What about Practice in Cyber Security?
Last updated
Last updated
One of the significant challenges I faced during my studies was the practical application of course material. Often, the labs provided by the course creators are not free, making it difficult to gain access to the necessary environments. Below is a compilation of various platforms, some well-known and others less so, which offer practical labs for applying what you've learned. Here we go:
1. TryHackMe (THM)
is one of my favorite platforms due to its organization and ease of use for both labs and theoretical content. Approximately half of the content is free, but to access the remaining labs and CTF challenges, a Premium subscription is required. The best and easiest way to purchase a subscription is through a voucher from my friend , who is very trustworthy. For free labs and CTFs, you can check out this .
2. Hack The Box (HTB)
is a well-known platform that offers an advanced CTF experience, though it also provides beginner and medium-level challenges. For those preparing for exams like EJPT, this can be very helpful. HTB offers both free and premium labs, with the premium subscription being slightly more expensive than THM. However, students can avail of a good discount with a student email.
3. HackMe
is a very nice platform for practicing HTML and JavaScript while studying Web Pentest. It provides a good perspective on source code, metadata, exif data, and other aspects, all for free.
4. Hacksplaining
offers a very user-friendly explanation of web bugs and practical applications for each bug, providing a thorough explanation of each one. This platform is also free.
5. Attack & Defense
is a comprehensive platform that offers labs for various topics, including DevSecOps, Linux Security, Cloud Security, and Windows Security. Although it is not free, you can access .
6. CyberDefenders
is an excellent platform for blue team scenarios, especially forensics and incident response (IR). It offers both free and paid labs and closely mimics SOC scenarios.
7. LetsDefend
is another good platform for blue team exercises.
8. VulnHub
is a fantastic site for downloading ISO files for infected labs, which you can then work on using a VM.
9. BlueTeamLabs
10. PortSwigger
11. PentesterLab
12. CyberTalents
focuses on blue team exercises, particularly those related to investigations.
is essential for anyone studying web pentesting. Most real-world scenarios are reflected in their labs, which cover various levels of difficulty for each vulnerability and are all free.
offers advanced web labs, mostly paid, making it a great follow-up to PortSwigger labs.
is a great site for CTFs related to both red and blue team activities, though not all of them are free.