Learning Roadmap

AI  ×  Data Science  ×  Cybersecurity — From Foundations to Career

Foundation
AI / ML
Data Science
Cybersecurity
AI + Data
AI + Security
Data + Security
Triple Overlap
Phase 1 Foundations
Programming Basics
Programming
Harvard CS50x
Python, C, algorithms, data structures, SQL, web security
Free / $90 cert
Harvard CS50x
Python, C, algorithms, data structures, SQL, web security fundamentals
pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50-introduction-computer-science
Programming
freeCodeCamp Python
Python syntax, functions, OOP, basic data handling
Free
freeCodeCamp Python
Python syntax, functions, OOP, basic data handling
freecodecamp.org
Programming
freeCodeCamp JavaScript
JavaScript, APIs, web fundamentals, JSON
Free
freeCodeCamp JavaScript
JavaScript, APIs, web fundamentals, JSON
freecodecamp.org
Data Fundamentals
Data
freeCodeCamp Data Science 12hr
NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, data cleaning & analysis
Free
freeCodeCamp Data Science 12hr
NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, data cleaning, analysis projects
freecodecamp.org/news/python-data-science-course-matplotlib-pandas-numpy
Data
Python for Data Science
Pandas, NumPy, visualization, intro ML workflows
Free
Learn Python for Data Science (YouTube)
Python, Pandas, NumPy, visualization, intro ML workflows
youtube.com/watch?v=CMEWVn1uZpQ
Security Basics
Security
Cisco Intro to Cybersecurity
Threats, attacks, vulnerabilities, defense concepts
Free
Cisco Intro to Cybersecurity
Cyber threats, attacks, vulnerabilities, defense concepts, simulations
netacad.com
Security
IBM Cybersecurity Fundamentals
CIA triad, malware, encryption, firewalls, governance
Free
IBM Cybersecurity Fundamentals
CIA triad, malware, phishing, ransomware, encryption, firewalls, governance
skillsbuild.org
Security
NIST Cybersecurity Learning
Secure coding, web security, awareness training
Free
NIST Cybersecurity Learning
Secure coding, web security, awareness training (curated list)
nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/resources/online-learning-content
↓ Choose a primary specialization to start
Phase 2 Specialization Start
AI / ML Path
Coursera ML — Andrew Ng
Supervised/unsupervised learning, regression, classification, neural nets
Free to audit
Coursera Machine Learning (Andrew Ng)
Supervised/unsupervised learning, regression, classification, neural networks intro
coursera.org
Data Science Path
Google Data Analytics
Statistical modeling, forecasting, regression, business intelligence
Free to audit
Google Data Analytics Certificate (audit)
Statistical modeling, forecasting, regression analysis, business intelligence
coursera.org
Security Path
IBM Threat Intelligence + Data
Threat feeds, dark web data, attack pattern correlation
Free
IBM Threat Intelligence + Data
Analyzing threat feeds, dark web data, attack pattern correlation, reporting
skillsbuild.org
Security Path
SMSU Security Analytics
SIEM, log analysis, forensics, anomaly pattern detection
Free
SMSU Security Analytics Resources
Log analysis, SIEM data interpretation, forensics protocols, anomaly pattern detection
online.smsu.edu
↓ Build cross-domain overlap skills
Phase 3 Overlap Skills
AI + Data Science
AI + Data
freeCodeCamp ML/AI Playlists
Neural networks, CNNs, RNNs, TensorFlow, PyTorch
Free
freeCodeCamp ML/AI Playlists
Neural networks, CNNs, RNNs, TensorFlow, PyTorch basics
freecodecamp.org
AI + Data
IBM AI — NLP
Text processing, sentiment analysis, language models, chatbots
Free
IBM AI — Natural Language Processing
Text processing, sentiment analysis, language models, chatbot basics
skillsbuild.org
AI + Data
PyImageSearch CV Tutorials
OpenCV, object detection, image processing, facial recognition
Free tutorials
PyImageSearch Computer Vision Tutorials
Image processing, OpenCV, object detection, facial recognition basics
pyimagesearch.com/start-here
AI + Security
AI + Security
Cybrary AI in Cybersecurity
ML for malware detection, anomaly detection, behavioral analytics
Free tier
Cybrary AI in Cybersecurity
Supervised learning for malware detection, anomaly detection, behavioral analytics, threat hunting with ML
cybrary.it
AI + Security
IBM SkillsBuild AI + Cyber
ML basics, responsible AI, security workflow integration
Free
IBM SkillsBuild AI + Cybersecurity
Machine learning basics, responsible AI, integration with security workflows
skillsbuild.org
AI + Security
Palo Alto AI Threat Detection
Unsupervised ML, behavioral baselines, zero-day identification
Free
Palo Alto AI Threat Detection Resources
Unsupervised ML, behavioral baselines, insider threat detection, zero-day identification
paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia/ai-in-threat-detection
Data + Security
Data + Security
NIST CSF Training
Risk metrics, compliance reporting, security posture & KPIs
Free
NIST Cybersecurity Framework Training
Risk metrics, compliance reporting, security posture analysis, KPI tracking
itsmhub.com/products/free-nist-cybersecurity-framework-nist-csf-training
Data + Security
ImpactTek Security + Data
SQL for logs, Python automation, incident data correlation
Free
ImpactTek Security + Data Analytics
SQL for log analysis, Python for security automation, data correlation during incidents
impacttek.org/freeall
Data + Security
Gurucul AI + Cyber Blog
UEBA, risk scoring, predictive analytics, Zero Trust
Free
Gurucul AI + Cybersecurity Blog Series
Predictive analytics, user behavior analytics (UEBA), risk scoring, Zero Trust integration
gurucul.com/blog
Data + Security
Cisco + freeCodeCamp Networking
Packet analysis, traffic baselines, anomaly detection in network data
Free
Cisco + freeCodeCamp Networking
Packet analysis, traffic baselines, anomaly detection in network data
netacad.com + freecodecamp.org
↓ All three domains converge
Phase 4 Advanced Integration
⚡ Triple Overlap
AI-Driven Security Operations
ML for threat detection, log analysis at scale, automated incident response
AI-Driven Security Operations
Using ML models to automate threat detection, analyze security logs at scale, predict attacks, and respond automatically
⚡ Triple Overlap
Security Data Science
Stats, visualization, predictive models on logs, alerts, and network traffic
Security Data Science
Applying data science methods (statistics, visualization, predictive models) to security datasets — logs, alerts, network traffic, user behavior
⚡ Triple Overlap
Adversarial ML & Model Security
Poisoning, evasion attacks, defending ML systems from adversarial manipulation
Adversarial ML & Model Security
Understanding how attackers manipulate AI/ML models (poisoning, evasion) and defending ML systems from adversarial attacks
⚡ Triple Overlap
Privacy-Preserving AI
Differential privacy, federated learning, encrypted computation
Privacy-Preserving AI
Building AI/ML systems that protect user data through encryption, differential privacy, federated learning, secure computation
⚡ Triple Overlap
Threat Intelligence Automation
AI for CTI collection, correlation, automated threat hunting workflows
Threat Intelligence Automation
Using AI to collect, correlate, and analyze threat intelligence from multiple sources; automating threat hunting workflows
AI + Security
SentinelOne ML Security Guides
Alert fatigue reduction, automated response, ML model security
Free
SentinelOne ML Security Guides
Alert fatigue reduction, automated incident response, ML model security
sentinelone.com/cybersecurity-101/data-and-ai/ai-machine-learning-security
↓ Deep specialization + certification
Phase 5 Specialization Depth
AI / ML
AWS ML Specialty Cert
Cloud ML, model deployment, MLOps, SageMaker
Data Science
Google Data Engineering Cert
Data pipelines, BigQuery, cloud analytics, Dataflow
Security
CISSP / CEH
Advanced security architecture and certified ethical hacking
Hands-On
Real-World Projects
Kaggle competitions, CTF challenges, open-source security tools, research papers
Career Outcomes
AI Security Engineer ML Security Researcher AI Red Team Specialist Trustworthy AI Developer Security Data Scientist Cyber Threat Analyst Risk Analytics Specialist SOC Automation Specialist Threat Detection Engineer CTI Analyst Privacy Engineer Federated Learning Specialist Adversarial ML Engineer Security Automation Architect