Learn the Fundamentals of Cybersecurity for Free!
We live in a networked world - keeping in touch with friends, paying bills, operating a city’s energy grid, strengthening national security - it happens online. The need to secure our networks has never been greater. The number of cyber-attacks is increasing dramatically and there aren’t enough people with the right skills to fill mission-critical jobs needed to ensure our security online.
Developed from our library of professional development curriculum, SANS Cyber Aces Online is an online course that teaches the core concepts needed to assess and protect information security systems. And it's free!
The course material is updated regularly to keep pace with changes in technology and threat landscape. It is an engaging, self-paced, easy-to-use combination of tutorials and videos where learners will come away with a solid foundation for building a career in cybersecurity or just strengthening their own home network.
It’s available as open courseware so learners can take it anytime and anywhere.
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FAQs
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SANS Cyber Aces Online is designed to meet a range of participants – including those seeking to strengthen their existing cybersecurity knowledge, self-taught individuals seeking to assess their skill levels, and newcomers seeking to enter the field. Past participants include:
- High school students
- High school teachers and administrators
- College students
- Military veterans
- Active military
- Job seekers
- Career changers
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No. SANS Cyber Aces Online is available as open courseware, so registration is not required to access the course content.
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No. SANS Cyber Aces Online is free for all participants.
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Yes. To fully experience the tutorial contents, you will need to install VMware (VMware Player for Windows or Linux hosts, or VMware Fusion for Macs). You'll also need to download two virtual machines to run in VMware: a Linux and a Windows version. This will require at least 30GB of disk space.
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SANS Cyber Aces is SANS’ philanthropic initiative to help individuals discover and develop skills and careers in cybersecurity. SANS donates free, online courses that teach the fundamentals of cybersecurity to program participants, organizes state-wide competitions and helps connect participants to employers.
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Cybersecurity has arrived at a critical point. It now sits at the nexus of three urgent and important needs: to strengthen national security, to deliver innovative STEM education, and to provide good, well-paying jobs. SANS Cyber Aces program is rooted in all three.
SANS Cyber Aces’ mission is to discover and develop individuals with high aptitude in information security so they can make a contribution to the physical and economic security of our country.
Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing, highest-paying IT employment fields. Yet there is a critical shortage of individuals with the skills needed. Good jobs are going unfilled. SANS Cyber Aces is committed to being one part of a comprehensive approach to strengthening the security of our nation and its enterprises, enhancing our education system, and providing meaningful employment in the cybersecurity industry.
Additional Resources
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Learn from the Best
The SANS Cyber Aces curriculum was designed and developed by leaders in the cybersecurity field - our founder Alan Paller and Senior Instructor Tim Medin. Read their bios using the links below.