cyber security paid training reddit - Brave Search

Best paid training that's more affordable than SANS?

reddit.com › r › cybersecurity › comments › vhggze › best_paid_training_thats_more_affordable_than_sans

https://www.antisyphontraining.com/ from the awesome people at Black Hill Infosec. A lot of them were/are SANS instructors who wanted to get more people into the career field. They have some pay what you can courses as well. Answer from Deleted User on reddit.com

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › company paid training

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Company paid training

September 10, 2022 -

My CISO had mentioned that if there were training I wanted to take he could get the money for it. Probably no more than 5-6k.

I’ve got just under a year in the field and was hoping for some input on what training would be most beneficial. Currently our company has 0 on prem infrastructure, I spend most of my time in AWS/Azure as an IAM analyst.

Wouldn’t mind if it were a bootcamp for a specific cert or just to enhance my cyber knowledge and capabilities as a whole.

Any input is appreciated and thanks.

If your career goals are to become a Cloud Security Engineer: I would focus training on python and AWS/Azure specific courses. Look into ABAC, and automatic remediations My expectations around Cloud security engineers are on automation. I want problems to be identified and solved prior to becoming issues. Integrating into IaC, pipelines, and DevOps workstreams are keys to success. Also understanding attack paths in your cloud. This is just my humble opinion based on what ive had success with, and expect from my engineers

There's a free CISSP boot camp. Just Google for it.

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › best paid training that's more affordable than sans?

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Best paid training that's more affordable than SANS?

April 15, 2022 -

Looking for some paid training that I can send my SOC analysts to. The type of work we do is primarily blue team (SIEM, vulnerability management, incident response) and some light pen testing, but we also have an internship with students who potentially have 0 real world experience.

SANS cybersecurity roadmap looks great and everything I read is it's the de-facto option for training, but obviously the price is on the top end.

Are there any other options that have similar progression paths that start with introductory cybersecurity skills and lead into mid-level and later on advanced training at a more affordable but still quality and practical cybersecurity training?

https://www.antisyphontraining.com/ from the awesome people at Black Hill Infosec. A lot of them were/are SANS instructors who wanted to get more people into the career field. They have some pay what you can courses as well.

For SOC Training, I'd recommend the training offered by SecurityBlueTeam. They have both the Blue Team Level 1 and Blue Team Level 2 certifications. BTL1 is around £300/£400 I believe but offer Team discounts. And BTL2 is around £2000, but again Team discounts exist. I just passed BTL1 and it made me confident I would be suitable to work in a SOC.

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reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › best cissp paid training?

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Best CISSP paid training?

June 12, 2024 -

Job will pay for bootcamp/online training/whatever so cost is no issue. Is there a de-facto best training to take for CISSP? Any sources for self learning as well - I'd like to go into whatever training with some self study beforehand. FWIW, been in security 8+ years, have a sponsor if I pass etc.

Destination Certification CISSP Masterclass

sure if your company pays for it, go do a boot camp, https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-courses/sans-training-cissp-certification/ this is a good EXPENSIVE one. if not and you actually want to work hard, use the online resource, join a local or online study group. https://www.issa.org/

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › cybersecurity free and paid online courses that were worth doing?

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Cybersecurity free and paid online courses that were worth doing?

May 31, 2021 -

Hi, For the first time in my life, I have the opportunity to do something I have always wanted to do as my mental health is looking to improve, I have a bit of confidence in myself and I want to make a career change that in something that has always interested me rather than doing something that destroys my mental well-being. I have placed application to do cybersecurity courses, but that will be for next year. But because I have little knowledge what online free and paid courses would you all recommend? Something I can use on my resume or not, either is fine, but something that will get me started to move in the right direction and help me with my course as this is all very new for me. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you :)

Hey u/WritingSuc112 , First off, and most importantly, I'm glad that your mental health is starting to improve. Hoping that it continues to improve and you're able to stay in a good head-space for at leas the near future. On free options, you can never go wrong with getting a free version of VMware or VirtualBox and booting up a VM and following along with some YouTube videos. Definitely get started with the fundamental concepts before diving into technical stuff, though. You'll encounter that subject matter often and the better the grasp you can have on that, the better you'll be at applying it. There are a ton of channels out there on YT that will help with this for free. On paid options, I personally have been spending a lot of time on TryHackMe, because it is a perfect blend between explaining the concepts and showing you how to apply them. There are free modules, however to really unlock its power, the paid version is a great way to go. It isn't crazy expensive and is absolutely worth the money. Feel free to hit me up if you have any other questions, I'm happy to help! Best of luck!

The Cyber Mentor has good free stuff on YouTube as well as his paid content. I will 2nd eJPT and TryHackMe. I like pentesterlab as well. Look at Black Hills Information Security. They have pay what you can courses and do free webinars all the time. John Strand is a legend in the industry and he’s offloading his knowledge for free or low cost.

reddit.com › r/itcareerquestions › best paid training/courses for networking, cybersecurity, hpc?

r/ITCareerQuestions on Reddit: Best paid training/courses for Networking, Cybersecurity, HPC?

January 26, 2025 -

My job is currently giving us $2,500/quarter for training, continuing ed, etc. I'm currently in a HPC Systems Design/HPC Linux admin type role and I'm trying to find useful resources for this quarterly allocation. We're already given tons of Udemy courses so i'm trying to think of alternatives. The only two things I can think of so far are:

Paid courses + certification exams for something like RHCE, CCNP, etc.
HackTheBox "Lite" subscription for cybersecurity courses + tons of practice scenarios (not strictly related to my role but my team is very security focused when setting up HPC clusters)

Does anyone have any good recommendations for useful or fun trainings, paid versions of websites, etc. that might be related to my field?

if you're in HPC + Linux + security-conscious team, here's where that $2.5k/quarter can actually punch above its weight: 1. SANS SEC440 or SEC530 (if they’ll cover it) top-tier, security-heavy, and respected—pricey but sometimes you can use credits to subsidize it if not full course, grab SANS WorkStudy to stretch the budget 2. Offensive Security Proving Grounds (or PWK/OSCP) solid mix of lab time + structure, way more hands-on than theory useful even if you're not full red team—sharpens your ops + hardening instincts 3. eLearnSecurity courses (e.g. eNDP, eWPTX) deep dives, solid labs, and cheaper than SANS good alt path for security certs 4. NXOS/Cumulus/Arista training if you're in large-scale compute environments, networking at this level matters most people skimp here—get ahead 5. Linux Foundation or LFCS/LFCE paths way more targeted and enterprise-recognized than generic Udemy fluff 6. Pluralsight Premium solid HPC + cloud + automation content in one place, good use of sub-budget don’t waste that budget on Udemy clones go for stuff with labs, certs, or prestige value build the edge while they’re paying for it The NoFluffWisdom Newsletter has some ruthless takes on training ROI and compounding skill leverage worth a peek!

reddit.com › r/sysadmin › does anyone know of any companies willing to train a cybersecurity student in a relative role?

r/sysadmin on Reddit: Does anyone know of any companies willing to train a cybersecurity student in a relative role?

March 15, 2024 -

Im 6 months from my first degree and need experience in IT

Too many people want to start at the top with zero experience.

You typically don't start in a cybersecurity role. That's where folks with IT experience transition to. You need to learn how the systems work and operate. I second the advice of a helpdesk/tech role for a few years and work your way up to a pivot into security.

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › for anyone looking to break into cybersecurity..

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: For anyone looking to break into Cybersecurity..

January 18, 2023 -

I have found a really good Cybersecurity foundation course provided by Cisco Networking Academy. The course is 100% free. If you don't have any IT experience, you should check this. Find the link in the comments. If anyone has gone through this course, please provide your feedback..

Update: if you couldn't find the link, just Google 'Cisco Skills for all '

https://skillsforall.com/career-path/cybersecurity?userLang=en-US Here is the link. If it is not working Google 'Cisco Skills for all '

I haven't looked at this course in particular but I would highly recommend anything that teaches networking in any form. In my experience, the single biggest roadblock people face that's not related to raw complexity of the topic is networking fundamentals. Through a long complicated line of decisions, my IT journey went from A+ -> CCNA R+S -> CS. Having a fairly thorough understanding of networking concepts such as VLANs, subnetting, and routing was incredibly useful when I went into CS and I still see benefits from my networking understanding in role.

reddit.com › r/comptia › cyber security training is a scam

r/CompTIA on Reddit: Cyber security training is a scam

July 2, 2024 -

Here is a video I just did on this topic. Be cautious about falling for false promises made by bad companies looking to steal your money.

https://youtu.be/BEskYHiyl8E

-Andrew Ramdayal

Lots of grifters in cybersecurity.

I hope it talks about influencers. Seeing them promote infosec as a "get rich quick" scheme makes me ashamed to be in the field.

Find elsewhere

Google Bing Mojeek

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › why small businesses pay for security awareness training

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Why small businesses pay for security awareness training

April 22, 2024 -

As a small business owner I am toying with the idea of paying for security awareness training. I am wondering what is the main reason why small business owners pay for a cybersecurity awareness training. Some reasons that I think can influence this decision:

Boss / board / friend / well wisher said so
Auditor asked for it
Insurance premium will go down
Competitor or similar company got hacked and lost reputation and money due to human error
Government legislation mandates it
I feel this is the best way to improve behaviors related to cybersecurity at my company, which is important for business continuity

Do share your reasons...

To decrease the risk of having all your company files encrypted for ransom

Good list, but the one I think you are missing is cyber liability insurance. Many insurance providers require it if you have a cybersecurity liability policy.

reddit.com › r/securitycareeradvice › cyber security job programs

r/SecurityCareerAdvice on Reddit: Cyber security job programs

August 22, 2023 -

In short is this worth my time? I would be paying around 1200 GBP for access to the course and exams etc. + says guaranteed job at the end or money back. They help with CV etc.

It would be

CompTIA A+ CompTIA Network+ Recruitment Starts here CompTIA Security+ CompTIA CYSA+ Certmaster Labs

With a company called ITonlinelearning.

I’m in the UK.

Currently work in care sector and have almost my whole working life and need a change/ hopefully somewhere I could progress in wage and skills later down the line.

I apologise if this is posted a lot here but I want advice from real people with experience in the sector.

Avoid. You can teach yourself a+ net+ and sec+ and save so much money. People on reddit can help with your cv.

Let's lay out your options: Pay 1200 GBP to ITonline learning - they help with training and job placement. Money is fully refundable if you don't get a job. Seeing as the recruitment starts after Net+ this will likely be for entry level IT jobs. You could look at average salary for typical roles and determine that you'll make your money back on your first month's paycheck - worth it. If you're a self-starter and are good at self-teaching - you could calculate the costs of these courses/certs and see what it comes out to. If significantly less, this obviously will save you money. But you will be responsible for finding a job yourself. Please check the following: How is the training provided? Is it classroom, online, self-paced etc. How much support do they give you with finding a job? What are the reviews like? Look beyond their website for testimonials. I write about cyber security careers via my newsletter and on X @ caljhud, feel free to follow for support with your security journey - https://calpha.beehiiv.com/

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › entry level jobs that provide training with decent pay

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Entry Level Jobs that Provide Training with Decent Pay

June 25, 2016 -

I'm about to get my degree in Cyber Security but am afraid I am not adequately prepared. What are some good entry-level positions that provide training for future paths?

Entry level SOC analyst. More security focused and you'll get a lot of exposure

Federal Government (US)

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › need to gain cybersecurity experience for an entry level job?

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Need to gain cybersecurity experience for an entry level job?

March 6, 2022 -

I was able to gain experience through creating a SIEM project which was shown to the SOC manager at my current job (I don’t have a security job currently) and now he is mentoring me and giving me access to the same training his team has.

I want to extend this to those who may be struggling to gain real world experience, specifically for SOC analyst roles, to place on your resume:

https://youtu.be/SQwfLvEu6X8

https://jacob-taylor.gitbook.io/splunk-project/

Setting up Security Onion is another great exercise if you want to practice configuring a NIDS and learning to detect and fight off network intrusions.

Thanks for sharing!

This is the most frustrating part about getting started. Thanks for the post.

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › where to start training

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Where to start training

December 22, 2023 -

So I'm giving myself around three years training. My currently role pays OK but is very physically demanding. I can afford to train in cyber security and work in my current occupation. Current role is not cyber security at all.

Been doing some academy tcm sec courses and alot of googling/youtube and wondering how I can structure my training?

I've been looking at Penetration tester and Soc analyst but not to sure where to focus my research towards right now

Any online Courses/certificates to go for with in my first year and any training/research recommendation would be much appreciated?

I think is important to have a good foundation on computer therefore I recommend going through the comptia A+ course, and possible try to get a cert as well but not needed. A+ will give you a very good base knowledge on all aspects of computer software, hardware, troubleshooting, printer, CPI commands etc.. The Security+ will be your best ally when you applying for jobs if you have the cert on your CV. It also a very good introduction to security concepts in IT. The rest of the training can be up to you, tryhackme or hack the box, will be good for some red teaming exercises, study the network + contents as well as you want to learn some basics on network like, subnetting, static and dynamic routes, DNS, DHCP, 4 way handshake, how routers, switch work, it will go a long way when you are actually doing your job. tip: learn how to write good notes, I recommend using a software like cherryTree or OneNote

If I were to do it again, I’d study sec+. Then, I’d move on to tryhackme. Maybe do both in tandem as they can definitely complement each other. I’d focus on the SOC analyst role paths first and foremost. Study this and take your time, and you’ll have a great foundation. Then, go to hackthebox and take their SOC analyst role path, and after do the Sherlock’s rooms. It’s a good amount harder as it’s less guided than THM, but it’ll test you. This will give you good practical experience instead of just doing certificate knowledge dumps. But yeah I’d say go more blue team oriented as that’s always a safe bet when it comes to future proofing and income stability. Red teaming requires more experience and is less reliable, unless you have that experience of course. Just my tips but I think it’s a great start. Can’t go wrong with THM or HTB, and getting the Sec+ or even studying it will give you a good foundation.

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › looking for beginner-friendly cybersecurity courses & self-taught learner journeys!

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Looking for Beginner-Friendly Cybersecurity Courses & Self-Taught Learner Journeys!

December 4, 2024 -

I know this might be asked a lot, but I’m completely new to cybersecurity and looking for advice on building a strong foundation. I’m looking for beginner-friendly cybersecurity courses (both free and paid) that can help me master the basics.

I’d also love to hear from self-taught learners who started from zero. What was your journey like? What resources didyou use, and what challenges did you face? Whether you're still a beginner or have progressed further, any insights are welcome! :3

Get first the fundamentals. Here a course to learn general IT conceptos and some labs: https://academy.tcm-sec.com/p/practical-help-desk https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-it-support Note: TCM course is free. Coursera is paid but cheap. Networks fundamentals: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/exams/ccst-networking.html Note: the course is free. The certification is paid. Linux fundamentals: https://www.netacad.com/courses/linux-essentials?courseLang=en-US Note: this is free. Cybersecurity fundamentals: https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-cybersecurity https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security Note: Course google course is cheap. Comptia security+ is not cheap but this is the gold standard for cybersecurity fundamentals certification. From here you need to be clear the path you wanna follow. it can be Blueteam, redteam (Pentesting or ethical hacking), GRC, etc. For Blueteam: https://www.securityblue.team/certifications/blue-team-level-1 https://academy.hackthebox.com/preview/certifications/htb-certified-defensive-security-analyst Note: it s not cheap but it s practical and beginer friendly. HTB CDSA is more a intermediate certification, it s hard but i can grow your knowledge by a big margin, i recommend it. it s not as beginer friendly as other but with hard work you can achieve it. For redteam: https://certifications.tcm-sec.com/pjpt/ https://www.offsec.com/courses/pen-200/ https://academy.hackthebox.com/preview/certifications/htb-certified-penetration-testing-specialist Note: PJPT is for beginer, OSCP is the gold standard for HR filter passing. HTB CPTS is really hard but i can make able to do a pentesting job, to answer really hard question in a interview, etc. For GRC role: https://www.grcmastery.com/ https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/cisa#1 https://pecb.com/es/education-and-certification-for-individuals/iso-iec-27001 https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/program_training_and_qualification/pci_professional_qualification/ Note: GRCmastery is a practical GRC course. it s not very know but it can teach you how to do your job in a practical way. CISA is very famous certification for auditors. ISO 27001 and PCI DSS are just standard as many others, you can google what GRC standard are more demandable for companies. hope it helps. Best regards

If you're new to cybersecurity, start with networking basics understanding how networks and protocols work is essential. Then, dive into cybersecurity fundamentals using free platforms like TryHackMe or Hack The Box (beginner tracks). Once you’ve got the basics down, consider a certification like CEH to build practical skills. From there, pick a specialization web, network, or cloud security. Take it step by step, and you’ll make solid progress! Best of Luck

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › sponsored cyber certs within companies/paid training with certs included

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Sponsored Cyber certs within companies/paid Training with certs included

October 18, 2023 -

I'm in Currently in Bachelors Program for cybersecurity with no EXP in the field with 1 yr 1/2 left. The semester ending in December, I have been researching desperately trying to find new avenues for affordable certifications routes as my college does not offer any certs.I have found some info on Women in Tech and it seems the gap needs to be filled sooner than later. Im really worried financially and need to enroll in program for January or classes again with same college.I am dying to start with hands on classes and know i am going somewhere. Sans is outta the question. I needentry level certs and looking towards ethical hacker or blue or purple team. I hear there are many companies that do the work study or close to but I am lost on where to go .I need a training that will lead me to a chance of scoring a job directly after certification. Also stacking certs from beginning with multiple included in a package training would be awesome financially. Anyway, passionate eager lady wishing to embark on a mission to contribute to the greater good through applied skills and knowledge needs help desperately just like many others it seems. Any suggestions/guidance would be so greatly appreciated.

IMHO, Don't stress about the certifications. Get some experience in ANYTHING sooner rather than later. Take an internship/ summer Helpdesk role. Do an office relocation, data entry, or something else in the tech space. You need to get your feet wet.

I have read hundreds of resumes in my life and experience almost always trumps certs. With your bachelors and a few years experience in something like helpdesk you should be hireable in the InfoSec space.

If you want a complete map of all possible cert then I suggest looking at https://pauljerimy.com/security-certification-roadmap/ . Some are cheaper than others but again, the experience matters more.

Does your school have a co-op/career services office? See if they have leads on internships. An internship or two will be more valuable than entry-level certs.

reddit.com › r/securitycareeradvice › i wanna know about free online courses worth the time for cyber security career.

r/SecurityCareerAdvice on Reddit: I wanna know about free online courses worth the time for cyber security career.

October 21, 2024 -

So i have been searching for free online courses like Linux fundamental, Networking or anything I think will be worth the time. Can anyone help me find such courses? Also I want worth free certificates after the completion of course if possible to build up resume and skill. Its fine even if the certification isn't free. I wanna learn skill. Edit: I am student so resume is to start my career

Nothing free is going to be on your resume Your resume should have your work experience, college education and actual industry certifications https://pauljerimy.com/security-certification-roadmap/ Android Security Awesome Awesome Appsec Awesome Bash Awesome CTF Awesome Cyber Awesome Forensics Awesome Hacking Awesome Honeypots Awesome Incident Response Awesome Infosec Awesome Industrial Control System Security Awesome Java Awesome Javascript Awesome Malware Analysis Awesome PCAP Tools Awesome Pentest Awesome Powershell Awesome Python Awesome Security Awesome Security Operations Center Awesome Sec Talks Awesome Splunk Awesome Threat Intelligence Awesome Web Hacking Awesome YARA

TCM security offers some free courses. for example practical help desk seems very attractive. Cisco also offers networks and cybersecurity courses for free. Other platform is Cybrary. Some are free, some are paying. CyberMillion Iniciative offers a couses but they dont offers certificate, but you can printscreen all completed labs and use it as a certificate. their course is practical, no only theorical. Best regards

reddit.com › r/ukjobs › referred to a cyber security course by my work coach, is it worth committing to?

r/UKJobs on Reddit: Referred to a cyber security course by my work coach, Is it worth committing to?

May 7, 2024 -

Im young and pretty stupid so sorry if this is a dumb question. The course is a level 3 lasting around 4-12 weeks where they train us for around an hour a day and then the rest is independant work. They then vouch for us to companies and attempt to help us find employment. If im being honest this was dropped on me like a bombshell by my workcoach and I have one day to consider if im willing to commit to this. Has anyone done a similar type of course and if so how does it go? If im being honest this sort of sounds almost too good to be true. I mean I know its not a scam surely, But there must be a catch, no?

tomorrow they want me to take a test for my English and Math skills, Ive done GCSEs for this already so I got no idea why they wont just take those.

it could go into a very well paid career, but is it something you enjoy?

The biggest problem with cybersecurity is that it's not an entry level role at all. Companies will cry out that they can't recruit for cybersecurity positions, but the positions they are trying to fill will be mid-level to senior. The market is totally oversaturated with entry-level people unable to find a job - because essentially those jobs don't exist. As already mentioned, no-one is trusting a newbie to work cybersecurity since the pitfalls of getting it wrong can be so catastrophic. You'd need something like the knowledge and experience for the Cisco CCNA networking and Security+ certifications to get anywhere. The high paying jobs are held by people with certifications like CISSP (level 7) or equivalent experience. Generally, cybersecurity people in industry already have a multi-year portfolio career spanning most of, if not all of: systems (windows and/or linux) admin, computer networking and software development - so the cybersecurity salaries are high as these people have a lot of in-depth experience already of all areas of IT infrastructure, which takes years. It's a job where you have to pay your dues doing these things - the usual way in is helpdesk -> sysadmin or network admin, or software developer. STEM degree holders probably skip the helpdesk bit. If you want an area where you might get somewhere with some basic know how and recent training, I'd go Azure (cloud), as it maps onto Microsoft Office365 that everyone uses. Small organisations in particular use O365, and want to cut IT costs by making use of the cloud, and the natural cloud platform for them to use is Azure. Cloud skills don't rely on so much of a base of IT knowledge, and are still a hot ticket.

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › paid virtual cloud security training recommendations

Paid Virtual Cloud Security Training Recommendations : r/cybersecurity

September 26, 2024 - This subreddit is for technical professionals to discuss cybersecurity news, research, threats, etc. ... I graduated with a 2.5 GPA but want to get a masters. I have 4 years experience at Microsoft as security engineer.

reddit.com › r/cybersecurity › entry-level resources for aspiring cybersecurity professionals

r/cybersecurity on Reddit: Entry-Level Resources for Aspiring Cybersecurity Professionals

5 days ago -

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with any resources or projects mentioned below. These come from community recommendations in similar threads and my own research. Feel free to correct me or add something in the comments!

Disclaimer 2: This post is hand-crafted! Don’t make my immaculate formatting skills fool you into thinking it’s AI!

Some time ago, my post about children as young as seven being referred to Britain's national cybercrime intervention programme blew up. The discussion in the comments (particularly around parental responsibility) inspired me to compile this list of beginner-friendly cybersecurity resources you can share with your kids or anyone who wants to start their career in the industry.

========

Hands-On Learning Platforms:

TryHackMe - Needs no introduction. Offers everything from Windows/Linux fundamentals to professional-grade content. Free tier available with 1-hour daily VM access, paid version $7.35 or $16.99, depending on the monthly/annual subscription.

HackTheBox - Another industry-leading hands-on learning platform. Haven’t found the personal plans, though, but I remember there was one (have they pivoted into enterprise entirely?)

OverTheWire - Gamified labs (requires basic Linux terminal knowledge)

KC7 - Another platform for hands-on practice, a free cyber detective game

Pwn College - Platform by ASU for vulnerability research

HexTree - An Additional learning platform where you can test real websites to find the flags

Kusto Detective Agency - For learning KQL (Kusto Query Language)

Capture the flag: CTFTime (for lists of online competitions), PicoCTF - Great for CTF challenges

YouTube Channels:

PowerCert Animated Videos - Really good infographics for networking concepts

Branch Education - Technical explanations on how tech works from the inside

Sunny Classroom - Educational content by Associate Professor of the Cybersecurity Program at the University of Saint Mary

NetworkChuck - Has a "Hacker's Roadmap" series and other cybersecurity content (note: videos can be ad-heavy and jump around topics)

Professor Messer - A+ courses and other IT fundamentals

Online Courses (Free/Low-Cost):

Google Cybersecurity Course (Coursera/Grow.Google) - Beginner-friendly, certification available at a low cost

ISC2 CC Certification - Currently offering free training and certification

Cisco Skills for All - Free courses in cybersecurity, threat management, and networking

Cisco Ethical Hacker Course - 70-hour free course

Security Blue Team - Free courses and entry-level Blue Team Level 1 cert (practical and open book)

The Cyber Mentor Academy - Free practical help desk training

Black Hills Information Security - Free resources, including the Information Security Survival Guide series

PortSwigger Web Security Academy - Excellent for web security

Hacker High School - Designed specifically for young learners

Books:

"The Cuckoo's Egg" by Cliff Stoll - Story of one of the first international hacks, excellent for understanding infosec foundations

GitHub Resources:

Search for "Awesome" lists: Awesome CTF, Awesome Hacking, Awesome Pentest, Awesome Security, etc.

Cybersources repo - Comprehensive collection of beginner resources

General Advice:
Learn computer hardware first - open up a PC, identify components, and understand what each does. Study operating systems (Windows and Linux basics). Master networking fundamentals, including the OSI model. Understand cybersecurity isn't entry-level - it builds on solid IT and computer science knowledge

Programming & Scripting:
Learn Python - teaches proper fundamentals and is widely used in cybersecurity
Consider Codecademy for structured coding lessons
Focus on understanding algorithms, data structures, and abstract thinking
Learn SQL and PowerShell - critical for security analyst work

Learning Philosophy:
Cybersecurity requires understanding how and why tools work, not just using them
Build projects, break things in safe environments, and ask questions
Don't just rush into "hacking" - master the underlying technologies first
Consider CompTIA certs as milestones: ITF+/A+ → Network+ → Security+

Practical Tips:
Let curiosity drive learning rather than force-feeding information
Join computer clubs at school if available
Practice in virtualized environments to avoid damaging systems
Engage in CTF competitions when ready
Consider robotics camps or coding camps for hands-on experience

Certifications to Consider (in order):
CompTIA ITF+ or A+ (fundamentals)
CompTIA Network+
CompTIA Security+ (minimum for many IT jobs)
ISC2 CC (free!)
Blue Team Level 1

Thank you this is very helpful for someone looking to transition from a SQL DBA

god bless you 🙏🙏

reddit.com › r/minnesota › any paid training cyber security places?

r/minnesota on Reddit: Any paid training cyber security places?

December 19, 2022 -

I'm looking to continue my studies while working , are there any places in Minnesota that offer both. If you do please let me know, thank you very much!

Don't join a boot camp or anything every thing you can learn is online for free or for a decent price. Try tryhackme.com it's a great resource and YouTube as well.

Check out here.. https://owasp.org/