10 (Mostly) Free Cybersecurity Training Resources You Shouldn't Overlook

Most people getting into cybersecurity hear the same three names over and over: HackTheBox, TryHackMe, and TCM Academy. They’re good platforms. They deserve the attention they get. But the internet is a lot bigger than those three, and there are many other places to learn that barely get any spotlight—despite being genuinely useful.

If you’re trying to build skills without paying hundreds of dollars, you actually have more options than you think. Some of these are beginner-friendly, some are more advanced, and a few of them fill in gaps the mainstream platforms don’t cover at all.

Here are 10 underrated (and mostly free) training resources that are worth adding to your rotation.

1️⃣ OverTheWire

OverTheWire has been around forever, and for good reason. The wargames force you to slow down, think, and actually understand what’s happening on the system—not just follow steps someone else wrote. You’ll get hands-on experience with Linux, permissions, networking basics, and little bits of exploitation here and there. It’s surprisingly addictive once you get into the rhythm, especially if you’re the type who likes solving puzzles.

2️⃣ pwn.college

This is one of the best places to learn exploitation in a structured way. The instructors walk you through tricky topics without assuming you already know everything. It breaks down advanced concepts into approachable lessons and challenges. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by binary exploitation or reverse engineering, pwn.college makes it feel less like magic and more like a process you can actually learn.

3️⃣ Blue Team Labs Online (BTLO)

BTLO gives you a taste of what working in a SOC actually feels like. The scenarios are realistic, and they’ll push you to think like an analyst instead of just clicking through tasks. You’ll look at logs, review alerts, and walk through investigations the same way you would in a real environment. If you’re pursuing defensive work, this is one of the most practical free resources you can use.

4️⃣ CyberDefenders.org

CyberDefenders focuses heavily on DFIR and threat hunting, and the challenges feel grounded in actual incidents. You’ll dig into memory captures, analyze packet data, and follow traces attackers leave behind. It’s a great place to practice technical forensics skills without having to set up a complicated home lab. Many people sleep on this platform, but it’s one of the best for defensive-minded learners.

5️⃣ LetsDefend.io

Even though the platform was recently acquired by HackTheBox, its training hasn’t been absorbed yet—and that’s good news for learners. The labs walk you through SOC-style analysis, from triaging alerts to investigating suspicious activity. Some content is paid, but the free labs are more than enough to get a feel for real-world defensive work. It also introduces structure and workflow, which is helpful if you’re coming from a non-IT background.

6️⃣ VulnHub

VulnHub is basically an endless archive of vulnerable machines. You download a VM, boot it up, and you attack it however you want. It’s messy in the best possible way because it feels more like real environments than polished, guided labs. If you want to get comfortable with privilege escalation, enumeration, and exploitation, this is a goldmine.

7️⃣ RangeForce Community Edition

RangeForce’s community edition rotates different labs throughout the year. Everything runs in the browser, so you don’t have to set up anything on your own machine. The training ranges from defensive techniques to malware analysis, so you can dip into both sides of the field. It’s clean, polished, and extremely approachable—especially if you learn better in a structured interface.

8️⃣ Try2Hack.nl

Try2Hack has been around for a long time, and it still holds up. The puzzles are simple, but they force you to think creatively. There’s a charm to how “old-school” it feels, and it’s great for breaking out of tunnel vision. Sometimes you don’t need a massive, complex lab—you just need a clever challenge to get your brain moving.

9️⃣ PowerShell for Blue Teamers (SANS Free Materials)

These free SANS materials are one of the best introductions to PowerShell for actual security work. You’ll learn how to automate tasks, dig into systems, analyze artifacts, and write simple scripts that make your job easier. If you’re on the blue team or plan to work in Windows-heavy environments, these lessons will save you hours of trial and error.

🔟 Cisco Networking Academy (NetAcad)

NetAcad offers free courses in networking, cybersecurity, and Linux basics. If you’re missing foundational knowledge—like how routing works, what VLANs do, or how Linux permissions operate—this platform fills the gaps. It’s not flashy, but it’s solid. And the truth is, strong fundamentals make everything else in cybersecurity easier.

💡 A Quick Tip

Even if you feel drawn to either offensive or defensive roles, don’t lock yourself into one lane too early. Attacking makes you a better defender, and defending makes you a better attacker. Both sides shape your intuition in ways that textbooks can’t.

Final Thoughts

If you’re trying to get into cybersecurity or just strengthen your skills, these resources can take you a long way without spending any money. A lot of people get stuck thinking they need a huge lab setup or expensive certifications before they can learn anything meaningful—but that’s not true. Most of what you need is already available online for free.

What matters most is consistency. Even an hour a week adds up if you keep going. And the more platforms you try, the easier it becomes to figure out what you enjoy, what you’re good at, and where you want to specialize. Everyone’s learning journey looks different, and these tools give you room to figure that out without pressure.

If there’s a great free resource you think deserves a mention, drop it in the comments. Someone scrolling through might find exactly the platform they’ve been needing.