The Ultimate Beginner Friendly
Cybersecurity Roadmap
Created by @CyberWithBen
1. Zero experience with IT or cybersecurity? Start here.
● Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
○ This is a completely beginner friendly certificate aimed to help you
learn the basics of IT, networking, and cybersecurity. It’s flexible
and affordable, perfect for people currently in school or working
full-time jobs.
● Join Cyberpath
○ One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is trying to learn
cybersecurity on their own. No community, no guidance, and no
mentorship. Cyberpath was built to fix this exact issue. It’s a private
community where beginners get mentorship and guidance from
real cybersecurity professionals. This will save you years of
wasted time and effort.
● ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity
○ This is a free cybersecurity certification that teaches you the basics
of cybersecurity. It’s created by a well-recognized organization
(ISC2), but the content is less engaging than the Google
Cybersecurity Professional Certificate.
● Google IT Support Professional Certificate
○ Perfect for people who need more training when it comes to
computer hardware, OS, and networking. Having background
knowledge in IT will be super important as you learn cybersecurity
concepts.
● Start CourseCareers free IT Training!
○ This is an online course that teaches you everything you need to
know to prepare for an entry-level IT job. IT jobs are a great way to
get experience and build towards a cybersecurity job. Great place
to start.
2. Earn more beginner/intermediate-level certifications
● CompTIA Security+
○ The Security+ certification is the most well-known beginner
certification that almost all cybersecurity job listings will ask for.
Begin studying for this certification once you have the basics down
from step 1. Here’s exactly how I passed it in 9 days and a copy of
the exact notes I used.
● CompTIA Network+
○ Pairing your Security+ certification with the Network+ will make you
even more marketable to employers and give you an excellent
foundational knowledge of networking. It’s not a requirement, but
it’ll definitely help you out when it comes time to apply for jobs.
● AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
○ Having some form of beginner cloud certification will look great on
your resume, as so many companies have some form of cloud
computing infrastructure. This will make you more marketable and
impactful from day 1. Here’s how I passed this certification in 7
days and my exact study notes I used.
3. Getting hands on experience
● HackTheBox
○ One of the best places to get hands-on experience with
cybersecurity labs. They have different paths that range in difficulty
and very affordable.
● TryHackMe
○ One of the other best places to get hands-on experience.
● YouTube
○ This will be one of your best resources to learn how to start creating
your own cybersecurity projects. Build your own projects, document
what you’ve learned on your own Github, blog, or LinkedIn, and
follow your curiosity.
4. Advanced Level Certifications
There’s a lot of advanced level certifications to choose from, but figure out
exactly what you want to specialize in cybersecurity, and research advanced level
certifications from there. Here’s a few I’d recommend for ethical hacking and blue
teaming:
● Penetration Testing / Ethical Hacking – OSCP
● Blue Team / Security Operations Center – BTL1
5. Start networking and marketing yourself
This step should be happening throughout your entire time learning cybersecurity, not
just for the end. You’ll be competing against thousands of people with the same certifications,
same experiences, but the main way to differentiate yourself is through your connections and
network.
The best way to expand your network and make connections is to post on social media,
this means being active on LinkedIn, X, Reddit, etc. Also, posting your projects on your personal
blog or Github is a great way to show what you’ve learned.
Lastly, joining an online community of like-minded people who have the same end-goal.
Surrounding yourself with other ambitious people and getting mentored by those who are IN the
industry will help you a TON. You can join my private community where we do livestreams,
Q&A, resume reviews, mock interviews, and more here.
Bonus Resources
[Link] – an excellent roadmap resource for beginners.
Google AI Essentials – become proficient with using AI.
Project Management – not interested in Cyber? Try this instead.
Cyberpath – a private community run by @CyberWithBen for people looking to
level-up their cybersecurity careers through weekly livestreams, mentorship, and a
tight-knit community of like-minded people.
NotebookLM – a free platform made by Google to create study material using
any resources that you upload
