Be a Learn-a-holic: Using Webinars as Supplemental Learning Tools

I’d like to propose an idea. I want the title of ‘Cybrarian’ to become synonymous with the term ‘learn-a-holic.’ What’s a learnaholic? As the name implies, it’s someone addicted to learning.But not just learning in a general sense, rather someone who is so utterly excited by the idea of gaining new wisdom and imparting it on others or using that wisdom to expand their mind beyond an expected capacity that they will take advantage of any tool available to them.Cybrary is an example of one tool available to learnaholics. But if you’re a Cybrarian looking for more, more, more, don’t stop there. Webinars are an excellent tool for supplemental learning, especially in the field of cyber security.Many webinars are free, hosted by subject matter experts in the field and can delve into hot topics relevant to the industry. Often, you can engage with the host, get your questions answered and provide feedback, making the experience not so different from sitting in a classroom. According to ClickMeeting.com, “Education departments can vastly benefit from technology to ensure that academic institutions provide the best opportunities for learning and knowledge exchange. Webinars could simulate traditional classrooms and further improve on its time and space limitations. In the end, education departments can realize that with webinars, nothing is simulated, just pure and effective learning experience.”This applies to individuals too, not just education departments.Webinars are especially great for working professionals who don’t necessarily have the time to take a full blown class, but want nuggets of know-how. Perhaps the topic of a webinar inspires new ideas, further exploration or offers a solution and further helps your career, impresses your boss or makes your workday better. The benefits are endless.Most likely you can download or join a webinar from any device, anywhere. This means that any lunch break can become a lunch-and learn.Plus, a visual format is typically more engaging than straight lecture or text, so chances are you’ll remember more. But if you’re going to a view a webinar, don’t do so halfheartedly.As I previously mentioned in my blog, 9 Ways to Cheat on Behalf of Your Brain, don’t multitask! Staying on a single task leads to overall better information retention.And don’t just attend a webinar alone, share it with your team or a friend. You’ll only look more intelligent for it. Plus, learning is more beneficial when done with another person, as it stimulates further discussion and offers new perspectives.If you don’t believe me about how great webinars can be, read this convincing quote from the experts at LinkedIn:“Webinars can be a powerful medium of learning delivery even when available budgets and development time is less. Webinars are easy to access and convenient to create. Since most do not run for a long time, they can be an effective mode of learning for professionals who can fit in the short bursts of learning into their schedules.”Here at Cybrary, we’ve taken the liberty of selecting the Best Cyber Security Webinars of 2016. We’ve narrowed down the original list to these top 6.Check them out, they’re the best for a reason:

1. Protection from the Ransomware Epidemic- Tripwire 
2. Anatomy of a Mobile Hack Attempt- Zimperium
3. Tips for Securing Active Directory- Varonis
4. Hunting the Hunters- Talos
5. Detecting Compromise & Data Exfiltration- AlienVault
6. Firewall as a Service- Cato Networks

And, if you want to weigh in on your favorite, please vote for the webinar you believe is#1 for 2016! (Voting ends tomorrow, 12/28).Olivia Lynch is the Marketing Manager at Cybrary. Like many of you, she is just getting her toes wet in the field of cyber security. A firm believer that the pen is mightier than the sword, Olivia considers corny puns and an honest voice essential to any worthwhile blog.