12 Top Free or Low-Cost Cybersecurity Training Resources
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12 Top Free or Low-Cost Cybersecurity Training Resources
Security training does not always cost a fortune. Plenty of free or budget-friendly programs help organizations align with HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO, GDPR, FedRAMP, and other compliance needs. This is especially true for smaller companies, startups, or any team that wants to upgrade security skills without expensive fees. Here are 12 reputable training sources that are open to beginners or more advanced practitioners. Certificates are often included too. Each helps you tackle security awareness and compliance basics.
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1. Cisco Networking Academy – Introduction to Cybersecurity
Cisco Networking Academy has a 6-hour "Intro to Cybersecurity" course for basics of network security, threat management, and personal data protection. They also have a longer career path with around 120 hours of free self-paced training. Students get certificates and digital badges from Cisco. It is all zero cost on their SkillsForAll platform. It is good for compliance readiness too.
Website: https://www.netacad.com/courses/introduction-to-cybersecurity
2. TryHackMe – Interactive Cybersecurity Labs
TryHackMe offers hands-on, gamified rooms covering topics from simple Linux tasks to advanced offensive hacking. About 80 percent of its content is free, with optional paid labs. Beginners can start with the "Complete Beginner" path. Completion badges are free. Formal certification is separate but optional. This is perfect for building real skills that can support advanced security goals.
Website: https://tryhackme.com/classrooms
3. Cybrary – Free Videos & Career Paths
Cybrary hosts hundreds of free courses. They cover general cybersecurity, penetration testing, risk analysis, incident response, and more. Many align with recognized exams like CISSP or CompTIA Security+. You get a completion certificate at no charge. Paid plans exist for extra labs, but the free tier is enough to learn fundamentals, helpful for HIPAA compliance or SOC 2 workforce training.
Website: https://www.cybrary.it/free-content
4. Fortinet NSE Training – Network Security Expert Levels 1-3
Fortinet provides free self-paced courses from NSE 1 to 7. The introductory courses discuss needed security concepts and the threat field. Passing each module yields a free NSE certificate. This looks good on a resume and helps build confidence in basic network security. No cost, no hidden upgrades. This can support FedRAMP readiness for cloud-based solutions too.
Website: https://www.fortinet.com/training/nse-training
5. IBM Cybersecurity Basics (Coursera)
IBM’s "Intro to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks" on Coursera is audit-friendly for free. You can watch all lectures and do quizzes at no charge. Coursera charges only if you want a formal certificate. This is a well-structured beginner course explaining threats, vulnerabilities, and standard defense tools. Great for building knowledge that also applies to ISO and SOC 2 compliance practices
Website: https://www.coursera.org/learn/introduction-to-cybersecurity-essentials
6. Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
Google offers a free online cybersecurity professional certificate. It covers topics like risk management, malware analysis, and security for managers. This is a great resource for smaller entities looking at federal-level guidelines or FedRAMP controls. Price: included into Coursera subscription at $25/month.
Website: https://grow.google/intl/ALL_au/cybersecurity-certified-course/
7. Wizer – Employee Security Awareness
Wizer offers short, fun security videos about phishing, passwords, and safe browsing. The entire basic platform is free for any business. Managers can track staff completion. Employees get a certificate once they finish all modules. This helps cover basic workforce training required by many frameworks like HIPAA or SOC 2. No hidden payments. A simple way to improve daily cyber hygiene.
Website: https://www.wizer-training.com/cyber-security-awareness-training
8. ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training (Basic)
ESET’s basic 60-minute staff security training is free. Lessons include phishing detection, remote work security, and password management. They offer a certificate of completion for the free track. Their premium version has more features, but the free core program meets many compliance awareness requirements. This can help check off important training measures for small teams.
Website: https://www.eset.com/us/business/cybertraining/
9. Introduction to Cyber Security – The Open University (FutureLearn)
The Open University runs an 8-week cybersecurity foundation course. You can audit for free. It covers main threats, cryptography basics, data protection, and identity risks. A paid option yields a certificate, but the free track unlocks full content. This is broad knowledge that supports GDPR or any general compliance. It is thorough for new learners who want a deeper study pace.
Website: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/introduction-to-cyber-security
10. Alison – HIPAA Compliance: A Complete Guide
Alison offers a "HIPAA Compliance: A Complete Guide" course for free. This goes deep into privacy rules, PHI handling, and security best practices under US healthcare law. It suits medical offices, SaaS help desk solutions handling ePHI, and health tech startups. A certificate is optional for a small fee. The training content is fully available for no cost.
Website: https://alison.com/course/hipaa-compliance-a-complete-guide
11. Bugcrowd University – Free Bug Bounty & Security Research
Bugcrowd University provides open-source content for learning vulnerability discovery and ethical hacking. Perfect for web app pentesting practice. Slides, videos, and labs are free. No official certificate, but you gain real hacking knowledge. This can sharpen your team’s ability to find weaknesses. Works well alongside normal compliance frameworks that require rigorous testing.
Website: https://bugcrowd.com/university
12. Roppers Academy – Technical Security Fundamentals
Roppers Academy (Hopper’s Roppers) publishes open training on GitBook, focusing on hands-on security basics. It spans Windows and Linux fundamentals, small exploitation tasks, and simple threat defense. No cost or certificate. You get a solid skill foundation. Great for onboarding new team members who want practical steps to manage systems securely.
Website: https://www.roppers.org/courses/technical-security-fundamentals
These 12 options cover a wide range of needs: from quick security awareness for employees to advanced technical training for aspiring security analysts. They also help meet workforce training requirements in HIPAA compliance, SOC 2 audits, and other frameworks. No big expenses. Most courses offer proof of completion for no cost or a small upgrade. They are user-friendly and self-paced. For a small or medium-sized SaaS company providing a cloud-based help desk solution or any tech group building secure operations, these tools remove barriers to better security.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are these training courses suited for HIPAA compliance training?
Yes. Courses such as Alison’s HIPAA guide or ESET’s awareness training provide staff-level knowledge. They help fulfill HIPAA’s workforce training requirement.
2. Can we track employee progress in these free programs?
Most have built-in dashboards or offer admin tracking (like Wizer, Fortinet, or Cisco NetAcad). The ones without dashboards can still provide completion certificates.
3. Do these certificates count as official compliance certifications?
No. They typically verify completion of training. Official compliance certifications like ISO or SOC 2 require separate audits or external attestations.
4. Is there a hidden cost in free tiers?
These 12 resources are known for fully free content. Some offer paid upgrades or extra labs, but you can still audit and complete main modules at no charge.
5. How do I choose the right course for my team?
Decide if you want basic awareness or deeper technical coverage. Then pick a program that matches your compliance goals and staff knowledge level.
6. Is it possible to build a full compliance training program using only free courses?
Yes. Combine a basic awareness module for everyone with technical labs for IT staff. Many of these resources can be used to meet compliance documentation.
7. Do these courses also help with other security frameworks, like FedRAMP or GDPR?
Yes. Basic security principles and awareness matter across frameworks. Some modules reference FedRAMP or GDPR explicitly. Others still apply in general.
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