10 Low-Cost or Free Cybersecurity Training Resources

When it comes to cybersecurity, the landscape is constantly changing: the number of cyberattacks is always on the rise, the attacks themselves are becoming more sophisticated, and there’s a serious skills shortage in the industry.

There’s a lot to learn about cybersecurity if you want to keep up and keep your users protected.

Whether you’re looking to advance your career or make the most out of your team’s professional development budget, this list of 9 low-cost or free cybersecurity training resources can help. Take a look.

1. Udemy

Udemy’s extensive cybersecurity courses have been used over 2.7 million times. Including network security, penetration testing, and CompTIA Security certification, Udemy offers a wide variety of courses at every skill level, with introductory prices that are affordable.

2. Cybertraining 365

Cybertraining 365 shares over 100 free training videos ranging from two minutes to two and a half hours in length. Videos cover a range of cybersecurity topics including how to implement security policies, analyze malware, advanced persistent threats, conduct penetration testing, and more.

3. Cybrary

Cybrary’s catalog of training resources includes over 1,000 browser-based virtual labs, practice tests, and assessments covering cybersecurity, IT, cloud computing, data science, and DevSecOps.

Whether you’re just starting out in cybersecurity, looking to learn new cybersecurity skills for your job, or preparing for industry certifications, you can choose which path to take for relevant lessons to advance your career.

4. Fortinet

Fortinet is offering awareness, technical, and advanced cybersecurity training for remote workers, IT pros, and cybersecurity pros to use free of charge for the rest of 2020.

For IT pros, training covers how to use firewall policies, user authentication, routing, SSL VPN, web filtering, and application control using Fortinet’s NGFW (next generation firewall). For seasoned security pros, training covers security-driven networking, dynamic cloud security, AI security operations, and zero-trust network access.

Watch now: Security expert Nick Espinosa explains the benefits and risks of zero-trust networks in an on-demand webinar.

5. Infosec Institute

The Infosec Institute offers over 500 courses, 100 hands-on labs, and 800 hours of cybersecurity training to users for free for the first seven days.

You can choose between a skills path—covering topics like computer pentesting, information security auditing, and ethical hacking—or a certifications path to prepare to become a Cisco Certified Network Associate, an ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor, and more. If you like what you see in your first free week, you can subscribe to a personal plan for $299 a year or a corporate plan for $599 per license.

6. ITPro.tv

ITPro.tv’s 5,800 hours of IT training covers all areas of IT, not just cybersecurity. Under their security offering, you’ll learn about security best practices, incident response, email encryption, and more. You’ll also have access to entire courses—ranging from 11 to 81 hours long—to help you prepare for security certification exams.

Like Infosec Institute, the first seven days are free, but you’ll have to buy a package for $29 a month to continue.

7. Microsoft CISO

Microsoft’s Chief Information Security Office (CISO) workshop is designed to help IT and security pros keep up with evolving security threats and protect network assets on-prem and in the cloud.

The workshop is made up of six modules that draw on experiences from Microsoft security teams and learnings from Microsoft customers. The modules cover critical security hygiene, zero-trust, threat protection (this topic is a two-parter), and information protection.

8. National Cybersecurity Alliance

While the National Cybersecurity Alliance usually runs a series of in-person workshops based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, you can access a ton of online resources for free.

Resources explain how to identify vulnerable network devices, protect your assets, detect when things have gone wrong, respond quickly to security threats, and recover after a data breach.

Read more: Learn how to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to assess network security.

9. Pluralsight

The Pluralsight security fundamentals path, which is made up of 6 courses and takes 18 hours to complete, is a great starting point for IT pros of all skill levels.

At the beginner level, you’ll learn how to identify security threats, attacks, vulnerabilities, technologies, and tools. At the intermediate level, you’ll learn about security architecture and design. And at the advanced level, you’ll learn how about managing security risks, cryptography, and public key infrastructure.

You have the first 10 days free to test it out. If you don’t complete the course within your free trial, it’ll cost you $29 a month after that.

10. SANS Cyber Aces

The SANS Institute offers a free course about the fundamentals of network security. The course, which is updated regularly to keep up with changes in technology and the threat landscape, covers three foundation areas of information security: operating systems, networking, and systems administration.

Learn more: Keep your networking skills fresh with this list of free and paid network training.

---

Do you have another free cybersecurity training resource to add to the list? Share your recommendation in the comment section below.