The provided source material details a wide array of free online cybersecurity training resources, courses, and programmes. These offerings are provided by a variety of organisations, including academic institutions, technology companies, non-profits, and private training providers. The resources cater to different skill levels, from complete beginners to experienced professionals, and cover numerous topics within the cybersecurity field, such as network security, threat analysis, ethical hacking, and secure coding.
Many of these programmes are accessible globally, though specific eligibility criteria, such as requiring a .edu email address or being a government employee, are noted for certain offerings. The courses range from short introductory modules to comprehensive specialisations that may require several months to complete. Some resources are entirely free, while others offer free trials or heavily discounted access for specific groups, such as educators or students.
Categories of Free Cybersecurity Training
The available resources can be broadly categorised based on their focus and provider. This includes general cybersecurity fundamentals, hands-on practical labs, training for specific technologies or brands, and educational materials designed for instructors.
General Cybersecurity Fundamentals and Certifications
Several platforms offer foundational courses designed to teach the core principles of cybersecurity. These are often suitable for individuals beginning their journey into the field or those seeking a career change.
- SANS Cyber Aces Online provides a free online course covering the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including operating systems, networking, and systems administration.
- Cisco Networking Academy offers a free 6-hour "Introduction to Cybersecurity" awareness course. It also provides additional online courses, including a certification-aligned pathway that prepares learners for entry-level cybersecurity job roles. These are available through the Skills for All learning platform in multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
- IBM (hosted by Coursera) provides a free 7-day trial for a suite of courses on the "IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Specialization." It is important to note that a Coursera membership is required, and after the 7-day trial, a monthly fee of $49 is applicable. This programme consists of 8 courses and takes approximately 3 to 6 months to complete.
- Google Cybersecurity Certificate is available on Coursera. It prepares learners for a career as a cybersecurity analyst, teaching job-ready skills such as identifying risks, threats, and vulnerabilities, and techniques to mitigate them. Similar to the IBM offering, a Coursera membership is required, with a 7-day free trial followed by a $49 monthly fee. The programme comprises 8 courses and takes about 3 to 6 months to complete.
- Evolve Academy offers a free "Cybersecurity Fundamentals" course designed to provide hands-on technical skills for starting a cybersecurity career.
- Cybrary is a free information technology and cybersecurity training portal.
- Udemy features heavily discounted online courses for various certifications.
Hands-On Practical Training and Labs
For learners who prefer practical, scenario-based learning, several platforms provide virtual labs and interactive challenges.
- TryHackMe offers free hands-on cyber security training for both beginners and experts, with a selection of over 300 offensive and defensive real-world security labs.
- Veracode Security Labs Community Edition provides free beginner to advanced courses that allow developers to sharpen their secure coding skills.
- Immersive Labs is described as the world’s first human cyber readiness platform. A free Community Edition is available using the promo code GIMMEFREELABS at sign-up.
- Cyberbit Range Remote Training offers free remote training for Security Operations Centre (SOC) teams, providing live, simulated cyberattacks on its cloud-based Cyber Range.
- CyberCIEGE Educational Video Game is a free network security simulation packaged as a video game with many scenarios, suitable for high school through graduate courses.
- Labtainers Cyber Lab Exercises provides free Linux-based cybersecurity labs, including automated assessment of student work, with over 50 labs pre-packaged to run on student laptops.
- CyberSkyline Professional offers heavily discounted scenario-driven cybersecurity labs and challenges for students. To sign up, a .edu email address is required. The platform provides over 100+ scenarios, including forensic analysis and offensive cybersecurity skills, with no time limits.
Brand-Specific and Technical Training
Some technology companies offer free training specifically for their products or technologies.
- IBM Security Learning Academy provides free technical training for IBM Security products.
- Fortinet offers free access to the "FortiGate Essentials Training Course" and "Network Security Expert" courses.
- Elastic provides free on-demand courses for the Elastic Stack, observability, and security.
- AttackIQ Academy offers free courses taught by cybersecurity practitioners, focusing on building a threat-informed defence to improve cybersecurity effectiveness.
- Web Security Academy provides free online web security training.
- Hacker101 is a free class for web security.
Specialised and Discounted Programmes
Certain programmes are tailored for specific audiences or offer heavily discounted rates for certain groups.
- Federal Virtual Training Environment (FedVTE) provides free online cybersecurity training for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government employees, federal contractors, and US military veterans. FedVTE Public Courses are also available for free on topics such as supply chain risk management, reverse engineering, and cloud computing.
- CybersecurityJobs.com Training Fund offers free 12-month access to StationX’s training platform, which includes 1,000 classes, virtual labs, practice tests, and exam simulations.
- ISC2 offers a free self-study course and exam for the first one million participants. It is advised to refer to the ISC2 website for specific programme details and limitations.
- Holistic Information Security Practitioner Institute (HISPI) provides a heavily discounted online, on-demand Cyber Security Management Course, using the code HISPI-COVID-19.
- CertNexus offers free online training for teachers and instructors for courses such as Cyber Secure Coder, Cybersec First Responders, and CyberSAFE.
Resources for Educators and Instructors
A significant number of resources are specifically designed for educational settings, providing curriculum materials and lab access for teachers and academic institutions.
- Cisco Networking Academy provides free cybersecurity curriculum, hands-on labs, and instructor training. The courses are aligned to industry certifications and prepare learners for entry and associate-level cybersecurity job roles.
- CLARK Center Plan C offers a free cybersecurity curriculum that is primarily video-based or provides online assignments that can be easily integrated into virtual learning environments.
- Computer Security Education Resource Collection is a community-sourced collection of free resources related to computer security, cybersecurity, and information security education, primarily targeted at instructors looking for course materials.
- NCyTE Center Curriculum provides free cybersecurity curriculum and teaching resources for high school and college instructors. Materials can be incorporated into existing coursework or used to develop new classes.
- National CyberWatch Center Cloud-Based Labs offers heavily discounted online labs tied to industry certifications and higher education courses, available to academic institutions and faculty only.
- Ascend Education provides free course access for IT instructor evaluation, available for K12 teachers or College/University instructors.
- Faux Paw's Cybersecurity Superstars Curriculum consists of four lesson plans designed to help students in grades 1-4 learn about internet safety, privacy, ethics, and cybersecurity jobs.
- M.E. Kabay offers free industry courses and course materials for students and teachers.
Community and Career-Focused Programmes
These resources focus on building community, providing career information, or offering structured paths into the cybersecurity field.
- Simply Cyber Academy provides free and low-cost GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) in-demand skill training. Its GRC-focused programmes are designed to equip learners with knowledge for cybersecurity governance, risk, and compliance roles.
- Hopper's Roppers Security Training is a community built around a series of free courses that provide training to beginners in the security field.
- Hands-On Cybersecurity Training - FREE Career Info Session is offered by Kinetic Potential. It aims to break down barriers to high-paying jobs by providing hands-on experience and skills, with funding options for courses available. Free info sessions are hosted every Friday.
- Cyber Million Program on the Cyber Million platform offers two paths: a Cyber Fundamentals Collection with introductory courses, and a Defense Security Operations Collection with exercises to learn and demonstrate cybersecurity skills.
- Ethically Hacking Space YouTube Channel is a YouTube channel with free training videos focused on technologies and techniques for cybersecurity operations and cyber resilience in space.
Additional Free Resources
Other notable free resources include:
- SANS provides free cybersecurity community resources, including white papers, webcasts, newsletters, tools/workstations, scholarship/community programmes, templates, blogs, cyber ranges, and security posters.
- Skillsoft offers free trial access to sample 7,100+ courses, 110+ practice labs, and 10+ live online boot camps across 67 subjects. The free trial is currently for 14 days.
- Google AI Essentials Course teaches essential AI skills to boost productivity, with zero experience required. It is available in English and Spanish. A Coursera membership is required, with a 1-week free trial followed by a $49 monthly fee. The course has 5 modules and takes under 10 hours to complete.
- EC-Council provides free resources for the information security community, including webinars, blogs, online video training, and more.
- CyberTraining 365 Online Academy offers free courses and low-cost subscriptions to help master cybersecurity techniques like malware analysis, penetration testing, and advanced persistent threats. A low-cost lifetime subscription is also available.
Conclusion
The landscape of free cybersecurity training is extensive and diverse, offering opportunities for individuals at all stages of their professional development. From foundational courses provided by major technology companies and academic institutions to hands-on labs and specialised training for educators, the available resources are robust. Many programmes are entirely free, while others offer free trials or discounted access for specific demographics. Prospective learners should carefully review the eligibility criteria, time commitments, and any associated costs (such as platform membership fees after a trial period) before enrolling. The information presented here is derived from a comprehensive list of available resources, providing a starting point for those seeking to enhance their cybersecurity knowledge and skills without financial investment.