IBM: Database Basics and Security

On the fundamentals side it covers relational versus non-relational databases and basic SQL; on the security side, data classification, encryption, hashing, masking and tokenisation. Teaching them together is the genuinely useful part — in practice, knowing how to store data and how to protect it has become one job rather than two, and most intro courses only do the first half.

It suits people who want both grounds at once, and it's too basic if you already know SQL well or you want advanced database engineering. Audit it free on edX, with a verified certificate as a paid option and financial assistance available; the certificate records the learning rather than certifying it (as of 2026).

This course pairs core database fundamentals (relational vs. non-relational databases, SQL basics: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) with the security side specifically: data classification, encryption/hashing/masking/tokenization, user profiles and password policies, database auditing models, and a dedicated module on injection vulnerabilities (OS command injection, SQL injection) — closing with hands-on labs in user management and access control.