My Top 5 Cybersecurity Learning Platforms (Tried & Tested)

🔐 1. TryHackMe

Hands down one of the best places to start. TryHackMe offers gamified learning paths covering Linux, network security, web exploitation, malware analysis, and more. The UI is clean, the rooms are fun, and you can spin up machines instantly — no local setup needed.

✅ Great for: Beginners to Intermediate
🧠 Best room: Pre Security Path (if you’re new)
🎮 Bonus: Leaderboards, daily streaks, and badges

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💻 2. Hack The Box

HTB is where things get real. It simulates actual pentesting environments. The machines are harder than TryHackMe but incredibly rewarding. You’ll need some basics before jumping in, but once you're in — welcome to the hacker's playground.

✅ Great for: Intermediate to Advanced
⚔️ Challenge: Machines, Endgames, Pro Labs
🔐 Pro tip: Start with retired machines + walkthroughs

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📚 3. Cybrary

A more traditional, course-style platform. Cybrary is packed with video lessons from industry experts and covers everything from Security+ to SOC analysis and governance. If you prefer a structured syllabus with video learning — this one’s for you.

✅ Great for: Structured learners & professionals
🎯 Certifications: CompTIA, Cisco, ISC2
🛠️ Tip: Use their mobile app for passive study time

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🛡️ 4. LetsDefend

This is the go-to platform if you’re aiming for blue team/SOC jobs. You’ll get real-world SOC scenarios — alert triage, incident response, SIEM queries — all inside a browser dashboard that mimics a SOC analyst's interface.

✅ Great for: SOC Analysts / Blue Teamers
🔍 Skill focus: Incident response, Threat hunting
⚙️ Favorite module: Alert Simulation (like real tickets)

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🧩 5. OverTheWire

Legendary for a reason. OTW hosts “wargames” — terminal-based challenges that help you learn Linux, networking, and basic exploitation by doing. It’s CLI-only, no fancy UI, just pure technical grind. And it’s free.

✅ Great for: Beginners with terminal confidence
🚀 Start with: Bandit (absolute must)
🧠 Builds: Deep technical mindset

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🚀 Final Thoughts

The best way to grow in cybersecurity is to build and break things. These platforms give you a safe, legal, and often gamified environment to do exactly that. My advice? Pick one based on your level, stay consistent for a month, and document your progress publicly (Hashnode, GitHub, LinkedIn — anywhere).

If you're learning on any of these already, I’d love to connect! Or drop your favorite resources below if I missed any gems.