Last Updated on August 8, 2022 by Team College Learners

Looking for a cybersecurity fundamentals online course? You’ve come to the right place. In this post, I’ve compiled the best free cybersecurity courses on the web that you can take from the comfort of your own home.

Cybercrime is a growing threat and will continue to impact businesses in more than one way. Whether your business is large or small now, you need to ensure that your business systems are protected from online threats. Infolearners.com has developed a complete course for individuals and companies in order to educate people about cyber security. The course includes all the cybersecurity fundamentals, which includes risk assessment, network security, mobile security, cloud security and MISP.

Cyber Security Fundamentals Self-Paced Online Course

Price: $2,995.00

Duration: Five weeks fully online with ~6 hours of effort required each week

Delivery Mode: Online self-paced course

Take your cyber security education to the next level with the Cyber Security Fundamentals course.  Fully online, this self paced course is held over five weeks requiring ~six hours per week of effort.  This is a micro-credential course which covers the evolving cyber security threat landscape; the confidentiality, availability, integrity triad, attach surfaces & vectors; governance, risk & compliance frameworks; best practices and controls; and hands-on lab sessions.

Course Information

NICE Framework Mappingremove

This course maps to the following NICE Framework KSAs (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities):

What is the NICE Framework?

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cyber Security Workforce Framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) establishes a taxonomy and common lexicon that describes cyber security work and job roles.

To find out more about the NICE Framework, go to: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/workforce-development/cyber-security-workforce-frameworkCancellation policyremove

Courses will be held subject to sufficient registrations. UNSW Canberra reserves the right to cancel a course up to five working days prior to commencement of the course. If a course is cancelled, you will have the opportunity to transfer your registration or be issued a full refund. If registrant cancels within 10 days of course commencement, a 50% registration fee will apply. UNSW Canberra is a registered ACT provider under ESOS Act 2000-CRICOS provider Code 00098G.UNSW Institute for Cyber Securityremove

UNSW Institute for Cyber Security is a unique, cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research and teaching centre, working to develop the next generation of cyber security experts and leaders.

The centre is based in Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy and provides professional, undergraduate and post graduate education in cyber security. Our air-gapped, state of the art cyber range offers a secure environment where we deliver a number of technical and highly specialised learning opportunities.

Our courses are designed to give the next generation of cyber security professionals the skill sets needed to thrive in the industry. We can also create bespoke professional education programs tailored to your organisation’s needs.

Contact us at cyber@adfa.edu.au to discuss how.

Cybersecurity Fundamentals Training

The Cybersecurity Fundamentals Course is an excellent way to gain foundational knowledge in cybersecurity and begin to build your knowledge and kick-start your career in this crucial area. It is also a great way to prepare to earn your Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate.

Ideal for enterprises wishing to bring cybersecurity beginners, as well as information systems or any other employees, up to speed with a comprehensive understanding of:

• Cybersecurity’s key concepts and its impacts on your business
• The integral role of a cybersecurity professional in protecting enterprise data and infrastructure

Cybersecurity Fundamentals training also offers enterprises the opportunity to validate employee knowledge by preparing them for the exam and globally accepted.

Learning Objectives

The Course’s interactive, format provides a dynamic learning experience where you’ll learn to:

• Explain the core information assurance (IA) principles
• Identify the key components of cybersecurity network architecture
• Apply cybersecurity architecture principles
• Describe risk management processes and practices
• Identify security tools and hardening techniques.
• Distinguish system and application security threats and vulnerabilities
• Describe different classes of attacks
• Define types of incidents including categories, responses and timelines for response
• Describe new and emerging IT and IS technologies
• Analyze threats and risks within context of the cybersecurity architecture
• Appraise cybersecurity incidents to apply appropriate response
• Evaluate decision making outcomes of cybersecurity scenarios
• Access additional external resources to supplement knowledge of cybersecurity

Who Should Attend?

The Cybersecurity Fundamentals Course is ideal for college/university students and recent graduates, those new to the field, as well as those looking to change careers. It is also an excellent resource for professionals in the field looking for a cybersecurity refresher course.

Why CSX?

Training Options Include:

Two-Day On-Site Course – Our two-day workshop includes two days of on-site instruction with one of our expert cybersecurity instructors. EARN UP TO 16 CPEs

Four-Day On-Site Course – This more in-depth option includes four days of on-site instruction with one of our expert cybersecurity instructors. EARN UP TO 32 CPEs

All of our on-site training packages include a Cybersecurity Fundamentals Study Guide and a voucher for each attendee to take the Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate exam.

Self-Paced Online Course – This eight-hour online course is available anywhere employees can access hi-speed internet and allows for self-paced learning. EARN 8 CPEs

Take advantage of the convenience of online learning through eight hours of instruction that covers key areas of cybersecurity:

• Cybersecurity objectives and roles and the difference between cybersecurity and information security
• The Principles of Cybersecurity
• Information Security within Lifecycle Management
• Risks & Vulnerabilities
• Incident Response

Best online cybersecurity courses of 2022: free and paid certification programs, degrees and masters

Included in this guide:

1

Udemy

2

Future

Learn

3

Coursera

4

NexGenT

5

Open

University

6

Cybrary

7

CISA

8

Open

Security Training

9

Heimdal

Security

10

Sans

Cyber Aces Online

(Image credit: Future)

The best online cybersecurity courses make it simple and easy to train up in cybersecurity skills and discover more about computer science.

How about taking one of the best free cybersecurity courses online and get yourself a new qualification while the whole notion of “new normal” sinks in as the effects of the great pandemic impact the global workforce.

These brilliant courses prove that it doesn’t need to be expensive to become qualified in cybersecurity. 

While you will ideally need to take a degree or other accredited course in computer science, in which you can choose networking and security topics to suit your career path, there are other options available that you can try in order to test the waters and see whether the industry really is for you. 

One of the best ways to do this is by signing up for a free online taster course, which introduce some of the basics. These are a great way of seeing if this is the sort of career you’d like – but if you want to become an industry professional, then you’ll need to sign up for more advanced courses.

Even still, some of the free providers do also provide paid courses which are often cheaper than undergraduate study, and may allow not just for suitable training but also industry connections to help on your path.

Therefore if you really are interested in exploring cybersecurity, try some of these featured courses to get an idea of whether you might suit the industry, and vice versa, but do be aware that any free training will generally be quite limited.

Additionally, check our featured best free VPN.

The best paid-for cybersecurity courses

1. Udemy

Huge learning platform

TODAY’S BEST DEALSUdemyVISIT SITEat Udemy

REASONS TO BUY

+Huge range of courses+Intensive learning opportunities+In-depth courses

REASONS TO AVOID

-No accreditation

Typically, courses on Udemy cost money, but we’ve found a few worth checking out that won’t put a dent in your bank account. 

The Cyber Security Course for Beginners – Level 01 could also be advantageous to take, not only for cybersecurity enthusiasts but for anyone who want to learn more about the subject. 

However, Udemy’s real selling point is that not only does it offer some very in-depth courses, many of these courses are extremely cost-effective. 

Paid courses worth looking for for include Cyber Security Crash Course for Beginners:Learn From Scratch but there are also others to consider such as The Data Science Course 2020: Complete Data Science Bootcamp which will help provide an insight into the intricacies of computer science.

It’s worth underlining just how comprehensive and intensive the paid courses can be, and while they may not carry any traditional educational accreditation they could be excellent options if you wanted to consider working as a freelancer to build up some experience, and in a very cost-effective way, too.

2. Future Learn

Wide range of short courses

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Lots of course options+Excellent presentation+Some accredited degrees

REASONS TO AVOID

-Limited accredited courses

Future Learn offers a wide range of short and free online sources, with the opportunity to pay for certificates of participation either at the course level or else access all content for a set fee. The courses themselves are well-presented in short and easy to work sections that make learning simple and interesting.

The Introduction to Cyber Security offers a free taster to the subject, and is accredited by UK Government intelligence organization GCHQ, global accreditation and examination institute APMG International, and The Institute of Information Security Professionals. However, there are also a small number of accredited degrees available in IT and computer science which includes a masters degree in cybersecurity.

Overall, while Future Learn is more focused on general introductory short courses, there are paid-for and accredited learning opportunities available through the platform.

3. Coursera

Another short-course distance learning platform

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Number of online courses+Cybersecurity courses+Some accredited degrees

Like Future Learn, Coursera offers a range of short courses for distance learning, including a number of cybersecurity ones such as Cybersecurity Specialization which was created by the University of Maryland to bring the underlying concepts of the construction of secure systems directly to your web browser. 

It consists of five courses in total, each of which can take several weeks to complete. These range from Usable Security to a Cybersecurity Capstone Project, so it’s safe to say that they’ll require you to already have some intermediate cybersecurity know-how under your belt.

There are additional cybersecurity courses available, though, covering everything from the basics to more advanced specializations.

There are also online degrees available in either computing and IT or data science, although none are focused specifically on cybersecurity, you can be assured that cybersecurity will be a significant part of the curriculum.

Overall, Coursera isn’t so well-presented as Future Learn, but there are potentially more accredited options for study through it.

4. NexGenT

Military-grade cybersecurity training

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+High-level training+Career services upon completion+Access to certifications 

REASONS TO AVOID

-Expensive (although payment plans exist) 

NexGenT was created by two US Air Force veterans with extensive experience teaching and training network engineering and cybersecurity.

The cybersecurity track features two courses: Basic Training, which serves as a prerequisite, and Cyber Security Specialization. Experienced candidates, however, can skip Basic Training by taking a series of tests to prove their skills.

Basic Training prepares you for both Full-Stack Network Associate (FSNA) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certificates. No prior experience is necessary, and the course is self-paced, so you can start and finish at any time.

The Cyber Security Specialization training takes place over 22 weeks, covers everything you need to know to protect businesses from cyberthreats, and includes access to NexGenT’s Career Services, which helps students enter the workforce upon completion.

The base tuition for the Cyber Security Specialization Program is costly up front, or you can choose zero-fee tuition and pay 10% of your salary only once you have a job with a $40,000 salary. After seven years, all remaining debt is forgiven, even if you haven’t paid a cent. That’s how confident NexGenT is that you’ll find a job and earn a living.

That confidence is backed up with some impressive figures: more than 50,000 enrolled students, 460,000 classes taught, and a number of success stories attesting to the effectiveness of their training.

If you’re looking for a solid and structured way to enter the professional world of cybersecurity, this may be the right course for you.

For more information, read our full NexGenT review.

5. Open University

The online university

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Accredited qualifications+Range of IT qualifications+Online learning environment

The UK’s Open University (OU) is a leader when it comes to distance learning, having spent decades developing its courses, and it serves an international range of students. The online portal for students is excellent with information clearly laid-out, with different modules having clear timetables to work to.

Even better is that the courses are tailored toward people of all abilities, and do a fantastic job of easing the inexperienced and unqualified into what can be quite deep and advanced topics, while actively trying to prevent students from feeling overwhelmed. 

The OU offers a dedicated online degree in cybersecurity, as part of its wide range of flexible Computing and IT honors degree courses, where you can choose to focus in different areas, all of which will show a concern for security issues. The OU also offers a dedicated degree in Data Science.

The big advantage of the OU is that it can deliver an accredited degree in computing and IT that aims to embrace all learners while allowing them to define their own learning path. Additionally, you can take up to 16 years to qualify for your degree through part-time learning.

Best free online cybersecurity courses

1. Cybrary

Extensive free cybersecurity courses

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Extensive free courses+Wide range of courses+Very topic specific

REASONS TO AVOID

-No accreditation

As the name suggests, Cybrary is an online library for cybersecurity, IT and other InfoSec-related study materials. After creating a free account, you get access to almost 500 courses, each ranked by their difficulty and all of them free. 

You can filter classes by level – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced – or by vendors like Cisco, (ISC)2 and Microsoft. Whether you want to learn the fundamentals of malware or the art of the Jedi mind trick, both of those curriculums are given equal prominence in Cybrary’s extensive course catalog.

What is especially good about Cybrary’s courses is that they tend to focus on specific aspects of IT, which means if there are areas you’d prefer to specialize in then you can focus on that rather than have to take a larger course to access it.

2. CISA

The government cybersecurity course platform

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Free+Government backed+Numerous specialisms

REASONS TO AVOID

-No accreditation

CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency) is part of the US Department of Homeland Security, and is an obvious source of cybersecurity expertise.

However, you may not have been aware that you don’t have to travel all the way to the United States to benefit from the vast experience of US government security experts, or that you can do so for free.

The DHS has a calendar full of training events you can attend in Idaho Falls, but for everyone who doesn’t live in the midwestern US there’s an entire portal of online courses available to those involved in the security of industrial control systems.

3. Open Security Training

Open cybersecurity training

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Free+Numerous subjects

REASONS TO AVOID

-No accreditation

Its website looks like what you’d get if you took all the slideshows and teaching materials from a university cybersecurity department and uploaded them to a domain sporting the most minimalist user interface of all time, but Open Security Training is host to a range of intermediate and advanced classes, along with a swath of beginner lessons that any newbie would be a fool to pass up.

There’s a whole rundown on the x86 and x64 architectures wielded by Intel processors, along with introductions to topics along the lines of cellular security, network forensics and vulnerability assessment.

4. Heimdal Security

Another free cybersecurity course

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Free course+Introductory coverage

REASONS TO AVOID

-No accreditation

From the same firm that brought you The Daily Security tip comes Heimdal Security’s Cyber Security Course for Beginners. Although this, too, is email-based, its syllabus is significantly more extensive than that of The Daily Security Tip. 

The Cyber Security Course for Beginners delivers a new lesson every two days for five weeks, and all without the need to pay back any tuition loans. In terms of content, it aims to give you step-by-step advice for keeping your personal data out of nefarious hands.

5. Sans Cyber Aces Online

Simple introduction to cyber security

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Free+Easy to follow+Introductory

REASONS TO AVOID

-Free and limited

It’s undeniably basic, and yet SANS Cyber Aces provides a nice little introduction to online IT and cyber security that’s easy to follow and understand. 

After reading through a series of comprehensive entries about operating systems, networking and system administration, you can register for a quiz that puts your expertise to the test. Should highlighted talking points such as installing Linux virtual machine software or basic PHP, Bash and PowerShell web scripting pique your interest, you’ll be in for an engaging lecture.