The need for cybersecurity training has never been greater.

You’ll find all the cybersecurity training you need to earn a certification, protect your network, or train your team at CBT Nuggets.

5 Best Cybersecurity Certs for 2023

If you’re considering earning a cybersecurity certification in 2023, here are our top recommendations. These five security certifications range from entry-level to advanced. Pick your cert based on where you want to take your career.

Cybersecurity Courses for Beginners

Most security professionals specialize in one area of IT before getting into cybersecurity. That means the easiest way to get into cybersecurity isn’t necessarily with security certifications. Instead, the best way to start down the security path is with basic certifications like the Network+, CCNA, or a Microsoft certification.

After you’re at least familiar with systems administration, networking, or even software engineering, then you should start looking at these cybersecurity certifications.

Watch these courses for free for 7 days.

Cybersecurity Certifications for Beginners

These cybersecurity courses – and the certifications they prepare you for – are designed for IT professionals with little or no experience in cybersecurity. With the help of hands-on labs and practice, these cybersecurity courses will prepare you to take these security exams in about 6 to 12 weeks.

Cybersecurity Skills for Beginners

Cybersecurity is a notoriously hands-on, into-the-fire career field, which means learning a lot outside the scope of a cybersecurity certification. These cybersecurity courses will help you learn the most important aspects of security and risk management.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Ultimate Security Cert Guide

This 62-page guide lists every Palo Alto, Offensive Security, (ISC)2, Check Point, CompTIA, and Cisco cybersecurity certification, and how they fit into your career.

Cybersecurity Training for Security Pros

Security jobs are often a continuation of the skills acquired throughout an IT career. For instance, network administrators may become analysts or pen testers. Developers may become security engineers. Systems administrators may turn to application or systems security.

Here are the cybersecurity certifications that will get you into common security career paths.

Cybersecurity Courses for Security Analysts

Security analysts do two things: discover and detect cyberattacks. IT professionals looking to become cybersecurity analysts need a well-rounded set of technical skills, which are validated with these cybersecurity certifications.

Typical background: Systems administrator, network administration

Cybersecurity Courses for Security Engineers

Security engineers set up defenses and prevent disruption to services in the event of an attack. Most often, engineers implement the security measures that come down from a security manager. These cybersecurity courses are essential for every security engineer.

Typical background: Systems administrator, network administration, software engineer

Cybersecurity Training for Penetration Testers

Penetration testers are essentially hackers hired by a company to break into their system or at least find vulnerabilities. Pen testers rely heavily on networking skills even above scripting or programming skills, which is reflected in their background and associated cybersecurity courses.

Typical background: Systems administrator, network administration, software engineer, security analyst

Course
Level
Length
Penetration TestingIntermediate11 hrs 51 mins
Cyber Security White Hat Hacking v10Intermediate19 hrs 57 mins
CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001)Intermediate25 hrs 39 mins
Security Threats, Attacks, and VulnerabilitiesEntry6 hrs 30 mins
Physical Security and Network AttacksEntry1 hr 20 mins
Penetration Testing ToolsIntermediate19 hrs 9 mins
Information Gathering and Vulnerability Scanning for Penetration TestingIntermediate4 hrs 42 mins
Penetration Testing Planning and ScopingIntermediate2 hrs 31 mins

Cybersecurity Courses for Security Managers

Security managers have a diverse portfolio of cybersecurity tasks – from detection and monitoring to governance and compliance. These skills are encapsulated in these intermediate cybersecurity certifications from ISACA and (ISC)2.

See (ISC)2 experience requirements

Security Awareness Training for End Users

The greatest threat to your system isn’t hidden in code somewhere. It’s in an inbox — or spelled “password!”. Your users are the weakest link. Make sure everyone in your organization knows what to do and not do.

End User Security Awareness Training

Cybersecurity Training for Government & Military

DoDD 8140 is a cybersecurity training framework that outlines all the cybersecurity certifications required for IT professionals who work for the U.S. federal government, including contractors. DoDD 8140 is considered the gold standard for information assurance training.

Each of these cybersecurity courses satisfy at least one baseline certification in a DoDD 8140 information assurance level.

See all our DoDD 8140 courses

Who Else Needs to Learn Cybersecurity?

Everyone. There’s not a single IT professional that shouldn't learn cybersecurity. Cybersecurity threats are persistent, which makes cybersecurity skills valuable. Most entry-level IT certifications cover cybersecurity basics, and there are even some intermediate certifications dedicated entirely to validating cybersecurity skills. 

Here are the most valuable cybersecurity certifications for network engineers, systems engineers, and cloud professionals. 

Cybersecurity Training for Systems Engineers

Security is a core feature of any system and one of the first things anyone learns to manage in their sysadmin career. Access management only scratches the surface of the cybersecurity skills you should learn to become a system engineer.

Cybersecurity Training for Network Engineers

Cybersecurity has long been baked into the responsibilities of network engineers — and that’s reflected in the network security certifications available from Cisco, Palo Alto, CCSA, and CompTIA.

Cybersecurity Training for AWS Professionals

AWS has a shared responsibility model, which means they secure their data centers. You secure the access to your cloud resources. These cybersecurity courses were developed specifically with that concept in mind.

All CBT Nuggets Cybersecurity Training

CBT Nuggets cybersecurity training is divided into courses and skills. Skills teach real-world cybersecurity methods and often accompany virtual labs for safe, browser-based training. Courses are often associated with popular cybersecurity certifications from CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, (ISC)2, and more.

Cybersecurity Certification Training from CBT Nuggets

Most cybersecurity courses from CBT Nuggets have practice exams, virtual labs, and detailed instructions on how to build sandbox environments to secure — or break into. Start studying for a cybersecurity certification with CBT Nuggets.

Course
Level
Length
Cisco CCNP Security (300-710 SNCF)Intermediate18 hrs 44 mins
Cisco CCNP Security Core (350-701 SCOR)Intermediate33 hrs 51 mins
Microsoft 365 Mobility and Security (MS-101)Intermediate4 hrs 44 mins
Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) - NEWIntermediate27 hrs 1 min
Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)Entry9 hrs 51 mins
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA)Intermediate17 hrs 34 mins
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) - NEWIntermediate25 hrs 18 mins
AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C01)Intermediate24 hrs 26 mins
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-601)Entry31 hrs 28 mins
CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001)Intermediate25 hrs 39 mins
CompTIA CASP+ (CAS-004)Advanced20 hrs 43 mins
(ISC)² CCSP – Certified Cloud Security ProfessionalIntermediate17 hrs 31 mins
(ISC)² CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security ProfessionalIntermediate11 hrs 56 mins
ISACA CISA – Certified Information Systems AuditorIntermediate13 hrs 4 mins
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)Intermediate13 hrs 28 mins
ISACA CISM – Certified Information Security ManagerIntermediate14 hrs 48 mins
Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate (200-201 CBROPS)Entry11 hrs 36 mins
Check Point Certified Security Administrator CCSA R80 (156-215.80)Intermediate6 hrs 9 mins
Fortinet NSE 4 - FortiOS 7.xIntermediate24 hrs 26 mins
Fortinet NSE 5 - FortiManager 7.xIntermediate8 hrs 47 mins
Fortinet NSE 5 - FortiAnalyzer 7.xIntermediate5 hrs 42 mins
Fortinet NSE 6 - FortiSwitchIntermediate9 hrs 1 min
Fortinet NSE 6 - Secure Wireless LANIntermediate5 hrs 50 mins
Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900) - NEWn/a19 hrs 55 mins
Microsoft Security Operations Analyst (SC-200)Intermediate12 hrs 23 mins
Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator (SC-300)Intermediate12 hrs 6 mins
Microsoft Information Protection Administrator (SC-400)Intermediate8 hrs 1 min
Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate (MS-500)Entry12 hrs 10 mins
Fortinet NSE 6 - FortiAuthenticator Trainingn/a6 hrs 56 mins
Fortinet NSE 6 - FortiADCn/a9 hrs 29 mins
Fortinet NSE 7 - SD-WANn/a10 hrs 43 mins
Fortinet NSE 7 - Enterprise Firewalln/a9 hrs 16 mins
Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100)n/a9 hrs 12 mins
Enterprise Security Essentialsn/a25 hrs 43 mins

Cybersecurity Skills Training from CBT Nuggets

Cybersecurity skills are designed as an easy way to learn one aspect of security quickly. Security managers can build their own courses from these skills. Security professionals can follow along to better secure their systems.

Course
Length
AWS Data Security4 hrs 49 mins
Azure Security13 hrs 8 mins
Check Point Certified Security Administrator CCSA GAiA (156-215.76)8 hrs 7 mins
Cisco CCNA Security (210-260 IINS)30 hrs 8 mins
Cisco CCNP Security28 hrs 34 mins
End-User Security Awareness2 hrs 52 mins
Governance, Risk, Compliance, and Security for the Cloud2 hrs 18 mins
Implementing Microsoft 365 Security and Threat Management10 hrs 46 mins
Intro to Cybersecurity 52 mins
Linux Security4 hrs 12 mins
Planning for AWS S3 Data Security3 hrs 4 mins
Security Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities6 hrs 30 mins
Cyber Security White Hat Hacking v1019 hrs 57 mins
Penetration Testing11 hrs 51 mins
Information Security8 hrs 44 mins
Palo Alto NGFW Next-Generation Firewall34 hrs 31 mins
Check Point Certified Security Administrator CCSA GAiA (156-215.76)8 hrs 7 mins
Introduction to CMMC
Physical Security and Network Attacks1 hr 20 mins
Security and Risk Management1 hr 19 mins
Secure Design and Architecture Fundamentals for Enterprise Environments14 hrs 41 mins
Implementing Secure Network, Cloud, and Mobile Solutions11 hrs 45 mins
Supporting Secure Operations and Incident Response2 hrs 28 mins
Governance, Risk, and Compliance16 hrs 20 mins
Penetration Testing Planning and Scoping2 hrs 31 mins
Information Gathering and Vulnerability Scanning for Penetration Testing4 hrs 42 mins
Penetration Testing Tools19 hrs 9 mins
Information Security Program Development and Management6 hrs 2 mins
5 hrs 25 mins
Fundamental Data Security in the Cloud4 hrs 51 mins
Cloud Security Training: Hardening Cloud Infrastructure3 hrs 53 mins
Cloud Security Training for Software Developers2 hrs 33 mins
Fundamental Cryptography Explained2 hrs 18 mins
Azure Security Certification Prep: Securing Data and Applications2 hrs 25 mins
Azure IAM Tutorial5 hrs 49 mins
Getting Started with Microsoft Identity and Access Management: What is IAM?3 hrs 29 mins
How to Implement Azure Identity Management with Azure AD3 hrs 35 mins
Cisco Network Access Control: 802.1X Authentication and Cisco ISE Overview2 hrs 18 mins
How to Implement Cisco Endpoint Security including Cisco AMP for Endpoints1 hr 19 mins
How to Implement Web and Email Security with Cisco WSA and Cisco ESA3 hrs 2 mins
Advanced Cisco Network Security: How to Configure Network Infrastructure Security7 hrs 20 mins
Foundations for CCNP Security Prep: How to Get Started with Advanced Cisco Security9 hrs 17 mins
AWS EBS Tutorial: How to Implement AWS EBS Encryption 52 mins

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CBT Nuggets is fun, bite-sized training led by experts in the field. I can confidently say that their instructors make learning something to look forward to.

Christopher W. | Technology Support Specialist

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