AI Security Essentials — ALEX Institute

Why this class, why now

Finding is fast, fixing is slow

~6%

of 1,596 AI-found flaws reported to open-source maintainers were confirmed patched ↗ (Cloud Security Alliance)

9%

of 900+ security leaders fix high-severity flaws within 24 hours ↗ (Cloud Security Alliance)

The Cloud Security Alliance reports that AI systems now find and exploit software flaws faster than organizations can detect and fix them ↗, cutting attack timelines from days to hours or minutes. AI agents widen the attack surface: the OWASP Top 10 for Agentic Applications ranks goal hijacking, tool misuse, privilege abuse, memory poisoning and rogue agents.

Why it matters for every learner: this is no longer only a job for security teams. Anyone who uses, buys or deploys AI tools now makes security decisions.

Class at a glance


Who it is for	Anyone who uses, buys or deploys AI tools at work. No coding or security background needed.
Length	4 weeks, about 4 to 5 hours a week (16 to 20 hours total)
Cost to the learner	$0, including every badge and credential
Format	Self-paced courses, weekly mentor check-ins, one live group session, one applied capstone
What learners earn	A free Cisco Introduction to Cybersecurity badge, plus an ALEX Institute AI Security Essentials badge for the capstone
Prerequisite	None required. Recommended: the Institute's AI prep course. No proof is asked for.

By the end, each learner can: explain how AI changed the attack-and-defend race, name the top risks of AI tools and agents, and write a practical security plan for a real organization.

Course materials

Label	Material	Provider	Hours	Credential	Cost
AS-IS	Introduction to Cybersecurity ↗ (core course, 7 labs)	Cisco Networking Academy	6	Free badge ↗ after passing the final exam	$0
AS-IS	Cybersecurity Fundamentals (optional alternate)	IBM SkillsBuild	6	Free digital credential	$0
OPEN	OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications 2026 ↗	OWASP GenAI Security Project	2 (guided)	None	$0
OPEN	OWASP Top 10 for Agentic Applications 2026 ↗	OWASP GenAI Security Project	2 (guided)	None	$0
OPEN	AI Security study guide, capstone template, mentor guide	ALEX Institute	Built in	ALEX Institute badge	$0

AS-IS = the provider's course material used exactly as published. OPEN = openly licensed material the Institute may adapt and share. The OWASP lists are published under CC BY-SA 4.0, so any Institute guide adapted from them is released under CC BY-SA 4.0. About the labels

Four weeks

Week	Focus	Learner does	Hours
1	Security basics	Attends the kickoff session; completes Cisco modules 1 to 3 AS-IS	4
2	Threats and defense	Finishes Cisco modules and labs; passes the final exam; earns the free badge	4
3	AI and agent risks	Works through the OWASP LLM and Agentic Top 10 lists with the Institute study guide OPEN	4
4	Capstone	Writes the AI Security Readiness Brief; SME reviews it; attends the closing session	4 to 6

Capstone

The AI Security Readiness Brief

Each learner writes a two-page brief for a real organization they choose: an employer, a client, a nonprofit or a local business. It proves the learner can apply the class, not just finish it.

AI inventory: which AI tools and agents the organization uses, and what each one can access or do.
Top three risks: drawn from the OWASP LLM and Agentic Top 10 lists, with one sentence on why each applies.
Patch reality: how quickly the organization applies security fixes today, measured against the 24-hour benchmark.
Agent guardrails: what each agent must never do without a human, and who can switch it off.
30-day plan: three concrete actions, each with an owner and a date.

How it is reviewed

The learner submits the brief to the class SME in week 4.
The SME gives written feedback within one week.
An accepted brief earns the ALEX Institute AI Security Essentials badge.

Privacy rule: learners describe practices, not secrets. No passwords, system names, IP addresses or unpatched flaw details go in a brief.

Support and completion

Who supports each learner

Role	Ratio	What they do
Mentor	1 to 10	Weekly check-in by video, email or call; follows up when a learner goes quiet for two weeks
Class Lead	1 to 12	Runs the kickoff and closing sessions; answers course questions asynchronously
SME (security)	1 per class	Reviews and accepts each capstone brief; joins the closing session
Speaker (optional)	1 per cohort	A practitioner talk on how AI changed their security work

What completes the class

Cisco Introduction to Cybersecurity badge earned (free)
Week 3 study guide completed, with its self-check
AI Security Readiness Brief accepted by the SME

All three earn the ALEX Institute AI Security Essentials badge, issued in the Open Badges 3.0 format.

Enrollment

Enrollment steps

Apply as a student on the ALEX Institute apply page and choose AI Security Essentials.
Meet your Mentor: you are matched within one week and receive the cohort start date.
Create a free Cisco Networking Academy account and enroll in Introduction to Cybersecurity. No payment or card is required.
Join the kickoff session on the cohort's first Monday.
Download the Institute study guide and capstone template. Both are free to keep.

Sources

Cloud Security Alliance: AI Autonomous Vulnerability Hunters, May 2026 ↗ · Cloud Security Alliance: AI Discovery Outpaces Patch Capacity ↗ · Cloud Security Alliance: AI Vulnerability Discovery Is Outpacing Patch Capacity ↗ · Campus Technology, Oct 2026 ↗ · IBM X-Force: AI vulnerability discovery ↗ · Forkast ↗ · ThreatCluster / Dark Reading ↗ · OWASP Top 10 for Agentic Applications 2026 ↗ · OWASP license (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗ · Cisco Introduction to Cybersecurity badge (Credly) ↗ · Opportunity Inside: Cisco course and badge are free ↗

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