Are these cybersecurity courses really free?

Yes, for the material itself. Cisco's Introduction to Cybersecurity is listed as a free self-paced course; TryHackMe offers 650+ free rooms with no payment needed; PortSwigger states its Academy is 100% free; Professor Messer's Security+ videos are entirely free to watch; and ISC2's CC training is free through its One Million Certified in Cybersecurity initiative. Where a related certification exam costs money (the CompTIA Security+ exam, Meta-style professional exams, or ISC2's exam if the initiative's free places run out), we say so explicitly.

Do I need IT experience before starting?

Not for these. Cisco's Introduction to Cybersecurity and TryHackMe's beginner rooms assume no background. Professor Messer's Security+ course is smoother with basic IT familiarity first, and PortSwigger's labs are best once you understand basic web concepts. A good order: Cisco Intro → TryHackMe beginner rooms → PortSwigger labs → Professor Messer for certification prep.

Will a free course get me a cybersecurity job?

No course guarantees employment — free or paid. What free training reliably builds is demonstrable skill: completed TryHackMe and PortSwigger labs, a GitHub record of CTF writeups, and certifications like the ISC2 CC or CompTIA Security+. Getting hired also requires projects, applications, and interview practice. Treat any resource that promises a job with skepticism.

Which free cybersecurity course should I start with?

Start with Cisco's Introduction to Cybersecurity (6 hours, zero prerequisites, free badge) to learn the vocabulary. Then move to TryHackMe's free rooms for hands-on practice — hands-on skill is what interviews test. If web security interests you, PortSwigger's Academy is the deepest free resource on that topic anywhere. When you're ready to formalize it, study with Professor Messer and take the ISC2 CC or CompTIA Security+ exam.

Education · verified free

Free cybersecurity courses, actually free

Every resource below was verified as genuinely free on the provider's own site — no trial traps, no paywalled material hiding behind “free.” Where a related exam costs money, we say exactly so.

The list

Verified free courses

Cisco Networking Academy: Introduction to Cybersecurity

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A 6-hour beginner course on the cybersecurity landscape: common threats and vulnerabilities, how threat detection and defense work, and the entry-level career paths (security analyst, security technician, IT support) the field offers. No prerequisites.

Format: Self-paced modules, quizzes, and a final exam
Cost: Free — Cisco lists it as a free self-paced course; a free Networking Academy account is all you need
Certificate: Yes, free — a Cisco Networking Academy digital badge you can share on LinkedIn and your CV

TryHackMe free tier

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650+ free hands-on labs covering Linux, networking, Nmap, web vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10), forensics, and capture-the-flag challenges — from absolute-beginner rooms like 'Introductory Researching' to intermediate CTFs. You hack in the browser, no local setup required.

Format: In-browser hands-on labs and challenges
Cost: Free — the free tier needs no payment for the 650+ free rooms; paid tiers only unlock full learning paths and extra AttackBox time
Certificate: No certificate on the free tier — your completed rooms and profile are the credential

PortSwigger Web Security Academy

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The makers of Burp Suite run a completely free academy for web application security: SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), SSRF, HTTP request smuggling, and many more vulnerability classes, each taught with reading material plus interactive labs in a safe, legal testing environment.

Format: Articles plus interactive labs with leaderboards
Cost: Free — PortSwigger states the Academy is 100% free, funded by their commercial tools
Certificate: No certificate — progress tracking and leaderboards instead

Professor Messer: CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 training

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A complete video course covering every CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 exam objective: threats and vulnerabilities, architecture and design, implementation, operations and incident response, and governance — with clear explanations and real-world examples.

Format: Free video course plus monthly live study-group replays
Cost: Free — every minute of the course videos is free to watch; note the CompTIA exam itself is paid separately
Certificate: No certificate — the videos prepare you for the (paid) Security+ exam

ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) official training

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The official self-paced training for ISC2's entry-level credential: security principles, business continuity and incident response, access control, network security, and security operations — from the nonprofit that also runs the CISSP.

Format: Self-paced online training (adaptive, ~13–20 hours)
Cost: Free training — ISC2 made the CC training (and exam) free through its One Million Certified in Cybersecurity initiative; check ISC2's site for current exam availability and pricing
Certificate: Yes if you pass — the CC certification itself (free under the initiative while places last; confirm current status before enrolling)

Honest note: no course guarantees employment. Cybersecurity interviews test what you can do — completed labs, CTF writeups, and a home lab say more than any course enrollment. We exclude any “free” listing that charges for the material itself.

FAQ

Free course questions

Are these cybersecurity courses really free?: Yes, for the material itself. Cisco's Introduction to Cybersecurity is listed as a free self-paced course; TryHackMe offers 650+ free rooms with no payment needed; PortSwigger states its Academy is 100% free; Professor Messer's Security+ videos are entirely free to watch; and ISC2's CC training is free through its One Million Certified in Cybersecurity initiative. Where a related certification exam costs money (the CompTIA Security+ exam, Meta-style professional exams, or ISC2's exam if the initiative's free places run out), we say so explicitly.
Do I need IT experience before starting?: Not for these. Cisco's Introduction to Cybersecurity and TryHackMe's beginner rooms assume no background. Professor Messer's Security+ course is smoother with basic IT familiarity first, and PortSwigger's labs are best once you understand basic web concepts. A good order: Cisco Intro → TryHackMe beginner rooms → PortSwigger labs → Professor Messer for certification prep.
Will a free course get me a cybersecurity job?: No course guarantees employment — free or paid. What free training reliably builds is demonstrable skill: completed TryHackMe and PortSwigger labs, a GitHub record of CTF writeups, and certifications like the ISC2 CC or CompTIA Security+. Getting hired also requires projects, applications, and interview practice. Treat any resource that promises a job with skepticism.
Which free cybersecurity course should I start with?: Start with Cisco's Introduction to Cybersecurity (6 hours, zero prerequisites, free badge) to learn the vocabulary. Then move to TryHackMe's free rooms for hands-on practice — hands-on skill is what interviews test. If web security interests you, PortSwigger's Academy is the deepest free resource on that topic anywhere. When you're ready to formalize it, study with Professor Messer and take the ISC2 CC or CompTIA Security+ exam.

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