Frequently Asked Questions

If you receive a message that your account has not been verified or that your special permissions will expire please check your email for an email from noreply@www.securitylearningacademy.com and follow the instructions. You will be given a validation code and link to enter the code then permissions will be restored.

If your email address is not your IBMid, then you will not be able to get your account verified but will remain active with guest permissions. You can still enroll in courses and track your progress, however if you have access to special content that will no longer be available to you since the email will be sent only to the address used as your IBMid. Unfortunately we cannot change that process.

If you did not receive the email don't worry, your account will remain active, however special access permissions will not be available. Check your email and spam for the note. If you have checked your spam and cannot find the validation code or it fails, send us a note from your IBMid email using the Email Learning Services link in red in the footer of this page and ask us to please validate and reset your account permissions. This can take up to 5 business days if you submit it via email whereas using the validation code in the email is immediate.

Certain courses are restricted so that they may only be accessed by accounts with special permissions. If you are getting an error, ensure your account is validated. If the error persists, contact Learning Services with the course URL and the e-mail associated with your IBM ID.
Each course activity will have its own completion criteria. Look for a checkbox beside each course activity. Each activity will either require you to mark it as complete manually, or it will automatically mark the activity as complete when you view the content.
Yes, you must log in to enroll in courses and track your progress.
Yes, you can use the Security Learning Academy Progress Report to track your progress. The Progress Report is available from your dashboard. You can use the progress report to track your progress, and you can share your progress with specific people using their e-mail addresses. You have the option of obfuscating your e-mail address for privacy reasons.
Hands-on labs are launched for a maximum period of 5 days with a total runtime of 4 hours. We suggest that you read the lab guides and be prepared to complete your labs in one sitting so that you do not run out of time. Since the labs are virtualized they do not always resume properly after being suspended which is another reason to complete them in one sitting.
If you have previously started a lab and it is not longer available you have probably exceeded either the run time of 4 hours or the 5 calendar day limit. Unfortunately that limit cannot be reset for an individual user.
Content on the Security Learning Academy is provided free of charge. Certain courses offered by third parties may have costs associated with them. These courses will be marked with a $ symbol, and you will be provided with enrollment information and costs before you enroll.
The Security Learning Academy issues badges through Credly's Acclaim platform. Information about the SLA's badges can be found here.

By default, the dashboard shows your courses and the corresponding course completion progress. If you want to customize the content and layout of your dashboard, click the Customize this page button at the top of the page. You can add, remove, and reposition blocks, as well as adjust the settings for existing blocks.

To get started, make sure you are in customize mode by clicking Customize this page. When you are in customize mode, each block displays two icons in the block header: a 4-headed arrow and a settings gear.

  • To move a block, drag and drop the block using the 4-headed arrow icon. You can place blocks in the main content area or in the right sidebar.
  • To add a block, use the Add a block block found at the bottom of the sidebar area. New blocks are added to the sidebar and can be repositioned after they are added.
  • To remove a block, click the settings gear and choose Delete block.
  • To configure a block, click the settings gear and choose Configure Block. The available settings depend on the block type. For example, the My Courses block allows you to hide completed courses.
  • To restore your dashboard to the default layout, click the Reset page to default button at the top of the screen.
  • When you are done customizing, click Stop customizing this page and your changes are saved.