Get Hands-On¶
Reading about cyber security is useful.
Breaking something in a controlled environment is much more useful.
| Platform | What it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| TryHackMe | Guided, beginner-friendly security labs | Free tier + paid subscription for full content |
| picoCTF | Capture-the-flag challenges from beginner to advanced | Free |
| Hack The Box | More challenging offensive security labs | Free tier is limited (shared VPN, no retired machines) — paid subscription for the full library |
| Blue Team Labs Online | Defensive security and investigation challenges | Free tier is genuinely usable — paid tier removes the monthly lab-time cap |
| Security Blue Team | Blue-team training and practical security skills | The Junior Analyst Pathway (linked on the Welcome page) is free — their formal certifications (BTL1/BTL2) are a paid, one-time cost |
| TCM Security Academy | Practical ethical hacking and security courses | Free tier (25+ hours) — full catalogue needs a paid subscription |
| Cyber Security Roadmap | Visual map of the different areas of cyber security | Free |
A good first project¶
Set up a Linux virtual machine.
Run a web server.
Look at its logs.
Generate some failed logins.
Work out what happened.
Then ask:
If someone was attacking this machine, what would I see?
That's cyber security.
You don't need to know the answer beforehand.