Free Cybersecurity Courses for Beginners & Educators

Free Cybersecurity Courses for Beginners and Educators–Break Into Cybersecurity 

Students who want to break into the cybersecurity realm stand a lot to gain from exploring free cybersecurity courses. You can acquire fundamental knowledge and skills in the information security domain and hone your skills while only paying through your time and effort.

The cybersecurity job market is projected to grow quickly over the next few years. Cyberattacks are a matter of concern for both private organizations and government bodies, increasing the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals. Despite this demand across multiple domains, there is a widening skill gap and many unfilled job positions due to the lack of trained personnel.

Why Choose the Essentials Series? Free Cybersecurity Courses for Beginners

According to a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 82% of employers face a cybersecurity talent pool shortage in response to the growing talent drought. EC-Council’s Essentials Series was launched to tackle this crisis—this is a cybersecurity workforce development initiative. Experts have designed the free 3-course series to offer baseline knowledge certifications for ethical hacking, digital forensics, and network security. As part of its first MOOC series, EC-Council makes cybersecurity learning and training accessible for all. The Essentials Series was developed to help students, early-career professionals, beginners, and educators acquire entry-level cybersecurity skills and build strong foundations to start their cybersecurity careers. These free cybersecurity courses for beginners are designed by experts to enable you to acquire the most in-demand skills in the domains of:
  • Ethical Hacking
  • Network Defense
  • Digital Forensics

The Essentials Series: An Overview

The Ethical Hacking Essentials (E|HE), Digital Forensics Essentials (D|FE), and Network Defense Essentials (N|DE) are foundational courses. However, each of these courses comes with an optional hands-on lab upgrade. Learners stand to gain a range of tactical cybersecurity skills across industry verticals, such as ethical hacking, penetration testing, threats and vulnerabilities, web application attacks, IoT and OT attacks, conducting forensic investigations, information security, data security, and more. Each course comes with a detailed course manual and expert videos that complement the curriculum. With the optional upgrade for labs, students receive the hands-on, practical experience required to prepare them for industry-ready job roles such as a cybersecurity technician. The Essentials Series courses contain:
  • 36 expert-designed modules
  • 40+ hours of premium, self-paced learning videos
  • 30+ add-on labs mapped to the course curriculum
  • Certificate of Achievement

Table of Contents

  1. Ethical Hacking Essentials (E|HE)
  2. Digital Forensics Essentials (D|FE)
  3. Network Defense Essentials (N|DE)

Ethical Hacking Essentials (E|HE)

With this free cybersecurity course, you will gain strong foundations in ethical hacking and penetration testing that will help create your pathway to an entry-level career in cybersecurity.
  • 12 learning modules
  • Official eCourseware
  • 15+ hours of premium, self-paced video training
  • 11 lab activities in a simulated lab environment (optional add-on)
Course Modules:
  1. Information Security Fundamentals
  2. Ethical Hacking Fundamentals
  3. Information Security Threats and Vulnerabilities
  4. Password Cracking Techniques and Countermeasures
  5. Social Engineering Techniques and Countermeasures
  6. Network-Level Attacks and Countermeasures
  7. Web Application Attacks and Countermeasures
  8. Wireless Attacks and Countermeasures
  9. Mobile Attacks and Countermeasures
  10. IoT and OT Attacks and Countermeasures
  11. Cloud Computing Threats and Countermeasures
  12. Penetration Testing Fundamentals

Tools You Will Learn and Use:

L0phtCrack, Netcraft, SQL Injection Detection Tool, Web Application Security Scanner, and ARP Spoofing Detection Tools

Get Started for Free!

Enroll Now
Job Roles:
Cybersecurity Specialist Cybersecurity Technician
Helpdesk Technician Cyber Operations Technician
Technical Support Specialist Intelligence Operations Specialist
Systems Specialist IT Security Specialist
Computer Support Specialist

Network Defense Essentials (N|DE)

With this free cybersecurity course, you will build strong foundations in network defense and information security facets that can help prepare you for a career in cybersecurity. N|DE highlights the fundamentals of network security and protocols, network security controls, understanding identity and access management, and more.
  • 12 learning modules
  • Official eCourseware
  • 14+ hours of premium, self-paced video training
  • 11 lab activities in a simulated lab environment (optional add-on)
Course Modules:
  1. Network Security Fundamentals
  2. Identification, Authentication, and Authorization
  3. Network Security Controls: Administrative Controls
  4. Network Security Controls: Physical Controls
  5. Network Security Controls: Technical Controls
  6. Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  7. Wireless Network Security
  8. Mobile Device Security
  9. IoT Device Security
  10. Cryptography and PKI
  11. Data Security
  12. Network Traffic Monitoring

Tools You Will Learn and Use:

Docker Bench for security, AWS, Miradore MDM, HashCalc, MD5 calculator, HashMyFiles, VeraCrypt, Data Recovery Wizard, and Wireshark

Get Started for Free!

Enroll Now
Job Roles:
Network Security Analyst Local Area Network Specialist
Network Technician Technical Support Specialist
Network Administrator Cybersecurity Technician
Network Coordinators

Digital Forensics Essentials (D|FE)

The D|FE was designed to help beginners grasp the foundations of digital forensics with hands-on skills and validate their knowledge as information security professionals. This free cybersecurity course will teach learners the steps, practices, and methodologies to follow during a digital forensics investigation.
  • 12 learning modules
  • Official eCourseware
  • 11+ hours of premium, self-paced video training
  • 11 lab activities in a simulated lab environment (optional add-on)
Course Modules:
  1. Computer Forensics Fundamentals
  2. Computer Forensics Investigation Process
  3. Understanding Hard Disks and File Systems
  4. Data Acquisition and Duplication
  5. Defeating Anti-forensics Techniques
  6. Windows Forensics
  7. Linux and Mac Forensics
  8. Network Forensics
  9. Investigating Web Attacks
  10. Dark Web Forensics
  11. Investigating Email Crime
  12. Malware Forensics

Tools You Will Learn and Use:

Linux, Windows, Sleuth Kit, Wireshark, Splunk, TOR browser, and ESEDatabaseView

Get Started for Free!

Enroll Now
Job Roles:
Cybersecurity Technician IT Security Specialist
Cyber Forensic Specialist Helpdesk Technician
Cyber Operations Technician Technical Support Specialist
Intelligence Operations Specialist

How You Can Earn the Certifications

EC-Council’s Essentials Series is an initiative to boost cybersecurity skills to meet industry demands across every spectrum. This introductory series launched as a part of EC-Council’s MOOC certification courses to offer free cybersecurity training to students, professionals, and beginners through a comprehensive curriculum in a blended-learning environment. Everyone is welcome—there are no eligibility criteria for the Essentials Series. You can get started for free through EC-Council’s CodeRed platform and start your learning journey today.

CodeRed’s Certificate of Achievement:

Exam Length: 2 Hours
Exam Format: Multiple-Choice Exam
Platform: ECC Exam Center
No. of Questions: 75
Certification: Course Specific (N|DE, E|HE, and D|FE)
 

According to recent data by Cybersecurity Ventures, by 2025, there will be 3.5 million job positions seeking cybersecurity skills. These three free cybersecurity courses for beginners provide comprehensive and structured learning on cybersecurity skills to meet enterprises’ job-role requirements across the globe.

Earn the right qualifications and step into the cybersecurity career of your dreams!

Get Started for Free!

Enroll Now

Free Online Cybersecurity Courses

The increasing demand for a skilled cybersecurity workforce across industries such as banking, information technology, management, and government agencies reinforces the need to develop adequate cybersecurity courses for beginners and professionals. EC-Council’s Essentials Series helps aspirants gain fundamental knowledge in network defense, ethical hacking, and digital forensics and makes them industry-ready for in-demand job roles. Enroll for our free and comprehensive online cybersecurity courses today to kickstart your cybersecurity career!

Cybersecurity Courses from Beginner to Advance

Free Cybersecurity Courses for Beginners

Cybersecurity for Businesses - The Fundamental Edition
SQL Injection
Attacks
Introduction to Dark Web, Anonymity, and Cryptocurrency
Free Cybersecurity Intermediate Courses
Hands-on Android
Security
Black Hat Python: Python for Pentesters
Android Bug Bounty Hunting: Hunt Like a Rat

Free Cybersecurity Advance Courses

Our In-Demand Courses

Software
Development
Security Architecture and Operations
Governance, Risk, and Compliance
DevSecOps
Cloud Security
Data Science
Vulnerability Assessment and Pentesting
Industrial Security
Controls

FAQ

Cybersecurity is the practice of implementing tools, technologies, and controls to safeguard systems, networks, and programs against cyberattacks. It encompasses collective methodologies and best practices to protect an organization’s sensitive data and assets from complex internal and external threats.

The cybersecurity domain has grown immensely with the surge in internet-enabled devices and cloud adoption. With constant technological advancements making information digitally accessible through the internet, the need to adopt a robust cybersecurity strategy has intensified. Cybersecurity measures are crucial to protect all types of data (sensitive and personal information, protected health information (PHI), personally identifiable information (PII), etc.) against loss, theft, and legal complications.

As cyberattack techniques continue to evolve, the cybersecurity job market is inevitably expected to grow in leaps and bounds. The increasing frequency and sophistication of cybercrimes today require businesses of all sizes to hire skilled professionals to help identify and mitigate data breach impacts efficiently.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings for Information Security Analysts alone are to rise 35 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022).

The cybersecurity industry has seen consistent growth in terms of employment opportunities and still forecasts a huge demand. To fulfill the growing market demand, it is essential to build trained professionals with skills in crucial cybersecurity domains. The constant need for professionals across industries makes cybersecurity a lucrative field with enormous earning potential based on a candidate’s skill set.

Cybersecurity is a dynamic space that requires entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level professionals to tackle various cybersecurity issues. The job roles depend on the specific cybersecurity domain and can vary from entry-level positions like ‘Cybersecurity Specialists’ to high-level positions like ‘Cybersecurity Architects.’ Below are some highly sought-after cybersecurity job roles to help you understand the in-demand job skills and career options better (Swanston, 2022).


Job Roles:
Entry-Level Mid-Level Advanced-Level
Cybersecurity Specialist Cybersecurity Analyst Cybersecurity Manager
Cybercrime Analyst Cybersecurity Consultant Cybersecurity Engineer
Incident and Intrusion Analyst Penetration and Vulnerability Tester Cybersecurity Architect
IT Auditor

With brutal cyberattacks posing huge financial losses and reputational damage, companies are ready to pay a handsome package for cybersecurity engineers to protect against the damaging repercussions. Two of the highest-paying cybersecurity jobs in 2023 are Information Security Managers and Cybersecurity Engineers (Hatten).

However, the salary may vary depending on the exact skill set and location of the job. Here’s an insight into the average salaries of cybersecurity engineers annually in different parts of the world.

  • Cybersecurity Engineer in the US: $99,789 (Payscale, 2022)
  • Senior Cybersecurity Engineer in the US: $128,130 (Payscale, 2022)
  • Cybersecurity Engineers in India: ₹698,805 (Payscale, 2022)
  • Cybersecurity Engineers in Australia: AU$93,679 (Payscale, 2022)
  • Cybersecurity Engineers in the UK: £41,129 (Payscale, 2022)

While it is true that cybersecurity is a completely technical domain, it is not imperative to possess coding experience to pursue a career in cybersecurity. Candidates with non-technical skills can also opt for careers in cybersecurity if they possess analytical and critical thinking abilities.

But having coding or programming experience will help aspirants flourish in this sector and climb up the growth ladder with advanced job options.

References

Lewis, J.A. (2019, January 29). The cybersecurity workforce gap. Center for Strategic & International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/cybersecurity-workforce-gap

Morgan, S. (2021, November 9). Cybersecurity jobs report: 3.5 million openings in 2025. Cybersecurity Ventures. https://cybersecurityventures.com/jobs/

Payscale. (2022, Dec 6). Average Cyber Security Engineer Salary. https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Cyber_Security_Engineer/Salary

Payscale. (2022, Dec 4). Average Senior Cyber Security Engineer Salary. https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Senior_Cyber_Security_Engineer/Salary

Payscale. (2022, Dec 5). Average Cyber Security Engineer Salary in India. https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Cyber_Security_Engineer/Salary

Payscale. (2022, Oct 29). Average Cyber Security Engineer Salary in Australia. https://www.payscale.com/research/AU/Job=Cyber_Security_Engineer/Salary

Payscale. (2022, Dec 6). Average Cyber Security Engineer Salary in United Kingdom. https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=Cyber_Security_Engineer/Salary

Swanston B. (2022, September 7). What is a typical cybersecurity salary? Forbes Advisor. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/cyber-security-salary-outlook/

Hatten, M. 6 Highest-Paid Cyber Security Jobs & Salaries. Mondo. https://mondo.com/blog-highest-paid-cybersecurity-jobs/

U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK HANDBOOK. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm

Share this Article
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Pinterest
You may also like
Recent Articles
Train With EC-Council

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Address*
Agreement*