Top 12 online cybersecurity courses for 2025

Best of the free cybersecurity courses online

1. TryHackMe

TryHackMe features content for people new to cybersecurity and covers a broad range of topics, including training for offensive and defensive security. TryHackMe also has Capture the Flag exercises with walk-through write-ups by contributing users that let members see how to approach and solve problems. Four levels are available:

1. Complete Beginners. For those with no computing knowledge and who are unsure of where to start.
2. Early Intermediates. For those who have basic computing knowledge and have used Linux.
3. Intermediates. For those who know how computers work and have basic security experience.
4. Advanced. For those who work in cybersecurity and penetration testing.

TryHackMe also has modules on Linux, network security, web hacking and Windows fundamentals, as well as courses on cryptography, shells, privilege escalation and basic computer exploitation.

2. Hack The Box

Hack The Box is geared toward offensive security and offers a live training area for hackers to practice their skills without harming systems in production. The course has retired boxes with write-ups by other members of the Hack The Box community for those who want to be guided through the process. It also has active boxes where the solutions are not published. Hacking into these boxes gives users points toward improving their rank in Hack The Box. Note that the site includes free and paid tiers, which include an inventory of intentionally vulnerable platforms that emphasize and illustrate vulnerabilities, exploits and attack patterns, ranging in difficulty and sophistication.

3. Bugcrowd University

Bugcrowd University is an excellent community resource from one of the leaders in the bug bounty field. The site has a lot of good, approachable content with the stated objective of developing a wider talent pool in the bug bounty field. It ranges from a basic on-ramp into the material to more sophisticated content even some seasoned practitioners might find useful. Bugcrowd University operates as a free and open source project to help improve the skills of the industry's security researchers. It includes content modules to help researchers find the most critical and prevalent bugs that affect customers. Each module has slides, videos and labs for researchers to master the art of bug hunting with the aim of creating a new standard for security testing training.

4. SANS Institute

Widely respected for its professional security courses, SANS Institute also offers some free cybersecurity training programs for those looking to get started in the field. These resources focus on foundational topics such as hardware CPUs and networking protocols. The free offerings replace SANS' Cyber Aces program, which was discontinued in 2023.

5. CISA Learning

U.S. government's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers free security courses through its CISA Learning initiative. While the platform is used by CISA staff and contractors, training is also available to the public on topics such as cloud security, ethical hacking, risk management and malware analysis. CISA Learning carries on the work done by the now-discontinued Federal Virtual Training Environment (FedVTE) program.

Best of the paid cybersecurity courses online

1. INE Skill Dive

Skill Dive provides students with access to dozens of interactive labs and courses on a range of subjects. Some of the training is a continuation of the well-regarded offerings of Pentester Academy, which INE acquired in 2021. The Skill Dive courses explore security in everything from industrial control systems to Kubernetes to supply chain attacks. With the INE Premium subscription ($750 annually), users get unlimited access to training resources and certification prep materials.

2. Cybersecurity for Managers

Cybersecurity for Managers: A Playbook is a well-known MIT offering developed for business leaders, managers and executives in technical and nontechnical positions looking to build more secure and resilient organizations. Technology and business consultants and those acting as liaisons between technology and business units will also benefit. The program has no technical prerequisites. The course offers technical leaders frameworks that lay out a strategic view of an organization's quantitative and qualitative cybersecurity risk management; covers the leading approaches to managing cybersecurity, including defense in depth and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework; and offers a practical interpretation of the tradeoffs between security and privacy, as well as a method for understanding an organization's priorities in attaining secure systems.

The online course runs for six weeks, five to six hours per week. The fee is $2,950.

3. Cybrary Insider Pro

Cybrary Insider Pro is for working professionals who want to advance their careers or newcomers interested in learning more about cybersecurity. Insider Pro makes the most sense for individuals, while companies can also consider Cybrary for Teams. For those who want to prepare for exams and earn certifications, become an industry expert in a specific security topic, get new employees up to speed on cyber awareness, improve employee retention and develop or monitor cybersecurity skills development over time, Cybrary offers the tools and an online cyber community that will help students reach their goals.

Students can receive a seven-day free trial. The course fee for Insider Pro is $59 per month or $588 annually for individuals.

4. Western Governors University

WGU's Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance offers a master's degree program for professionals who are ready to take the next step in their security industry careers and need a flexible, self-paced online course.

The program aligns its curriculum with the NICE Framework (from NIST), NSA's Centers of Academic Excellence and the Common Body of Knowledge security framework. Students can complete the program in one year or multiple years, and course costs increase accordingly. Students working in the field typically have the knowledge to move through the course quickly.

Tuition is $4,655 per six-month term.

5. University of Maryland Global Campus

UMGC offers excellent courses for beginners and working professionals who want to improve their cybersecurity skills. Given its proximity to the NSA and the national security establishment, students have access to top practitioners and security policymakers in the U.S. Courses delve into topics such as digital forensics, software security, AI ethics and cybersecurity risk management.

The fee for the standard undergraduate program is $499 per credit and $659 for standard graduate programs.

6. Fullstack Academy

The Fullstack Academy Cybersecurity Analytics Bootcamp offers both a full-time schedule -- 32.5 hours per week for 12 weeks -- and a part-time schedule -- nine hours per week for 26 weeks. Through extensive curriculum, labs and group exercises, this program lets students engage in various in-demand cybersecurity applications. Once students have learned the fundamentals of cybersecurity, course topics include asset and inventory management, network systems, Python programming and more.

The course requires prospective students to fill out an application, and then take a 30-minute logic-based assessment before receiving an entrance decision. Tuition for accepted students is $11,995.

7. NSA Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity

The U.S. government's National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program is managed by the NSA's National Cryptologic School. Partners include many federal agencies with security responsibilities, including CISA, FBI, NIST, NICE, the National Science Foundation, Defense Department and U.S. Cyber Command. The various programs are deeply technical, interdisciplinary, higher education courses firmly grounded in the computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering disciplines. The programs offer extensive opportunities for hands-on applications via labs and exercises. While security pros consider CAE-CO the most hands-on technical program, the CAE course also offers concentrations in Cyber Defense Education and Cyber Research. The course fees vary depending on the college and region.

Steve Zurier is an independent freelance technology writer covering IT security, networking and cloud computing.