Best Cybersecurity Certifications for Beginners

Whether you’re transitioning from IT or starting fresh, OffSec’s comprehensive certification programs provide the hands-on experience employers demand. This guide explores the best entry-level cybersecurity certifications for 2025, helping you choose the right path for your security career.

As pioneers in offensive security training for over two decades, OffSec has developed the industry’s most respected hands-on certifications. Our approach goes beyond theory, you’ll attack real systems, defend against threats, and build security solutions in live environments, gaining practical skills that set you apart.

By the end of this article, you’ll understand which certifications align with your career goals, what each credential costs, and how to strategically build your cybersecurity expertise from the ground up.

Cybersecurity certifications serve as a standardized way to validate your understanding of critical security concepts, tools, and methodologies. In a saturated entry-level market, certifications help you stand out from hundreds of applicants by proving you’ve invested time and effort into developing relevant skills. They show employers you understand fundamental security principles, network security basics, and can speak the language of cybersecurity professionals.

Many organizations explicitly require certifications for security positions, especially in government and defense sectors. Private sector employers increasingly use certifications as screening criteria, with HR departments often filtering out candidates without relevant credentials. Even when not strictly required, certifications demonstrate your commitment to the field and readiness to handle security responsibilities. Having industry-recognized certifications like those from OffSec shows you can perform real-world security tasks, not just pass multiple-choice exams.

Data from industry surveys consistently shows that certified security professionals earn 15-35% more than their non-certified counterparts. Entry-level security analysts with certifications typically start between $70,000-$90,000, compared to $55,000-$70,000 without credentials. As you progress through your career, advanced certifications can lead to six-figure salaries within 3-5 years. The initial investment in certification training and exams often pays for itself within the first year through increased earning potential.

Price: Starting at $899
Duration: 136+ hours of content
Format: Hands-on labs with 6-hour proctored exam
Best For: Complete beginners seeking comprehensive foundations

The SEC-100: CyberCore™ certification represents OffSec’s newest entry point into cybersecurity. This certification goes beyond theory, immersing you in practical offensive and defensive techniques through real-world lab environments. The exam uniquely tests your abilities across three domains: Attack, Defend, and Build, ensuring you develop well-rounded security skills from day one. You’ll master essential knowledge including networking, scripting, application security, and both Windows and Linux basics.

What makes OSCC-SEC unique?

• Immediate exam results with no documentation required
• Three-section exam covering attack, defend, and build scenarios
• AI-powered learning assistant for guided help
• One-year lab access with Learn One subscription

Career Paths: Security Operations Analyst, Junior Security Engineer, IT Security Specialist, Network Security Administrator
Earning Potential: $65,000-$85,000 entry-level

Start your cybersecurity journey with SEC-100 →

Price: Free for all registered OffSec users
Duration: Self-paced
Format: Online exam
Best For: Aspiring penetration testers and security professionals

Through PEN-103: Kali Linux Revealed, the KLCP certification validates mastery of the industry-standard Kali Linux distribution. This free course covers everything from basic Linux usage and Debian package management to advanced Kali configuration, security, and enterprise deployment. Understanding Kali’s tools and capabilities is fundamental for offensive security roles and penetration testing positions.

Key Learning Areas:

• Linux fundamentals and system administration
• Kali Linux installation and configuration
• Security tools and methodologies
• Enterprise deployment strategies

Career Paths: Junior Penetration Tester, Security Researcher, Vulnerability Analyst, System Administrator
Earning Potential: $70,000-$90,000 entry-level

Access free Kali Linux training with PEN-103 →

Price: Starting at $1,749
Duration: 200+ hours of content
Format: 24-hour hands-on exam
Best For: Those ready for intensive penetration testing training

The PEN-200: Penetration Testing with Kali Linux course leads to the industry’s most respected penetration testing certification. While challenging, PEN-200 assumes only basic networking, Linux, and programming knowledge, making it accessible to motivated beginners. The OSCP certification requires you to successfully attack and penetrate live machines, proving real-world offensive security skills that employers value above all else.

Why OSCP stands out:

• Lifetime certification (OSCP+: 3-year validity)
• Hands-on exam requiring actual exploitation
• Industry gold standard for penetration testing
• “Try Harder” mentality that builds persistence

Career Paths: Penetration Tester, Security Consultant, Ethical Hacker, Vulnerability Assessor
Earning Potential: $85,000-$110,000 with OSCP

Challenge yourself with PEN-200 →

Price: Starting at $1,749
Duration: 200-level course content
Format: Hands-on proctored exam
Best For: Future SOC analysts and defenders

The SOC-200: Security Operations and Defensive Analysis course teaches you to think like an attacker while acting as a defender. This certification demonstrates your ability to detect, analyze, and assess potential security incidents through live exercises. You’ll gain practical experience with SIEM tools, network monitoring, and incident response—exactly what security operations centers need.

Core Competencies:

• Security event monitoring and analysis
• Threat detection and classification
• Incident response procedures
• SIEM tool proficiency

Career Paths: SOC Analyst, Security Operations Specialist, Incident Responder, Threat Analyst
Earning Potential: $70,000-$90,000 entry-level

Build defensive skills with SOC-200 →

Price: Starting at $1,749
Duration: 224+ hours of content
Format: 24-hour proctored exam
Best For: Web application security specialists

The WEB-200: Web Attacks with Kali Linux certification focuses on identifying and exploiting web application vulnerabilities. You’ll master attacks including XSS, CSRF, SQL injection, SSRF, XXE, CORS, and SSTI using Kali Linux tools. The hands-on exam requires exploiting five independent targets, proving your ability to assess real web applications.

Skills Developed:

• Web vulnerability identification
• Exploitation techniques
• Security assessment methodology
• Report writing for web findings

Career Paths: Web Application Tester, Security Assessor, Application Security Analyst, Bug Bounty Hunter
Earning Potential: $75,000-$95,000 entry-level

Master web security with WEB-200 →

Price: Starting at $1,749
Duration: 41+ hours of content
Format: 8-hour proctored exam
Best For: Aspiring threat hunters and detection engineers

The TH-200: Foundational Threat Hunting course teaches proactive threat detection using industry-standard tools like CrowdStrike Falcon and Splunk. You’ll learn to identify network and endpoint indicators of compromise (IoCs), conduct threat hunting sprints, and assess the impact of attacker actions including data exfiltration and encryption.

Tools and Technologies:

• Splunk for log analysis
• CrowdStrike Falcon for endpoint detection
• Wireshark for network analysis
• Threat intelligence integration

Career Paths: Threat Hunter, Detection Engineer, Security Analyst, Threat Intelligence Analyst
Earning Potential: $80,000-$100,000 entry-level

Start threat hunting with TH-200 →

Price: Starting at $1,749
Duration: 34+ hours of content
Format: 8-hour proctored exam
Best For: Future incident response team members

The IR-200: Foundational Incident Response certification validates your ability to handle security incidents from detection through remediation. You’ll master the incident response lifecycle, apply digital forensics techniques, and analyze attack patterns using Splunk and forensic tools. The exam tests your ability to track attacker activities and perform forensic analysis on compromised systems.

Core Skills:

• Incident response lifecycle management
• Digital forensics fundamentals
• Malware analysis basics
• Attack technique mitigation

Career Paths: Incident Response Analyst, Digital Forensics Specialist, Security Operations Team Lead, CSIRT Member
Earning Potential: $75,000-$95,000 entry-level

Learn incident response with IR-200 →

Price: $404 for exam voucher (training costs vary)
Duration: 3–6 months preparation
Format: 90-minute multiple-choice and performance-based exam
Best For: Absolute beginners seeking a vendor-neutral, foundational security credential

CompTIA Security+ validates essential security skills, including threat management, network security, and risk mitigation. It’s often the first choice for beginners because it’s widely recognized across industries and aligns with DoD 8570 requirements for certain government roles.

Key Learning Areas:

• Threats, attacks, and vulnerabilities
• Security architecture and design
• Identity and access management
• Risk management

Career Paths: Security Administrator, Systems Administrator, Help Desk Analyst, Network Engineer
Earning Potential: $65,000–$85,000

Price: $575–$760 depending on ISACA membership
Duration: 3–6 months preparation
Format: 4-hour computer-based exam
Best For: Beginners with an interest in IT audit, governance, and compliance

CISA is a must-have for anyone pursuing a career in information systems auditing. It covers auditing processes, governance, risk management, and protection of information assets. While it has an experience requirement for full certification, candidates can pass the exam first and earn the credential once they meet the experience criteria.

Core Competencies:

• IT audit process
• Governance and management of IT
• Information systems acquisition and development
• Information asset protection

Career Paths: IT Auditor, Compliance Analyst, Risk Analyst, Information Security Officer
Earning Potential: $90,000–$120,000

Price: $1,199–$1,499 for training + exam (exam-only options available)
Duration: 5 days instructor-led or 3–4 months self-paced study
Format: 4-hour multiple-choice exam (practical exam optional)
Best For: Beginners who want to learn penetration testing and hacking techniques

The CEH certification from EC-Council equips you with the tools and techniques used by malicious hackers—only applied ethically to strengthen security defenses. It covers footprinting, reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, and post-attack techniques, making it a popular choice for aspiring ethical hackers.

Skills Developed:

• Penetration testing methodology
• Network scanning and enumeration
• Exploitation and post-exploitation
• Malware analysis basics

Career Paths: Ethical Hacker, Penetration Tester, Vulnerability Analyst, Security Consultant
Earning Potential: $85,000–$105,000

Start with SEC-100 (OSCC-SEC) for comprehensive foundations, then complement with the free PEN-103 (KLCP) to master Kali Linux. This combination provides both defensive and offensive perspectives while building essential technical skills.

Progress from PEN-103 to PEN-200 (OSCP) for penetration testing mastery. Add WEB-200 (OSWA) if you’re interested in web application security and bug bounty hunting.

Begin with SOC-200 (OSDA) for SOC operations, then expand with TH-200 (OSTH) for threat hunting or IR-200 (OSIR) for incident response specialization.

Price: $2,749/year
Includes: One year access to one 200 or 300-level course, labs, and two exam attempts

Perfect for professionals focusing on a specific certification path. The extended access time allows thorough preparation while the two exam attempts provide confidence.

Explore Learn One subscription →

Price: $6,099/year
Includes: Unlimited OffSec Learning Library access plus unlimited exam attempts

Ideal for ambitious learners wanting to pursue multiple certifications. Access all courses, labs, and take exams when you’re ready without additional fees.

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What cybersecurity certification should I get first as a beginner? Start with SEC-100 (OSCC-SEC) for comprehensive foundations or PEN-103 (KLCP) if you’re interested in penetration testing. Both provide excellent entry points into cybersecurity.

Which security certification is best for getting a job? The OSCP remains the gold standard for penetration testing roles, while OSDA is increasingly valued for SOC positions. SEC-100 provides broad foundations suitable for various entry-level security roles.

How much do entry-level cybersecurity certifications cost? OffSec certifications range from free (PEN-103) to $1,749+ for advanced courses. The SEC-100 foundation course starts at $899, making it an affordable entry point.

Can I learn cybersecurity without experience? Yes, SEC-100 assumes no prior security experience and builds from fundamental concepts. The hands-on lab approach ensures you gain practical skills alongside theoretical knowledge.

What is the easiest cybersecurity certification for beginners? PEN-103 (KLCP) is free and self-paced, making it accessible for beginners. SEC-100 provides more structure and comprehensive coverage if you prefer guided learning.

How long does it take to get cybersecurity certified? Depending on your dedication, you can complete foundation courses like SEC-100 in 2-3 months. Advanced certifications like OSCP typically require 6-12 months of preparation.

Are OffSec certifications worth it for beginners? OffSec certifications are highly valued because they require hands-on demonstration of skills, not just theoretical knowledge. Employers trust OffSec-certified professionals to handle real security challenges.

The cybersecurity industry needs skilled professionals who can handle real-world threats. OffSec’s hands-on certifications provide the practical experience and validated skills employers demand. Whether you choose the comprehensive foundations of SEC-100, the penetration testing focus of PEN-200, or the defensive expertise of SOC-200, you’re investing in certifications that prove you can protect organizations from cyber threats.

Don’t wait to start your cybersecurity career. With cyber threats evolving daily, organizations need security professionals who can think creatively, persist through challenges, and apply practical skills to solve complex problems. OffSec’s “Try Harder” mentality and hands-on approach ensure you’re not just certified, you’re capable.

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