11 free cybersecurity courses for everyone

These programs are suitable for everyone: school students and university students, IT beginners, developers, current security professionals, and those who want to change careers.

“Information Security Specialist: Career Start” by Netology
An introductory program for those who want to master a promising IT profession from scratch. Over 15 days, participants will learn what an information security (IS) specialist does, get acquainted with areas such as “white” hacking and vulnerability analysis, and solve practical tasks: from configuring OS security to finding vulnerabilities in web services.

“Introduction to Web Security” by GeekBrains
A brief introductory training for beginners who want to understand the basics of data protection on the internet. In just three lessons, you will figure out what authorization vulnerabilities, information disclosure, and secret value guessing are, learn to recognize them, and apply basic web security tools in practice.

“Course on Anonymity and Security on the Internet” by CyberYozh Security Group
A comprehensive and structured guide to protecting personal information and maintaining anonymity on the internet in English and Russian. In 39 chapters, it covers real threats—from surveillance and deanonymization to data leaks and cyber espionage—as well as methods to counter them: encryption, secure operating systems, password managers, VPNs, anonymous messengers, and much more.

Certified Information Security Manager Course by Packt
An intermediate-level program for IT specialists and managers who want to deepen their knowledge in IS and prepare for the CISM certification. Over four modules, you will master risk management, building security strategies, incident response planning, and business continuity assurance. The course helps integrate security into business processes and is suitable for both self-study and corporate training.

Applied Cryptography & Information Security by Macquarie University
A practical introduction to cryptography and information protection. Over six modules, you will master symmetric and asymmetric encryption, learn how to protect data during transmission and storage, and understand cryptography in VPNs, blockchain, hardware security, and post-quantum technologies. The course is suitable for beginners and ends with a certificate that can be shared on LinkedIn.

IT Security: Defense against the digital dark arts by Google
A basic course included in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate program. Over seven modules, you will get acquainted with the basics of information security, including types of threats and attacks, cryptography, authentication and authorization methods, network and Wi-Fi protection, and building multi-layered security architecture. Upon completion, you will receive a certificate from Google.

“Web Project Security Analysis” on Stepik
A crash course on web project security audit techniques. It is aimed at beginner and intermediate web developers and teaches you to look at web applications from the perspective of an attacker. You will get acquainted with vulnerabilities such as XSS, SQL injections, and CSRF, learn about code, architecture, and traffic analysis methods, and find out how to design more secure services.

“Protocols and Networks: Web Security” by HTML Academy
The course helps master methods for protecting client and server components, identifying vulnerabilities, creating CSPs, and encrypting data. It is suitable for those who want to become mid-level developers or improve their qualifications. The course is practice-oriented: theory, case studies, tasks, and tests are accompanied by reference solutions. Learning takes place in a convenient format and is supported by community assistance.

“Information Security Specialist: Web Pentest” by Yandex Practicum
An intensive six-month program for specialists with a technical background who want to master the profession of a web pentester. You will learn to find and fix vulnerabilities in web applications, get familiar with tools like Burp Suite, SQLMap, and Nmap, master DevSecOps and the basics of secure development, and gain practical experience in CTF format and working with real cases in Yandex’s cloud infrastructure.

“Deep Dive into Network Security” by Yandex Cloud
A free course for middle and senior specialists working with cloud infrastructure. The program includes five topics covering network design, firewall configuration, DDoS attack protection, VPN configuration, and site-to-site VPN implementation. The course provides access to Yandex Cloud tools, including OpenVPN, strongSwan, Check Point, and DDoS Protection.

“Information Security” by Lektorium
A basic introduction to data protection and cybersecurity for a wide audience. Over 17 lessons, you will learn how modern IT systems, networks, operating systems, and cloud technologies work, learn to protect personal and corporate data, recognize threats, and avoid digital risks. The course is suitable for school students, university students, and anyone who wants to improve their digital literacy or take their first steps in the field of IS.