Breaking into cybersecurity can be challenging, even with a bachelor’s degree, as practical, hands-on experience is often a key requirement for landing a job.

While many boot camps offer valuable training on enterprise-level security tools and provide credentials to use them effectively, let’s be honest—most of them teach very well. However, their high costs make them inaccessible to many aspiring professionals, especially those actively seeking employment.

Fortunately, there are alternative ways to gain similar skills (though this path might take a bit longer):

📒 Online Platforms: Use affordable or free resources like TryHackMe, Hack The Box, or CyberSecLabs to practice real-world scenarios.
📒 Community Resources: Join cybersecurity forums, contribute to open-source projects, or attend local meetups to learn and network with experienced professionals.
📒 Virtual Labs: Build your own cybersecurity lab at home using open-source tools to simulate enterprise environments.
📒 Internships or Volunteer Work: Seek opportunities with smaller companies or non-profits to gain practical experience.

What InfoSecLabs provides

While many free resources can help you learn about cybersecurity tools, how about gaining real-world experience? We’ve developed a system that provides you with access to a realistic Security Operations Center (SOC) environment. This allows you to learn and practice using tools such as:

• Firewall
• Vulnerability Scanners – Web and Assets
• Cyber Threat Intelligence – OpenCTI
• EDR (e.g., CrowdStrike)
• SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) – Wazuh
• Ticketing Systems -theHive

We’re also working on adding more tools to enhance the experience further.

What’s more, our InfoSecLabs Discord community includes dedicated SOC analysts who are available to answer your questions about alerts, tools, and workflows.

This approach combines affordability with practical, real-world experience, making it an accessible and effective way to kick-start your cybersecurity career.