cyber Defense Analyst Bootcamp. Please give them an email, reach out, and just see what they're about. They're truly here to educate people getting into the industry, looking for a level-up in their current career and skills, and developing lasting relationships with their students. I've been to a 4-year university, the military, and sports teams, and this group of people cares more than all of them combined. Level Effect, thank you all so much for caring and taking time out of your busy lives to help students who really just want to grow and learn. 📚 💙 #cybereducation #cyberdefense #blueteam #redteam #cybersecurity #cyberawareness #cyberjobs #cyberdefenders #cybercrime
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For me the VSOC was strong reinforcement of the material we covered in the cohort. It gave me a look inside real world SOC experience. It drove me to do more research into how different malware and binaries behave in the wild. Walking through the tasks, confirming observables, building timelines, and reporting on the alerts was intense at times but overall amazing!
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100% worth it. They are very engaging and they train you to be the best possible cyber defense analyst you can be. I highly recommend this route if you're planning on studying cyber security. #cybersecurity #infosec #cyberdefense #education #moderneducation
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I was incredibly amazed with both the professionalism that Greg and Rob showed during this class as well as the guidance they provided through it, this course is both challenging and enticing, I’ve never been so motivated before by a class. I would highly recommend this class to anyone interested in cyber security. Greg and Rob are definitely two of the most incredible people I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. I can never thank them enough.
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I love this! I would not be a SOC analyst without Level Effect and going through the course did so much to not only help me develop brand new technical skills but also to really develop an investigative, technical mindset...which has been invaluable!
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Just finishing the first iteration of this course and it has been a phenomenal learning experience. If anyone is looking for a great entry levek security course make sure to check out the Cyber Defense Analyst from Level Effect
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This was an AMAZING course. Period. Learned not only how to utilize the tools given during the course, but I learned how to write reports and follow up on the data that was tracked. Great instructors with experience and great classmates from various professional backgrounds that made class worth my while. Ready to defend data. #cyberdefense #cyber #cybersecurity #blueteam #redteam #cyberanalyst
CDCP 7
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After a week-long fully hands-on practical exam with very little sleep, with over 5 analyst reports done (over 100+ pages of analysis report in total!), I'm proud to share that I've achieved Level Effect's Cyber Defense Certified Professional (CDCP) Certification, and earned the one-of-a-kind Vanguard 1 Class for being the first student to earn the CDCP certification after their on-demand release! The exam was brutal but fair, having to manually triage, respond to, and create full-in depth reports against 5 different incident scenarios ranging from the following: Network Traffic Analysis Log Analysis Email Security Compromised Host Analysis and Triage (including Static/Dynamic Binary Analysis) Cyber Threat Intelligence What’s particularly interesting is that these scenarios mirror real-world APT-based attack scenarios with zero fluff—something I can truly appreciate having already worked in the industry as an L3 SOC analyst. I highly recommend it for people in the Cyber Security industry to test it out if you're up for the challenge — 😁 A huge thanks for the Level Effect team: Anthony Bendas, Greg Ake, Rob Noeth for this, it was an absolute blast and a true honor; definitely up there as one of the most fun and challenging cybersecurity exam I've taken so far!
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Anyone trying to up their skills in cyber security, I highly recommend you take a look at this exam. Passing this exam with Gold helped kick start my career in cyber security and was one of the best things I have ever done for myself. Go for the Gold!
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Just received my CDCP from Level Effect. I learned so much during the course and loved the challenge the end of course capstone provided. I can honestly say, in my opinion, this is the best cyber security bootcamp out there right now. I want to thank Greg Ake, Rob Noeth & William Nissler for all of their mentorship during the course and through the job hunting process. They really care about us students and I wouldn't be where I am at in my new position without them. I can't count the number of one on one sessions we had outside of regular class time and they always did their best to make themselves available. It wasn't until I started working my first job, in Cyber Security as an Information Security Analyst in January, that I truly came to understand how valuable the skills, knowledge and experiences I gained from Level Effect were. A big thanks to content creators and mentors Greg and Rob as well as others. This also applies to all the mentors out there helping train and guide us greenhorns! ...Thank you!
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Just received my CDCP from Level Effect. I want to thank Greg Ake, Rob Noeth & William Nissler for all of their help. First step in my Cyber Security journey.
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Happy to share that I have successfully completed the Level Effect Cyber Defense Analyst Bootcamp and earned my CDCP certification! This hands on practical examination was a challenge that put the skills I learned throughout the course to the test. Special thanks to staff at Level Effect, Greg Ake, Rob Noeth, Anthony Bendas, William Nissler, and Sarah Killins for all the instruction and help along the way. I'm excited to take the skills and knowledge that I gained as I move forward in the cybersecurity field. #cybersecurity #cyberdefense #certification #socanalyst #cybersecuritytraining
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Happy to share that I am the second Gold rated Cyber Defense Certified Professional from Level Effect. To earn this certificate I had to take on 6 real-world challenges ranging from threat intelligence research, network analysis, system triage and malware analysis. It was a difficult week long exam but I learned a lot along the way. Thank you to Greg Ake, Rob Noeth, William Nissler, and Anthony Bendas for being awesome mentors. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you guys.
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I'm thrilled to announce that I've successfully passed the Cyber Defense Certified Professional (CDCP) certification from Level Effect. This certification has been a challenging yet rewarding experience, where I had the opportunity to tackle real-world security operations scenarios. The process involved not only applying practical skills but also articulating my findings, recommendations, and remediation steps in a detailed report. After a week-long fully hands-on practical exam, with over 5 analyst reports done (over 100+ pages of analysis report, I achieved the CDCP Vanguard 10, a limited variant of CDCP being amongst the first 10 to achieve this. This exam was based on the following: Network Traffic Analysis Malicious Email Analysis Log Analysis Compromised Host Cyber Threat Intelligence Malware Analysis Special thanks to Anthony Bendas, Rob Noeth, Greg Ake, Jordan Linden, James Jolley , it was an pleasure to learn from you guys. Its one of the most fun and challenging exam I have taken so far. #CyberSecurity #CDCP #LevelEffect #CyberDefense #SecurityOperations #ContinuousLearning
Detection Engineering 3
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I worked with the founders of this company in a past life. These are top notch hackers and security gurus providing some of the best training on the market!
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Interested in detection engineering? Having attended their analyst course a few years ago, I can vouch for the quality of the content and instructors at Level Effect. Can’t wait to see what they have in store!
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I just bought access to Detection Engineering 100 [ https://hubs.li/Q02rZXm00 ] by Tallis Jordan 🦡 of Team Ghost. Every CISO should be buying this for their Detection Engineering Teams.
CTF 1
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Swinging by for a quick thank you to the LE team. I’m running a total Newb CTF team for WGU’s event and tonight I used my Wireshark and cyberchef skills to get a (easy) flag lol. 🍻
Guardian Foundry 1
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Just want to take a moment to highlight what Level Effect is doing for the IT and cybersecurity community. I recently went through their hands-on training, which is not only FREE but also incredibly practical. It’s not often that you find a program willing to invest in your learning without asking for a dime in return. A big shout-out to the Level Effect team for their effort in making cybersecurity approachable. If you're curious about this field, regardless of your technical know-how, I wholeheartedly suggest giving Foundry a try. It’s been an inspiring journey for me, and I'm excited to see where these new skills will take me! #cyberawareness #cybersecurity #cyberjobs #freecourses #handsonlearning
Community 4
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Wow! @Anthony Bendas Just watched the resume review recording and I can't explain how much I needed it at this point! I really appreciate you spending so much time on each line. I feel this is the most honest feedback I've ever got, by a huge margin. You ripped it apart and I'm so glad you did! I know it was crammed, I was overcompensating for the ATS. Apparently I've always got a sugarcoated review before. Thank you! I will work on it and make it better.
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Haven't taken the OD course yet. I am graduate of the live course, WGU cyber bachelor's grad (next month) and someone who has spent time on TryHackMe. The knowledge, professionalism, and delivery of Level Effect's hands-on training is premium. You're trained and tested on your investigatory skillset. If you have a question, the instructors and this community are here to help. With the amount of content and the activity level of the community, you have no excuse to not be an amazing cyber professional after completing the program. I graduated almost 2 years ago (yeesh) and I'm still here learning and helping out. It's a solid spot to be.
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Level Effect's cybersecurity training is a valuable asset, providing the practical skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today's complex threat landscape. Their cybersecurity training has significantly helped me enhance my skills as a Cyber Defense professional. Their focus on practical, real-world scenarios ensures that both beginners and experienced cyber security professionals can benefit from their programs. 🕵️ I highly recommend exploring their offerings to enhance your skills and knowledge in cybersecurity. 👇👀 #cybersecurity #blueteam #cyberdefense #training #leveleffect
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Dude, it’s insane that your videos don’t have more views. I’m a mid to senior level analyst in highly mature SOC and I get loads of value out of your videos.
Guardian Foundry