Learning about smart contracts and blockchain technology is essential for anyone interested in the Web3 industry. The demand for skilled professionals who can audit and secure smart contracts is rapidly increasing, even if those engineers may not want to be auditors full-time. As the popularity of smart contracts grows, so does the need for experts to identify potential security vulnerabilities.
This guide explores the top 5 smart contract audit courses to help you become an expert in this field. Let’s dive in and discover the best resources to enhance your knowledge and skills.
Why You Should Learn Smart Contract Auditing
Smart contract auditing is a booming field relevant to today's digital age. As blockchain technology evolves, the demand for skilled auditors increases exponentially.
With $1.7 billion lost due to cybercrime in 2023, the need for experts in smart contract auditing is evident. Smart contract auditing allows you to work with cutting-edge technology while contributing to financial security. Auditing smart contracts helps ensure the safety and reliability of blockchain transactions. Due to the irreversible nature of these transactions, having expert auditors is crucial.
Furthermore, learning smart contract auditing equips you with valuable knowledge to apply across various industries. From banking to supply chain management, the applications are vast. Learning this skill also enhances your professional credibility, making you more marketable in the job market.
Investing time in a smart contract auditing course is a strategic move. It boosts your career prospects and keeps you ahead of the curve in the blockchain space.
The Top 5 Smart Contract Auditing Courses
We've curated a list of the top 5 smart contract audit courses to kickstart your career in this high-demand domain. These programs will equip you with the necessary skills and expertise to excel in this field.
Cyfrin's Updraft Smart Contract Security and Auditing Course
Price: Free
Length: 24 hours
Cyfrin’s Updraft Smart Contract Auditing Course is the choice if you want to get started in smart contract security. With over 10,000 students taught, this is considered the most comprehensive and up-to-date smart contract security course ever created.
With more than 100 lectures and 24 hours of videos and written lessons, this comprehensive course gives you the skills to kickstart your Solidity smart contract security auditing career. Completely for free!
Project-based, the Solidity smart contract auditing and security course by Cyfrin Updraft includes quizzes, tests, exercises, and assignments, as well as 5 step-by-step hands-on audits performed on real-world mock smart contracts.
The course covers a variety of topics, such as:
- Smart contract invariants testing
- Smart contract fuzz testing
- Stateless and stateful fuzzing tools
- Upgradeable smart contracts
- Smart contracts auditing
- Cyfrin Aderyn static analyzer
- Manual review
- Smart contracts testing
While learning the industry-standard tools for smart contract security researchers. These key concepts play a crucial role in the security of Web3 protocols!
The platform is completely asynchronous and free, with the possibility to subscribe to one of their cohort-based courses and synchronous programs.
EOSIO's Smart Contract Security Course
Price: Free
Length: 12 hours
The EOSIO Smart Contract Security course is another invaluable resource for auditors. It dives deeply into the intricacies of EOSIO's architecture. Participants discover critical development skills while focusing on security.
This curriculum promotes an understanding of common vulnerabilities. It also arms students with robust auditing tools suited for EOSIO contracts. The course thoroughly examines contract actions and state securities to reinforce best practices.
Expanding expertise, other courses complement this knowledge. The Certified Smart Contract Auditor (CSCA) designation signifies excellence in this field. For those interested in Ethereum, tailored courses delve into its unique security considerations.
The broader topic of blockchain security is also present in the course. This aspect lays a solid foundation for the principles on which smart contract safety operates.
This course equips auditors with a diverse skill set, essential for navigating the evolving landscape of blockchain technology.
MixBytes Farm's Course
Price: Free Length: 45 days
The third course we decided to include in this article is “MixBytes Farm.” As its name suggests, this course focuses specifically on smart contract auditing for blockchain developers.
The program lasts 45 days. Specifically, lectures and tests take 24 days, while practical exercises fill the rest of the time.
What sets MixBytes Farm's course apart is its emphasis on hands-on learning. Through their "Capture the Flag" competition, students can put their newly acquired knowledge into practice. This phase lets you compete with your classmates to become the "Top Bug Hunter."
The final audit, lasting six days, will provide students with real-world experience in smart contract auditing. With this course, students can learn a highly sought-after skill and potentially find employment as an auditor for DeFi projects.
QuillAudits’ Web3 Security and Smart Contracts Course
Price: Free
Length: 12 hours
The fourth initiative in our shortlist is the course offered by QuillAudits. The project has four sections, each designed to enhance your skills and knowledge in Web3 security and smart contracts.
The first section of the course, called "Capture the Flag," provides challenging tasks related to smart contracts and DeFi primitives. This will help you sharpen your problem-solving abilities and gain hands-on experience in identifying and exploiting security vulnerabilities.
The second section, "Secure Live Projects," allows you to join a team of elite hackers who earn bounties for finding bugs in real-life projects. You can learn, attack, and earn while honing your skills in the process.
The third section, "Earn your skills," is taught by the experienced instructors at QuillAudits, who are experts in cybersecurity for blockchain projects. By learning from them, you can gain one of the most sought-after skills in the industry.
Lastly, the "Compete with the best" section allows you to showcase your skills by participating in hackathons alongside other top builders in the ecosystem.
The Blockchain Council's Certified Smart Contract Auditor Course
Price: $349 Length: 10 hours
The Blockchain Council's certified smart contract auditor course is designed by expert industry auditors.
It covers all aspects of smart contract auditing, from the fundamentals to advanced techniques. By joining this course, you will learn about best practices and tools for smart contract auditing. You will learn to detect vulnerabilities and mitigate potential risks in Web3.
The course also includes an in-depth study of various DeFi and ReFi attacks and how to prevent them. Additionally, you will get access to real-world case studies that provide a practical understanding of smart contract auditing.
The course is self-paced, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Moreover, you will take an online exam and earn a lifetime certification upon completing the course. With this course, you will learn how to identify and fix potential vulnerabilities in any smart contract.
Wrapping Up - The Importance of Smart Contract
Auditing The career of a smart contract auditor is in high demand, and this is far from being a temporary trend. As more people become acquainted with the concept of "smart contracts," the need for thorough audits becomes increasingly crucial.
Fortunately, various courses provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in this field. The courses we've discussed cover everything from basic concepts to advanced techniques, preparing auditors to identify and mitigate potential risks effectively.
Smart contract auditors play a critical role by continuously learning and staying updated with the latest industry practices. They ensure the safety and security of blockchain-based systems.
If you're interested in a career as a smart contract auditor, you'll likely find what you need in the courses mentioned above. Web3 needs skilled auditors who can stay one step ahead of potential threats and help secure the decentralized world.