How to Learn Cybersecurity: A Complete Guide for Beginners


By Gregory Evans
National Cyber Security Training Academy

If you want to learn cybersecurity, you are entering one of the most important and rapidly changing fields in technology.

Cybersecurity is no longer something only computer experts need to understand. Businesses, government agencies, schools, families, law enforcement agencies, and individuals all depend on cybersecurity to protect computers, networks, applications, identities, data, and digital infrastructure.

The good news is that you do not have to know everything about computers before you begin.

You can learn cybersecurity step by step.

The key is learning the right cybersecurity fundamentals in the right order, practicing what you learn, understanding how attackers think, and developing the skills necessary to protect information systems.

At the National Cyber Security Training Academy, we believe cybersecurity education should go beyond memorizing definitions. You should understand how cybersecurity works in the real world and how your knowledge can lead to additional education, certifications, and cybersecurity career opportunities.

In this guide, I'll explain how to learn cybersecurity, what you should learn first, what cybersecurity skills matter, which tools you should understand, how ethical hacking fits into cybersecurity, and how you can begin building a cybersecurity career.

What Is Cybersecurity?

Before you learn cybersecurity, it is important to understand what cybersecurity actually means.

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computers, networks, systems, applications, devices, accounts, and information from unauthorized access, attacks, damage, disruption, theft, or misuse.

Cybersecurity includes many different disciplines, including:

  • Network security

  • Information security

  • Application security

  • Cloud security

  • Endpoint security

  • Identity and access management

  • Security operations

  • Cyber defense

  • Ethical hacking

  • Penetration testing

  • Vulnerability management

  • Digital forensics

  • Incident response

  • Cyber threat intelligence

  • Security awareness

  • Risk management

  • Governance, risk, and compliance

  • Mobile security

  • Wireless security

  • Website security

  • Data security

  • Privacy and identity protection

This is why cybersecurity can initially seem overwhelming.

There isn't just one cybersecurity skill.

There is an entire ecosystem of skills.

The solution is not to learn everything at once.

Start with the fundamentals and build from there.

How Do You Start Learning Cybersecurity?

If you're wondering, "How do I learn cybersecurity?", start with the fundamentals.

A good beginner cybersecurity learning path should generally include:

  1. Computer fundamentals

  2. Networking fundamentals

  3. Operating systems

  4. Cybersecurity fundamentals

  5. Common cyber threats

  6. Authentication and access control

  7. Network security

  8. Web and application security

  9. Security tools

  10. Ethical hacking

  11. Vulnerability assessment

  12. Incident response

  13. Cyber defense

  14. Security policies and risk

  15. Hands-on practice

  16. Career development

You don't have to master each subject before moving forward.

Cybersecurity is a continuous learning process.

Step 1: Learn Computer Fundamentals

If you are completely new to technology, start by understanding how computers work.

Learn the basics of:

  • CPUs

  • RAM

  • storage

  • operating systems

  • files and directories

  • applications

  • processes

  • users

  • permissions

  • hardware

  • software

  • virtualization

  • servers

  • clients

  • databases

  • cloud computing

You should understand the relationship between hardware, software, operating systems, applications, users, and networks.

You don't necessarily need to become a computer engineer.

You need enough knowledge to understand what you're protecting.

Step 2: Learn Networking

Networking is one of the most important foundations of cybersecurity.

If you want to become a cybersecurity analyst, ethical hacker, penetration tester, security engineer, SOC analyst, network security specialist, or cyber investigator, networking knowledge will help you tremendously.

Start learning:

  • IP addresses

  • IPv4

  • IPv6

  • TCP/IP

  • UDP

  • TCP

  • DNS

  • DHCP

  • HTTP

  • HTTPS

  • FTP

  • SSH

  • SMTP

  • ports

  • protocols

  • routers

  • switches

  • firewalls

  • NAT

  • VPN

  • wireless networks

  • subnets

  • VLANs

  • network segmentation

  • proxies

  • packet analysis

You should eventually be able to look at a network and understand how computers communicate.

That knowledge becomes extremely important when you begin learning network security and ethical hacking.

Step 3: Learn Windows and Linux

Cybersecurity professionals frequently work with multiple operating systems.

You should become comfortable navigating Windows and Linux environments.

Learn:

  • command-line interfaces

  • files and directories

  • users and groups

  • permissions

  • processes

  • services

  • logs

  • networking commands

  • system configuration

  • software installation

  • system administration

  • security controls

Linux is particularly valuable because many cybersecurity tools and security testing environments use Linux.

You don't need to become a Linux administrator on day one.

Start by learning the command line and gradually expand your skills.

Step 4: Learn Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Now you can begin learning cybersecurity itself.

Start with concepts such as:

  • confidentiality

  • integrity

  • availability

  • authentication

  • authorization

  • accountability

  • access control

  • least privilege

  • defense in depth

  • security controls

  • risk

  • threats

  • vulnerabilities

  • exploits

  • attack surfaces

  • security monitoring

  • incident response

  • security policies

  • cybersecurity awareness

You should also understand the difference between a:

Threat

A potential source of harm.

Vulnerability

A weakness that could potentially be exploited.

Exploit

A technique, code, or method that takes advantage of a vulnerability.

Risk

The potential impact associated with a threat exploiting a vulnerability.

Understanding these relationships is fundamental to cybersecurity.

Start With Cyber Security 101

If you are looking for a structured place to begin, the National Cyber Security Training Academy offers a free Cyber Security 101 course designed for beginners.

The course currently includes 107 lessons and approximately two hours of video content. It covers cybersecurity fundamentals, cyber threats, ethical hacking concepts, security tools, website security, career development, and other introductory subjects.

Start here:
NCSTA Cyber Security 101

This is a useful starting point because beginners often make the mistake of jumping directly into advanced hacking tools without first understanding the fundamentals.

Step 5: Learn Common Cybersecurity Threats

You cannot effectively defend systems if you don't understand the threats against them.

Learn about:

  • malware

  • viruses

  • worms

  • trojans

  • ransomware

  • spyware

  • rootkits

  • botnets

  • phishing

  • spear phishing

  • business email compromise

  • social engineering

  • credential theft

  • password attacks

  • brute-force attacks

  • denial-of-service attacks

  • distributed denial-of-service attacks

  • insider threats

  • identity theft

  • data breaches

  • supply-chain attacks

  • web attacks

  • wireless attacks

  • mobile attacks

  • cloud security threats

Understanding attacks isn't about becoming a criminal.

Cybersecurity professionals study attacks so they can prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to them.

Always practice security testing only in environments where you have explicit authorization.

Step 6: Learn Ethical Hacking

Ethical hacking is an important cybersecurity discipline.

An ethical hacker uses authorized security testing techniques to identify weaknesses so they can be corrected.

You should learn concepts such as:

  • reconnaissance

  • information gathering

  • attack surface discovery

  • enumeration

  • vulnerability scanning

  • vulnerability assessment

  • security testing

  • penetration testing

  • exploitation concepts

  • privilege escalation concepts

  • post-exploitation concepts

  • reporting

  • remediation

  • risk analysis

The most important word is:

Authorized.

Ethical hacking is performed with permission.

The objective isn't simply to "hack a computer."

The objective is to identify weaknesses and help an organization improve its security.

Learn to Think Like an Ethical Hacker

One of the most important skills you can develop is learning to think about how an attacker might approach a system.

Ask questions such as:

  • What information is publicly available?

  • What systems are exposed?

  • What services are running?

  • What vulnerabilities may exist?

  • What security controls are in place?

  • Could a misconfiguration create risk?

  • Could stolen credentials provide access?

  • Could an attacker move from one system to another?

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