Guided starting point
Find my starting point
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Lessons and activities are in English.
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Use these now, or answer the questions below for a fuller plan.
Question 1 of 7
What's your education or work background?
See an example of My plan
Example only · not your recommendation
What should I do next?
Next activity · 30 min
Read a login record
Choose the record you would check first, the evidence that makes it unusual, and a sensible next check. Compare the same person's records. A location can be misleading: a virtual private network (VPN) changes the apparent location.
Made-up records · phone-friendly · no paid tools
Submit your explanation for basic feedback, then move to the next activity. Both stay free.
Read the first lessonIT foundations first
An example for someone new to systems and networking; compare your own options before choosing.
First week · 5–10 hours available
- Read a login record · 30 min
- Follow an account incident · 25 min
Evidence
No work submitted in this example. Your submitted work and basic feedback appear here.
Blockers
Keep a free note of what is stopping you and what you tried.
Mentor checkpoint
No session booked in this example. Your next booked checkpoint appears here.
Entry pathways vs experienced roles
Entry pathways vs experienced roles
Most people start in one of the entry pathways. The experienced roles are later steps.
Entry pathway
SOC Analyst
Watch security alerts, check whether they are real and escalate the ones that matter.
Entry pathway
IT/Network Security Support
Keep office systems patched, manage user access and fix firewall or VPN issues.
Entry pathway
GRC / Compliance Analyst
Check that the company follows security rules, collect evidence and track risks.
Entry pathway
Junior Penetration Tester
Test websites and systems with permission to find weaknesses before attackers do.
Entry pathway
Cloud Security (entry)
Check cloud accounts for risky settings such as public storage or over-powered users.
Experienced · usually 2–4 years in IT, networking or SOC work
Security Engineer
Build and tune security tools across the company.
Experienced · usually 2–4 years in cloud or infrastructure
Cloud Security Engineer
Design guardrails and secure architectures in cloud platforms.
Experienced · usually 2–3 years in SOC work
Incident Responder
Lead investigations when a real breach happens.
Experienced · usually 3+ years in a security specialism
Security Consultant
Advise clients on security programmes and assessments.
Experienced · usually 6+ years across engineering roles
Security Architect
Design how security fits into whole systems and programmes.