The Ultimate Learning Guide For Cybersecurity Beginners

Without Spending 0$ on Certifications

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Hey Cybersecurity Learners!

Cybersecurity landscape is evolving faster than we speak.

Most Security Engineers - beginners or experienced - struggle with this. There's always a new tool, a new framework, a new attack.

It feels like you are constantly behind.

If you're stepping into cybersecurity, you need the right skills—not just to protect the company, but also to keep your job!

And learner who understand how to best leverage these learning resources are going to be the one who:

- Build solid foundations.

- Speak confidently in front of seniors.

- And apply learning to future work more efficiently.

So, if you are asking yourself, “How can I stay on top of learning journey ? Then this resource is for you.

10 Foundational Topics to Learn Before You Deep Dive

1. Networking basics—TCP/IP, subnets, firewalls.

2. Operating systems—Linux security fundamentals.

3. Identity & Access Management (IAM)—how permissions and authentication work.

4. Threat modelling—spotting weaknesses before attackers do.

5. Data Security —at rest, in motion, and in-memory.

6. Cryptogrpahy —how data stays secure.

7. Web security—common vulnerabilities (OWASP Top 10).

8. Security frameworks— CIS benchmarks.

9. Cloud security—AWS or Azure or GCP security basics.

10. Scripting—basic Python, Bash, Go for automation.

6 Resources if you’re 0–3 years into your cybersecurity journey

1. Web Security Course – Straight from Stanford.

2. Security Notes - Straight from MIT Lectures

3. YouTube: John Hammond’s Real-World CTF Walkthroughs – Shows you how learning happens through failure.

4. OWASP Top 10 + Cheat Sheet Series – Solidify fundamentals without drowning in theory.

5. Google Cybersecurity Certificate (Online) – For those starting without a tech background.

6. Cyber Mentor’s Practical Ethical Hacking Course (Self-paced) – 25 hours of Free Content and hands-on.

6 Secure Coding Resource

1. Start with OWASP Top 10 to build the foundation

2. Decide the language want to get started with

   1. Oracle Secure Coding for Java

   2. Secure Coding Checklist for Node.js

   3. Apple Secure Development Checklist

3. Learn from OWASP Secure Coding Cheatsheet and Guide

4. Dive into Snyk Secure Coding Learning Path

5. Learn Patterns that are Insecure from Semgrep Rules.

6. (Optional)Read Book "The Art of Software Security Assessment"

5 Application Security Resources

1. OWASP Cheat Sheet Series: Practical AppSec guidance beyond buzzwords.

2. Web Security Academy by PortSwigger: Hands-on labs on real-world vulnerabilities.

3. Threat Modeling Manifesto- Understand the mindset, not just the method.

4. Application Security Interview Question to get you started

5. TLDRSec Newsletter - To keep up with everyday security.

6 Cloud Security Resources

1. AWS Security Best Practices – A solid starting point to spot common gaps.

2. Hacking the Cloud – An encyclopedia of the attacks/tactics/techniques.

3. CloudGoat – Vulnerable by Design cloud deployment tool to hone your skills.

4. Rhino Security Labs Blog – Real-world pentest case studies.

5. Google Cloud Security Foundations Guide – Excellent walkthrough for misconfig risk patterns.

6. CloudSecList – A newsletter of security tools and research.

That’s it for the Ultimate Cybersecurity Learning Resource

Looking forward to seeing you at the next one.

Chat soon,

Kushal Kumar