Top Cybersecurity Hands-On Training Platforms To Try Out.

There are so many platforms out there for you to learn cybersecurity whether you are looking to start your cybersecurity journey, stacking and improving your skills or looking for a career change to cybersecurity.

With this vast number to choose from, you might be wondering which platforms will give you the best training in terms of knowledge and hands on skills. Below is a handful of some of the best platforms you can use to get you going in the field with their pros and cons.

Regardless of which platform you choose, the key is to ensure that it meets your learning goals and aligns with your career aspirations. This is often best with a platform that focuses on helping you build job-ready skills that employers actually want.

Offsec, an American international company is one of the leading platforms in the field of cybersecurity, they are well known for their penetration testing training and certifications, although, they have recently started releasing digital forensics and other blueteam content. It is well known also for its certifications such as the OSCP and one of their opensource projects, kali linux.

Pros

1. Industry recognition: Offsec certifications such as the OSCP is one of the  highly recognised and recommended certifications in the cybersecurity industry, you are likely to see most penetration testing job recommendations stating the OSCP.
2. Full hands-on Training: Offsec has a training platform that equips learners with hands-on learning experience, not only that, but their certification exams are also fully hands-on.

Cons

1. Expensive: Offsec’s training and certifications are quite expensive as compared to other platforms.
2. The try harder mindset: Offsec’s programs aim to foster deep problem-solving, resilience, and independent debugging skills which are excellent skills to have, but learners have often complained that their learning content is often lacking the depth required to complete associated technical exercises. Despite this, so many in the cybersecurity community do not find this an issue.

Hack The Box is also one of the best cybersecurity learning platforms out there. The platform has well designed learning paths for all types of learners, real-world labs for offensive skills development as well as defensive and AI security contents too as well.

Pros

1. Competitive environment: Hack the Box platform makes it one of the platforms you would go to if you are interested in competitions like CTFs.
2. Large community size: Hack the Box has one of the biggest community size, this makes it easy to get help or guidance when needed.
3. Hands-on Training: Hack the Box also has a lot of hands-on training labs that will equip you with the necessary skill you need to excel in cybersecurity.

Cons

1. Less Guided labs: Hack the Box platforms does not have a lot of guided labs to help novices in the field.
2. Hack the Box Labs can be intimidating for beginners even when they are rated easy.

CyLynk is an Australian-based job-ready focused cybersecurity platform. Through its immersive, hands-on platform (LynkBoxes|LynkLabs) and live 1-on-1 expert coaching, CyLynk upskills individuals across defensive, offensive, cloud, and governance (GRC) pathways.

Pros

1. Structured 1-on-1 Coaching: Unlike many self-paced video warehouses, CyLynk pairs learners with active cybersecurity professionals who act as personal coaches to offer direction and keep students accountable. 
2. Generous Accessibility Pricing (Emerging Markets): One of CyLynk's standout features is its aggressive Global Access discount program. Students or professionals living in developing regions (such as parts of Africa or the Asia-Pacific) can receive up to a 70% discount calculated against local purchasing power parity. 
3. "Get Hired Bootcamps" Accountability: For those enrolled in their dedicated get hired programme, the curriculum integrates specialised Portfolio Labs (P-Labs) designed to simulate real corporate environments, backed by a formal job-ready guarantee. 
4. Job Ready Portfolio: As learners progress through the platform, they are able to complete graded tasks which count as portfolio tasks, and these are then combined to generate a portfolio for the user that can be used to apply for jobs and present it to hiring managers as proof of their capability.

Cons

1. Relatively New Platform Infrastructure: Because CyLynk launched in 2024, its proprietary lab framework and community ecosystem are still expanding compared to decades-old, established cybersecurity training mainstays.

SANS is also a one of the well-established cybersecurity industries providing professional courses, certifications, hands-on labs and training programs. 

Pros

1. Hands-on Labs: SANS also provides more hands-on labs on their platform.
2. Professional Certifications: Certificates offered by SANS are also well recognised in the job market and well respected by hiring managers.
3. Expert Instructors: SANS has courses taught and designed by some of the most respected industry experts across offensive, cloud, defensive and IT/OT security.

Cons

1. High Cost: Though SANS has great courses, they are highly expensive to purchase and often require employers to fund them.
2. Not beginner focus: Most of SANS course are developed for professionals in the field already making it overwhelming for complete beginners

TryHackMe is another beginner friendly platform out there. It combines walkthrough lessons with hands-on labs and challenges making it a better choice for absolute beginners. TryHackMe also has learning paths that cover topics such as Security Fundamentals, Penetration Testing, SOC , and AI.

Pros

1. Beginner Friendly content: TryHackMe has some of its contents in walkthroughs which makes it easier for beginners to follow along and develop their skills.
2. Affordability: TryHackMe’s subscription prices are relatively low, this makes it a best choice if you are on a budget.
3. Structured Learning Path: TryHackMe also has a couple of learning paths that can be taken based on your interest.

Cons

1. Fundamental Tarpit: Most professionals have a feel the platform is for beginners because of most of its guided labs and paths. Not because guided labs are bad, but this can become problematic, if the users are not stretched using a concept known as Zone of Proximal Development(ZPD) developed by Lev Vygotsky.
2. Limited time on VMs: TryhackMe has a limit of 1hr when using a hands-on lab, this time can be extended at will but poses a problem to beginners.

TCM Security is a relatively new cybersecurity platform when compared to others already discussed. Founded by Health Adams, it aimed to deliver video-based training content recorded by cybersecurity professionals. It initially started off as a community powered and affordable platform and has since been acquired by Educate360. They host training courses in penetration testing, SOC, AI and programming etc. TCM also has a couple of recognised certifications such as the PJPT, PNPT etc, but these are less recognised by employers. 

Pros

1. High Practicality: TCM courses are focused on practicality. This help learners gain the practical skills needed.
2. Practical Certification: TCM is one of the platforms that also has practical certifications that makes learners put their knowledge to test.
3. Beginner Friendly: TCM’s courses are mostly designed in a way that beginners can easily understand and follow with the course.

Cons

1. Less Gamified: If you are someone who likes to participate in CTF challenges, TCM does not provide such services as well as no point systems or labs to solve and climb a leaderboard.
2. Small ecosystem: Compared to other platforms mentioned, TCM has a smaller number.
3. Video Based Content: Majority of contents within their platform are delivered using demonstrable video recording which lack practical opportunities for learner practice with cloud-hosted lab environments.

As we wrap up, we would like to acknowledge that there are several other learning platforms that were not mentioned in this post due to the constraint of keeping the content short. Several of these platforms are also very new and might be featured on our future roundup.

As already highlighted, the choice of what platform to use in the sea of never-ending list of available platforms can appear daunting at first, but we hope that you would be better prepared to make an informed decision after reading this.

While new, CyLynk presents a unique approach to technical training that is focused on Job Readiness, expert coaching from industry experts, and employer ready generated portfolios that gives our learners the edge to stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs. We have also partnered with Hck4G.org on the mission to disrupt cybercrime globally, so that by subscribing you are supporting that mission and creating an impact in underserved and untapped regions while you learn. Get started with a free 14 days trial or donate to Hck4G.

What is the difference between Hck4G and CyLynk?
Hck4G is a registered Australian charity with a mission to disrupt cybercrime through diversion, victim support and community online safety awareness and education, while CyLynk is a hands-on cybersecurity training platform focused on equipping learners with job ready and practical skills.

Is the CyLynk platform good for those starting out in IT or Cybersecurity?
Yes. CyLynk is designed to support beginners as well as people looking to advance their cybersecurity careers. Its training options include self-paced courses, hands-on labs, practical exercises, and structured learning pathways. Learners can also access community support, with coaching and mentorship available through relevant programmes. 

What other platforms were not covered above, but deserve an honorable mention?
Several other platforms are worth exploring because they offer alternative approaches to practical cybersecurity learning which includes CyberDefenders, LetsDefend, PentesterLab, PortSwigger Web Security Academy, OverTheWire, RangeForce etc.