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Free and Low Cost Online Cybersecurity Learning Content
Commercial Products:
Commercial entities or materials may be identified in this web site or linked web sites. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by NIST, nor is it intended to imply that the entities or materials are necessarily the best available for the purpose.
Today is the day to explore ways to improve your cybersecurity knowledge, skills, or even prepare for new career opportunities. If you are interested in cybersecurity careers, there are numerous online education providers to choose from. Many online courses are available from your local community college, four-year universities, even the prestigious Centers of Academic Excellence programs – please review all options.
The following links are for free and low-cost online educational content on topics such as information technology and cybersecurity. Some, not all, may contribute towards professional learning objectives or lead to industry certifications and online degrees. Please note that this site will continue to be updated as new information is gathered and edited for clarity and accuracy.
This page is continually updated. Please nice.nist [at] nist.gov (contact us) for more information on how to add additional materials or to correct an error.
Career and Professional Development
| Name and Hyperlink to Materials* | Description** |
|---|---|
| 30 Days to Learn It Challenge in Security | 30 Days to Learn It Challenge in Security gives learners the opportunity to work through learning modules, exchange ideas with peers through a global community forum, and be eligible for 50 percent off the cost of a Microsoft Certification exam. |
| Ascend Education | Ascend offers an entire library of cybersecurity and IT courses, (CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+, Cloud+, CySA+, PenTest+, Microsoft Azure, Windows Server, Amazon AWS Essentials, Cloud Security Fundamentals, and more) with free evaluation access to try any course that you are interested in. |
| Amazon Cybersecurity Awareness Training | A free 15-minute training that covers secure communication, data classification, phishing, physical security, social engineering, data privacy, third-party/application security, laptop standard, protect data, and acceptable use. |
| Career Essentials in Cybersecurity by Microsoft and LinkedIn | A Skills for Jobs learning pathway on LinkedIn helps you discover the skills needed for a career in cybersecurity and earn a Career Essentials Certificate. The pathway will help you: develop an understanding of core cybersecurity concepts; gain fluency in cybersecurity terminology; and explore the cybersecurity threat landscape. (LinkedIn account required, available until 2025). |
| Center for Development of Security Excellence Cybersecurity eLearning | Free cybersecurity eLearning courses for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other U.S. Government personnel and contractors within the National Industrial Security Program (NISP). |
| Certified in Cybersecurity | NEW! ISC2 launches the new “Certified in Cybersecurity” training program*. Free to the first 1,000,000 people who sign up training program. “Builds solid foundation of entry-level knowledge in security principles, business continuity, disaster recovery, incident response, access controls, network security, and security operations. Free self-study course & exam for the first one million participants.” *Please refer to the ISC2 website for program details, limitations. |
| Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Workshop Training | Training provided by Microsoft that includes a collection of security learnings, principles, and recommendations for modernizing security in your organization. |
| Cisco Networking Academy | Free 6-hour Introduction to Cybersecurity awareness course, plus additional online courses including certification-aligned pathway preparing learners for entry-level Cybersecurity job roles. All for free through the Skills for All learning platform. Available in English, Spanish, and additional languages. |
| CyberDefenders | Free Blue Team training labs for SOC analysts, threat hunters, and DFIR professionals. |
| Cyberbit Range Remote Training | Free remote training for SOC teams, providing live, simulated cyberattacks on Cyberbit’s cloud-based Cyber Range. |
| Cyber Million Program | Participants have two paths to choose from on the Cyber Million platform: a Cyber Fundamentals Collection, which includes introductory courses in cybersecurity, and a Defense Security Operations Collection that includes exercises for participants to learn and demonstrate the cybersecurity skills they’ve developed. |
| CybersecurityJobs.com Training Fund | Free 12-month access to leading cybersecurity training provider StationX‘s 1,000 classes, virtual labs, practice tests, and exam simulation |
| CyberTraining 365 Online Academy | Free courses and low cost subscriptions to help you master cybersecurity techniques such as Analyzing Malware, Penetration Testing, Advanced Persistent Threats, and much more. A low cost lifetime subscription is also available. |
| Cyber Skyline Professional | Heavily discounted scenario-driven cybersecurity labs/challenges for students (use .edu email to sign up). Over 100+ scenarios ranging from forensic analysis to offensive cybersecurity skills that are delivered on an on-demand platform with no time limits and a vibrant Slack community. |
| Cybrary | Free information technology and cybersecurity training portal. |
| EC-Council | Free resources for the information security community in the form of webinars, blogs, online video training, and much more. |
| Elastic | Free on-demand Elastic Stack, observability, and security courses. |
| Ethically Hacking Space YouTube Channel | YouTube channel with free training videos focused on technologies and techniques for cybersecurity operations and cyber resilience in space. |
| Evolve Academy | The free Cybersecurity Fundamentals course will help you gain hands-on technical skills to lay the foundation for a challenging and rewarding cybersecurity career. |
| Federal Virtual Training Environment (FedVTE) | Free online cybersecurity training for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government employees, federal contractors, and US military veterans. |
| FedVTE Public Courses | Free online training on topics such as supply chain risk management, reverse engineering, cloud computing, foundations for managers, and more. |
| Fortinet | Free access to the FortiGate Essentials Training Course and Network Security Expert courses. |
| Google AI Essentials Course | Learn from experts at Google and get essential AI skills to boost your productivity with Google AI Essentials, zero experience required. Available in English and Spanish. (Coursera membership required; 1 week free, then a monthly $49 fee; 5 modules; under 10 hours to complete.) |
| Google Cybersecurity Certificate | Prepare for a career as a cybersecurity analyst with a professional certificate from Google. Learn job-ready skills that are in-demand, like how to identify common risks, threats, and vulnerabilities, as well as the techniques to mitigate them. (Coursera membership required; 1 week free, then a monthly $49 fee required; 8 courses; approximately 3 to 6 months to complete.) |
| Hacker101 | Free class for web security. |
| Hands-On Cybersecurity Training - FREE Career Info Session | Breakthrough barriers to high-paying, in-demand jobs with Kinetic Potential, where you’ll get the hands-on experience employers are looking for, plus the skills and certification to do the job. Funding options for courses available. Discover how you, too, can start a career in cybersecurity by attending a free info session, hosted every Friday. Explore programs. |
| Holistic Information Security Practitioner Institute (HISPI) | Heavily discounted (use code HISPI-COVID-19) online, on-demand Cyber Security Management Course. |
| Hopper's Roppers Security Training | Community built around a series of free courses that provide training to beginners in the security field. |
| IBM (hosted by Coursera) | Free (7-day trial) suite of courses on IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity Specialization. |
| IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Learning and Resources | Free courses that help you prepare for a job in cybersecurity. |
| IBM Security Learning Academy | Free technical training for IBM Security products. |
| Immersive Labs | Immersive Labs is the world’s first human cyber readiness platform. Try Immersive Labs for free using our Community Edition (use promocode GIMMEFREELABS at sign-up). |
| Infosec Skills | Free access (7-day trial; low cost after trial) to 500+ courses, 70+ learning paths, and 100+ browser-based labs for IT, security, and engineering professionals. |
| Introduction to Software Security | The software security education and training effort covers the range from secure design, secure coding, vulnerability assessment and analysis tools. |
| (ISC)2 Webinars and Courses | Free technical webinars and free courses for (ISC)2 members ($125/year and pre-qualifications required) to earn Continuing Professional Education (CPEs). |
| (ISC)2 Utilizing Big Data | Free course for (ISC)2 members (low cost for non-members) that provides an overview of Big Data components, architectures and applications. |
| ITProTV | Free membership (65+ hours of IT training content) and low cost memberships (4000+ hours of content, practice exams, and virtual labs). Free access to select CompTIA online courses for educational institutions during the Spring and Summer 2020 semesters – learn more. |
| LetsDefend | Hands-on blue team training for building a cybersecurity career. |
| Microsoft Cyber Security Architecture | Collection of best practices that is presented in a series of video trainings that provide clear actionable guidance for security-related decisions |
| Microsoft Cybersecurity Scholarship Program | The Microsoft Cybersecurity Scholarship Program powered by Last Mile Education Fund supports community college degree and industry certificate completion through financial assistance and subsidies for certification exam costs. (US only) |
| Microsoft Cybersecurity Certification Scholarship | The Microsoft Cybersecurity Certification Scholarship awarded by Women in Cloud equips women in the U.S. with access to industry recognized certifications, mentorship networks, and job preparedness sessions. (US only) |
| Microsoft Technologies Training | Free security-related courses on Microsoft Technologies. |
| Mossé Cyber Security Institute | Sixty-five free exercises including Penetration Testing, Red Teaming, Security Tools, Cyber Defence, Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC), and theory, concepts, and fundamentals of cyber security. |
| NICCS Education and Training Catalog | Database of free and for pay, online and in person courses. |
| Open P-TECH | Free digital learning on the tech skills of tomorrow. |
| Pearson IT Specialist: Cybersecurity Course and Certification | Free access to foundational cyber course and certification: "Pearson IT Specialist: Cybersecurity". Included are training resources and certification exam vouchers for all to US-based learning and assessment locations through 2024. Training resources include courseware, practice tests, and training labs. |
| PentesterLab | Free exercises that cover everything from basic bugs to advanced vulnerabilities. Access Pentester Lab PRO for low cost. |
| Pluralsight | Free access to 7,000+ expert-led video courses and more during the month of April. |
| Project Ares by Circadence | Project Ares is a low cost, online, gamified learning platform that provides cybersecurity skill learning through hands on activities including concept-driven games and scenarios that emulate real-world networks and network traffic. |
| RangeForce Community Edition | Free training courses, including red and blue team training, in an on-demand cyber range. |
| SANS | Free cybersecurity community resources and programs including white papers, webcasts, newsletters, tools/workstations, scholarship/community programs, templates, blogs, cyber ranges, and security posters. |
| SANS Cyber Aces Online | Free online course that teaches the fundamentals of cybersecurity including operating systems, networking, and systems administration. |
| Skillsoft | 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. |
| TryHackMe | Free hands-on cyber security training for complete beginners and experts. Choose from over 300 offensive and defensive real-world security labs. |
| Udemy | Heavily discounted online courses for various certifications. |
| Veracode Security Labs Community Edition | Free beginner to advanced courses that allow developers to sharpen their secure coding skills. |
| Web Security Academy | Free online web security training. |
Educator training and Curriculum
| Name and Hyperlink to Materials* | Description** |
|---|---|
| AttackIQ Academy | AttackIQ Academy offers free courses taught by cybersecurity practitioners at the cutting edge of the field. Students gain realistic, hands-on experience in building a threat-informed defense to improve cybersecurity effectiveness. |
| Ascend Education | Ascend Education Free Course Access for IT Instructor Evaluation: Free Ascend Education courses for K12 teachers or College/University instructors. |
| CertNexus | Free online training for teachers and instructors for Cyber Secure Coder, Cybersec First Responders, and CyberSAFE. Additional resources for certifications and curriculum. |
| CLARK Center Plan C | Free cybersecurity curriculum that is primarily video-based or provide online assignments that can be easily integrated into a virtual learning environments. |
| Computer Security Education Resource Collection | Community-sourced collection of free resources related to computer security, cybersecurity, and information security education. The collection is primarily targeted at instructors looking for course materials. |
| CyberCIEGE Educational Video Game | Free network security simulation packaged as a video game with many scenarios, suitable for high school through graduate courses. |
| Cisco Networking Academy | Free cybersecurity curriculum, hands-on labs, and instructor training. Courses are aligned to industry certifications and prepare learners for entry and associate level Cybersecurity job roles. Available in English, Spanish, and additional languages. |
| Labtainers Cyber Lab Exercises | Free Linux-based cybersecurity labs including automated assessment of student work, with over 50 labs prepackaged to run on student laptops. |
| M.E. Kabay | Free industry courses and course materials for students, teachers, and others are welcome to use for free courses and lectures. |
| National CyberWatch Center Cloud-Based Labs | Heavily discounted online labs tied to industry certifications and higher education courses; academic institutions and faculty only. |
| NCyTE Center Curriculum | 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. |
| TestOut Teacher Access | Free Teacher Access to cybersecurity courses, request access now. |
Employee Awareness Training
| Name and Hyperlink to Materials* | Description** |
|---|---|
| Center for Development of Security Excellence Cybersecurity Catalog | Free security awareness resources for learners including games, posters, shorts, videos, and webinars. |
| Certified Cybersecurity Awareness Professional (CCAP) Certification Training | Low-cost non-technical course for any individuals using a computer, smart devices, and the Internet. This cybersecurity course provides essential knowledge and skills to protect your information assets against social engineering tools like Spoofing, Phishing, Ransomware, Malware, etc. The over all goal is to protect individuals and companies from financial losses, identity theft, and reputation damage. (Online access for 60 days. Available also in Spanish) |
| Cybersecurity Education GAMES For Kids and Families | A list of free resources curated by the NICE Working Group K12 Subgroup. |
| Cyber Security for Remote Workers Staff Awareness E-learning Course | Low cost non-technical course help employees remain safe, and understand what to do if and when they experience a cyber attack or phishing scam. |
| Email Security and Privacy Awareness Course | Free one-hour course to help raise awareness of email data security and privacy. |
| Information Security and Cyber Security Staff Awareness E-Learning Course | Low cost course aimed employees who are involved in processing information, use information technology in their daily job, or use the Internet as a means of conducting business. |
| Wizer Security Awareness Training | Free Security Awareness Training includes everything you need to train your employees how to protect themselves against cybersecurity attacks, it is 100% free forever with over 20 free videos, quizzes, employee progress reports, and certificates. |
| Phishing Staff Awareness E-Learning Course | Low cost phishing awareness training. |
| CertNexus | Low cost non-technical course for anyone that uses a computer, phone or device that accesses data at work, or remotely. CertNexus® CyberSAFE® helps ensure that your end users can identify the common risks associated with using conventional end-user technology, as well as how to safely protect themselves and their organizations from security risks. |
K12 Education and Games
| Name and Hyperlink to Materials* | Description** |
|---|---|
| Education Arcade | Education Arcade offers free gamified elearning content, with a focus on providing an engaging way for staff to learn about best practice security behaviors. |
| Career Explorations: Cybersecurity | Free cybersecurity curriculum for 5th - 10th graders. |
| Culture of Cybersecurity | Free downloadable kids activities to help your family learn basic cybersecurity concepts and defense strategies. |
| CYBER.ORG | Free cybersecurity curriculum for K-12 students using Canvas and the CYBER.ORG Range. Courses ensure that every K-12 student gains foundational and technical cybersecurity knowledge and skills. |
| Fundamentals of Cybersecurity Information | Free (sign up and use class code 2A4E1) courses for middle and high school students. |
| NICERC at Home | Free activities and Capture the Flag challenges that teach foundational cybersecurity skills and introduction to cybersecurity careers. |
| Palo Alto Networks | Free activities, lessons and virtual environments that increase a students knowledge of cybersecurity through narrated content, interactions, demonstrations, and knowledge checks. |
| picoCTF | Free computer security game targeted at middle and high school students. |
| RING | RING (Regions Investing in the Next Generation) is a free, online two-semester course for high school students and includes lesson plans, activities, assessments, games, labs, and instructional slides. |
| K12 Cybersecurity Resources for at home | Curation of known K12 educational resources for at-home use. |
*Materials are related to coding, cybersecurity product training, certification preparation or general IT and cybersecurity skills development, and teacher training and curriculum.
**Some of these materials may only be free or low cost (less than $100) for a limited time.
For more information on how to add additional information or to correct an error, please email nice.nist [at] nist.gov (nice[dot]nist[at]nist[dot]gov).
Contacts
FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
-
NICE Program Office(301) 975-4470100 Bureau Dr.
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
Created April 7, 2020, Updated December 10, 2024