Free course on Cisco Networking Academy
Cisco's Introduction to Cybersecurity is a free, self-paced course covering threat types, authentication, encryption, network defense, and incident response fundamentals. You'll build a foundation in security concepts essential for entry-level cybersecurity roles or anyone moving into IT. The course is structured for complete beginners with no IT background and is Cisco's accessible entry point into the field. You earn a free digital badge on completion, backed by Cisco's industry credibility. The limitation: it is awareness-level content focused on concepts, not hands-on technical labs. For hands-on practice, pair it with a platform like TryHackMe.
CybersecurityBeginner
Harvard's introduction to cybersecurity for technical and non-technical audiences. Covers threats, authentication, networking, system security, and operational security. Free to audit; certificate available via edX.
CybersecurityBeginner
TryHackMe's free Pre-Security learning path. Covers cybersecurity careers, basic networking, web fundamentals, Linux, and Windows. Designed for total beginners with no IT background.
CybersecurityBeginner
TryHackMe's flagship beginner path covering the breadth of cybersecurity: networking, web exploitation, cryptography, defensive security, and incident response. Mostly free with hands-on rooms.