Where to start
Free and affordable credentials for a career in security and AI, with a planned route through them. Pick a role in the Career Planner, or browse a domain from the menu.
Rows run from fundamentals to expert: Fundamentals Intermediate Advanced Expert
Starting from zero
Eight steps, free unless marked.
- Cisco Introduction to Cybersecuritya badge, about six hours
- Fortinet FCFa free entry-level certification
- Microsoft SC-900 learning pathfree to study; the exam costs about $99
- Saviynt ISAAa free identity certification
- Securiti AI Security & Governancefree, eight modules and a final exam in under three hours
- ICO Data Protection Essentialsfree privacy grounding from a regulator
- LetsDefend free tierhands-on defensive practice in the browser
- Pick one role in the Career Plannerand climb its pyramid from there
What the tag on each entry means
One tag on every entry says what you walk away with.
A flag on a price means the figure came from a reseller rather than the issuer. An asterisk on a promo* marks a temporary offer. Confirm either at checkout.
Proctored an exam sat under identity verification, either remote-proctored or a timed hands-on lab with a submitted report
Course cert a certificate of completion, with an unproctored knowledge check where the issuer sets one
Badge a digital badge for finishing a learning path, with no exam
Registration free access on sign-up, with no credential issued
Skills employers name that no certification covers
Free unless priced. Each appears in job adverts more often than most credentials here. Shares are as at the latest update.
Pythonhalf of cloud postings
Essentials 1, shortest
CS50P, ten weeks PCEP exam, $69, to certify it
Google's class, for existing programmers
Identity protocols57% of identity postings
IDPro Body of Knowledge, the reference
OAuth 2.0, the spec
SAML 2.0, for enterprise SSO
Passkeys, what replaces passwords
Active Directory44% of identity postings
AD DS, the concepts
Deploy and manage, hands-on
Pipelines and supply chain44% of cloud postings
LFS162, DevOps foundations
Sigstore, signing and provenance
OpenSSF, 8 free badges
Secure software development
Threat modeling22% of architecture postings
Shostack's guide, the method
OWASP cheat sheet, one page
Threat modeling
Working with stakeholders43% of architecture postings
Soft skills
US clearance and DoD 814029% of security engineering postings
DCSA vetting, the process
8140 matrices, role requirements
Career Planner
Pick a role and a budget. The pyramid stacks every credential for that role by level, the timeline sequences it week by week, and the route highlights one credential per level: cheapest, fastest, or the one employers name most.
Role
Path budget
Route
View
Plan
Time per week
Select the circle on a credential to add it to your plan. Hour figures include exam preparation, and week ranges follow the hours you set. Prices carry the same flags as the catalogue tabs.
Why non-security certifications are hereA few entries are not security credentials at all: networking, service management, project delivery and enterprise architecture. Security work is built on top of them. You cannot secure a network you cannot read, or govern a change process you have never run. They sit at the foundation of the pyramid for the same reason, as the layer everything above assumes you already have.
Core cybersecurityPractice domain
Offensive practicals, classic certifications, free academies, and government material. The credentials that are not specific to any one domain, including the foundational IT certifications security work is built on.
| Credential | Body | Cost | Renewal | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) Fundamentals Entry certificationProctored | ISC2 | EUR 191 | $50 AMF | The free-CC programme ended with enrolment closing on 20 May 2026. Entry level, and a first proctored exam for a candidate holding nothing yet. | isc2.org |
| SSCP Intermediate Operational securityProctored | ISC2 | $249EUR 239 | Single $135 AMF | Hands-on operational security administration. For an existing ISC2 member it rides the single AMF and doubles as CPE scaffolding. | isc2.org |
| ISSAP Expert Security architectureProctored | ISC2 | $599€575.04 | Single $135 AMF | The CISSP architecture concentration. Requires a CISSP in good standing plus two years of domain experience; CPEs count toward the CISSP cycle and the single AMF already covers it. | isc2.org |
| ISSEP Expert Systems security engineeringProctored | ISC2 | $599€575.04 | Single $135 AMF | The CISSP engineering concentration, built around systems security engineering practice. Requires a CISSP in good standing plus two years of domain experience; CPEs count toward the CISSP cycle and the single AMF already covers it. | isc2.org |
| ISSMP Expert Security leadershipProctored | ISC2 | $599€575.04 | Single $135 AMF | The CISSP management concentration for security program leadership. Requires a CISSP in good standing plus two years of domain experience; CPEs count toward the CISSP cycle and the single AMF already covers it. | isc2.org |
| TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Foundation Intermediate Proctored | The Open Group | $405direct, $435 by voucher | No expiry | OGEA-101, forty questions, 55 percent pass, bookable directly at Pearson VUE with self-study explicitly permitted. The architecture-method credential that keeps appearing beside SABSA in architect postings; the combined Part 1 and 2 exam runs $610. | opengroup.org |
| CompTIA Security+ Fundamentals Security fundamentalsProctored | CompTIA | Price at vendor | 3-yr CE | Named in DoD 8140 role requirements. Its content sits below anything else in this domain. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | crucialexams.com |
| Cybersecurity Audit Certificate Advanced Proctored | ISACA | $299$259 members | No expiry | A two-hour remote-proctored exam of 75 questions. The GRC-adjacent fit beside CISM and CRISC for DORA-driven audit work. | isaca.org |
| CS50's Introduction to Cybersecurity Fundamentals Security fundamentalsRegistration | HarvardX | Free | None | Five weeks: securing accounts, securing data, securing systems, securing software, and preserving privacy. Written for technical and non-technical readers alike. Free and complete on Harvard's own site, problem sets included. The edX listing sells the certificate; its free audit track drops the graded work and expires. | cs50.harvard.edu |
| CS50's Introduction to Computer Science Fundamentals Computing foundationsRegistration | HarvardX | Free | None | Eleven weeks of computing from first principles: C, arrays, algorithms, memory and data structures, then Python, SQL and the web. The ground the rest of this catalogue stands on if you came to security from outside IT. Free and complete on Harvard's own site, problem sets included. The edX listing sells the certificate; its free audit track drops the graded work and expires. | cs50.harvard.edu |
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCF, Fortinet Certified Fundamentals Fundamentals Security fundamentalsCourse cert | Fortinet | Free | Free courses and a free proctored exam on the training portal; two-year validity. | fortinet.com |
| FCA, Fortinet Certified Associate Fundamentals Network securityCourse cert | Fortinet | Free | The associate tier above FCF, still free; the FCP tiers and above require paid Pearson VUE exams. | fortinet.com |
| Networking Academy security paths Fundamentals Badge | Cisco | Free | Introduction to Cybersecurity, Ethical Hacker, and the Junior Cybersecurity Analyst path with a digital badge. | netacad.com |
| OPSWAT Academy, the CIP lane Fundamentals Course cert | OPSWAT | Free | CIP Essentials free with Credly badges; ISC2 CPE partner. Product certifications now run USD 1,000 each, so only the fundamentals lane stays affordable. | opswatacademy.com |
| LFD121, Developing Secure Software Intermediate Course cert | OpenSSF, Linux Foundation | Free | About twenty hours with a free certificate: the right secure-SDLC credential for an architect who still reviews code. | openssf.org |
| APIsec University Intermediate Course cert | APIsec U | Free | API security certifications, CASA among them; ISC2 CPE eligible. Certificate details sit behind login. | apisecuniversity.com |
| ENISA training material Intermediate CSIRT operationsRegistration | EU, ENISA | Free | CSIRT and forensics courseware with VMs. No certificate: training substance only. | enisa.europa.eu |
| NIST NICE free-content list Fundamentals Curated training indexRegistration | US, NIST | Free | The curated register of free cybersecurity content. No certificate. | nist.gov |
| CISA Learning platform Intermediate Government coursewareRegistration | US, CISA | Free | The free federal training platform; login.gov account required. Course-level certificates vary by offering. | learning.cisa.gov |
| The Coursera security catalogue under Coursera Plus Intermediate Registration | Coursera | $59/moor $399/yr$35/mo promo* | One subscription covers a wide security layer: the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate with its half-price SC-900 voucher, IBM security courses, Cisco SOC and threat courses, the Whizlabs SC-100 exam-prep specialization, Packt's SC-900 and Sentinel exam-preps, and the Google prompting courses. Shareable certificates on all. Worth one or two focused months of exam preparation rather than a standing subscription. | coursera.org |
Worth knowing before you buy
The ISC2 AI course series, sixteen CPEs across six courses, ran free for members in a window that has now closed. The bundle runs near USD 640 with a twenty percent member discount, and has no proctored exam behind it. CRTOM from Red Team Leaders is an unaccredited micro-credential with unpublished pricing, marketed through full-discount coupon campaigns: take it only when a coupon makes it free, and weight it accordingly. Fortinet NSE 1 to 3 is the legacy naming of today's free FCF and FCA track. The Cybrary MAD certificates are historical; that route is now MAD20 at USD 990 monthly.
The $400 and up tier
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIAC GSEC, Security Essentials (exam-only) Intermediate Security essentialsProctored | GIAC / SANS | $999 | Exam attempt only, no training; two practice tests included, retake $899, renewal $499 per four years. Respected, and poor dollar value without the SANS course behind it. | giac.org |
| CISA Advanced Proctored | ISACA | $760$575 members | Plus $50 application. Audit and GRC seniority signal; AMF $45 member yearly. | isaca.org |
| CISM Expert Proctored | ISACA | $760$575 members | The security management standard beside CISSP in postings. | isaca.org |
| CRISC Expert Proctored | ISACA | $760$575 members | Risk management. ISACA prices this in line with its other exams. Confirm on the CRISC page. | isaca.org |
| CGEIT Expert Proctored | ISACA | $760$575 members | IT governance, executive-leaning; still active. | isaca.org |
| CISSP Expert Proctored | ISC2 | $749€719 | The senior benchmark: near-universal in architect and engineer postings. Five years of experience required; $135 yearly AMF covers all ISC2 credentials. | isc2.org |
| SecurityX (ex CASP+, CAS-005) Expert Proctored | CompTIA | Price at vendor | Renamed from CASP+ in December 2024. Senior practitioner track. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | crucialexams.com |
| C|CISO Expert Proctored | EC-Council | ~$999 | Recurs in executive postings; management-track. EC-Council publishes no price. Partner route: CertiBanks iLearn bundle $650, which may not include the experience-verification application. | eccouncil.org |
Foundational IT layer
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LPI Linux Essentials Fundamentals Proctored | LPI | $120 | The cheapest credible Linux foundation; regional tiers run lower. | lpi.org |
| Microsoft AZ-900, Azure Fundamentals Fundamentals Cloud fundamentalsProctored | Microsoft | Price at vendor | The Azure entry exam; no expiry. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Fundamentals Cloud fundamentalsProctored | AWS | $100 | The AWS entry exam; a pass yields a half-price voucher for the next AWS exam. | aws.amazon.com |
| Google Cloud Digital Leader Fundamentals Cloud fundamentalsProctored | $99 | The GCP entry exam; pick whichever platform your target role runs on. | cloud.google.com | |
| CompTIA A+ Fundamentals Proctored | CompTIA | Price at vendor | Two exams. An IT-fundamentals credential rather than a security one; security postings rarely cite it. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | crucialexams.com |
| CompTIA Network+ Fundamentals Proctored | CompTIA | Price at vendor | Networking is the most-assumed foundation under SOC, engineer, and pentest roles. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | crucialexams.com |
| CompTIA Linux+ Intermediate Proctored | CompTIA | Price at vendor | For pentest, SOC, and engineering lanes. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | crucialexams.com |
| Cisco CCNA (200-301) Fundamentals Proctored | Cisco | $400 | Raised from $300; three-year validity. The network foundation architects and engineers still get asked for. | cisco.com |
| PMP, Project Management Professional Intermediate Project deliveryProctored | PMI | Price at vendor | Named in security postings more often than TOGAF or COBIT. Three years of project experience plus a degree, or five without, plus 35 hours of training. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | pmi.org |
| ITIL 4 Foundation Fundamentals Proctored | PeopleCert | ~$715direct | Service-management context for GRC, IAM, and enterprise SOC roles, common in EU postings. Much cheaper bundled through training providers; direct pricing shown. | peoplecert.org |
Penetration testing & red teamingRole domain
Penetration testing maximises verified findings in bounded time; red teaming pursues an adversary objective end to end. Both rest on the same tradecraft base.
Free: courses with credentials
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Ethical Hacker Intermediate Ethical hackingCourse cert | Cisco NetAcad | Free | Seventy hours of free coursework with a Cisco-validated Credly badge; completion-based, no proctored exam. The paid Cisco Certificate in Ethical Hacking below builds on it. | netacad.com |
| SpecterOps BloodHound Basics Intermediate AD attack pathsCourse cert | SpecterOps | Free | Six hours from the BloodHound authors, with certification and badging; launched July 2026. | academy.specterops.io |
| SpecterOps Kubernetes for Red Teamers Intermediate K8s tradecraftCourse cert | SpecterOps | Free | Eight free on-demand hours. Badge confirmed only for BloodHound Basics; registration required. | academy.specterops.io |
| SpecterOps Supply Chain Security for Red Teamers Intermediate Supply chain tradecraftCourse cert | SpecterOps | Free | Four free hours; LLM, AWS, and macOS tradecraft courses are announced follow-ups. | academy.specterops.io |
| APIsec University API Penetration Testing Intermediate API pentestCourse cert | APIsec U | Free | Corey Ball's twelve-module course with a completion certificate; cross-listed with the Secure SDLC tab. | university.apisec.ai |
Penetration testing certifications
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eJPT Fundamentals Proctored | INE | $249 | Junior practical pentest entry, retake included. Partner-listed price. INE shows its own at checkout. | ine.com |
| PJPT, Practical Junior Penetration Tester Intermediate AD pentestProctored | TCM Security | $249 | Junior practical Active Directory certification with training included: the cheap on-ramp to the PNPT examiner. | tcm-sec.com |
| PWPA, Practical Web Pentest Associate Intermediate Web-app pentestProctored | TCM Security | $249 | The web application sibling: a practical junior web-app assessment with report. | tcm-sec.com |
| PenTest+ (PT0-003) Intermediate Proctored | CompTIA | Price at vendor | A retake bundle is sold alongside the single exam. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | crucialexams.com |
| BSCP, Burp Suite Certified Practitioner Advanced Proctored | PortSwigger | $99 | Practical web exam at $99; the Web Security Academy training behind it is free. | portswigger.net |
| HTB CBBH, Certified Bug Bounty Hunter Expert Web exploitationProctored | Hack The Box | Price at vendor | Web attack and bug bounty focus on the same platform. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | hackerdna.com |
| CEH v13 Intermediate Proctored | EC-Council | $950 | ECC test-center voucher; the Pearson VUE route is $1,199. Plus $100 eligibility application for self-study and $80 yearly membership. Recognised by recruiters more than by practitioners. Partner route: CertiBanks iLearn bundle $620 with courseware, labs, and eligibility via official training. | eccouncil.org |
| HTB CPTS, Certified Penetration Testing Specialist Expert Network pentestProctored | Hack The Box | Price at vendor | Technically respected practical pentest certification; the Silver annual includes one exam voucher. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | hackerdna.com |
| GIAC GWAPT, Web App Penetration Tester (exam-only) Advanced Web-app pentestProctored | GIAC / SANS | $999 | Exam attempt only, no training; two practice tests included, retake $899, renewal $499 per four years. Respected, and poor dollar value without the SANS course behind it. | giac.org |
| GIAC GPEN, Penetration Tester (exam-only) Advanced Network pentestProctored | GIAC / SANS | $999 | Exam attempt only, no training; two practice tests included, retake $899, renewal $499 per four years. Respected, and poor dollar value without the SANS course behind it. | giac.org |
| SEC-100 CyberCore Fundamentals Proctored | OffSec | $899 | Course plus two exam attempts, and OffSec's cheapest route by a wide margin. Entry level; OSCP itself starts at $1,749. | offsec.com |
| PNPT, Practical Network Penetration Tester Expert Proctored | TCM Security | $499 | Forty-five plus hours of training, a five-day AD-focused practical exam with report and live debrief, one free retake, no expiry. Hands-on evidence for a record that is governance-heavy. | tcm-sec.com |
Red teaming certifications
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRTP, Certified Red Team Professional Intermediate AD red teamingProctored | Altered Security | $249-499by lab window | The entry red team credential: a 24-hour hands-on Active Directory exam with report, lifetime course material, one attempt included, $99 retakes, three-year validity with a free renewal exam. | alteredsecurity.com |
| CRTE, Certified Red Team Expert Advanced Multi-forest ADProctored | Altered Security | $299-699by lab window | The 48-hour multi-forest follow-up to CRTP; named in senior red team postings. | alteredsecurity.com |
| CARTP, Certified Azure Red Team Professional Advanced Azure red teamingProctored | Altered Security | $449-849by lab window | A 24-hour hands-on multi-tenant Azure exam with report; CARTE is the advanced sibling. | alteredsecurity.com |
| CRTO, Red Team Ops Advanced Proctored | Zero-Point Security | £399 | Course, 20-plus labs without expiry, licensed Cobalt Strike inside the labs, and unlimited exam attempts. Named outright in red team postings. | zeropointsecurity.co.uk |
| CRTL, Red Team Ops II, Certified Red Team Lead Expert C2 leadershipProctored | Zero-Point Security | £449 | The senior rung above CRTO with the same unlimited-attempt model. Rarely named by name in postings. | zeropointsecurity.co.uk |
| HTB COAE, Certified Offensive AI Expert Expert AI red teamingProctored | Hack The Box | Price at vendor | A seven-day practical AI red team assessment with a commercial-grade report, prepared by the AI Red Teamer path built with Google. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. The Silver annual plan currently includes one exam voucher, your choice of COAE, CPTS, CWES or CDSA. | academy.hackthebox.com |
| Cisco Certificate in Ethical Hacking Intermediate CTF-gradedCourse cert | Cisco | $100 | The free 70-hour course plus one Cisco U CTF challenge inside a 90-day window; lifetime certificate and badges, no proctored exam. | cisco.com |
Practice grounds, no credential
PortSwigger Web Security Academy (its credential is the BSCP exam above), TryHackMe and HTB Academy free tiers, OverTheWire, Carnegie Mellon's picoCTF, OWASP WebGoat and Juice Shop, and OffSec's Metasploit Unleashed are all free practice without certificates. Cybrary issues certificates on the paid plan only.
Security operations & incident responseRole domain
Detection practicals, SIEM and pipeline tooling ladders, and hands-on defence training.
| Credential | Body | Cost | Renewal | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAL1, Security Analyst Level 1 Intermediate Proctored | TryHackMe | EUR 301 | 3 yrs | A 24-hour practical exam in a SOC simulator, three months of Premium included, one free retake. The PT1 sibling runs USD 297. PT1 price via third party. | tryhackme.com |
| CompTIA CySA+ Intermediate SOC analysisProctored | CompTIA | Price at vendor | 3-yr CE | Analyst-track sibling with the same DoD 8140 logic; the security operations domain holds the hands-on alternatives. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | crucialexams.com |
| HTB CDSA, Certified Defensive Security Analyst Expert Defensive analysisProctored | Hack The Box | Price at vendor | - | The defensive sibling: SOC investigation and forensics practicals. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | hackerdna.com |
| CHFI, Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator Advanced DFIRProctored | EC-Council | $650 | ECE, $80/yr | Forensics via the ECC voucher route. | eccouncil.org |
| GIAC GCIH, Incident Handler (exam-only) Advanced Incident responseProctored | GIAC / SANS | $999 | $499 / 4 yrs | Exam attempt only, two practice tests included; poor dollar value without the SANS course behind it. | giac.org |
| GIAC GCIA, Intrusion Analyst (exam-only) Advanced Intrusion analysisProctored | GIAC / SANS | $999 | $499 / 4 yrs | Packet and traffic analysis depth under the same exam-only terms. | giac.org |
| CSA, Certified SOC Analyst v2 Intermediate Proctored | EC-Council | $450voucher, or $550 with courseware | ECE, $80/yr | Tier-1 and tier-2 SOC operations: log analysis, SIEM use, and escalation. The exam voucher sells standalone on the EC-Council store. Partner route: CertiBanks iLearn bundle $300 with courseware and labs. | store.eccouncil.org |
| CND, Certified Network Defender Intermediate Proctored | EC-Council | $550voucher | ECE, $80/yr | Defensive network operations across perimeter, traffic analysis, and hardening. Voucher-only via the EC-Council store. Partner route: CertiBanks iLearn bundle $550 with courseware and labs included. | store.eccouncil.org |
| ECIH, Incident Handler Advanced Proctored | EC-Council | $450voucher | ECE, $80/yr | Structured incident handling and response: preparation through post-incident. Named directly in security operations postings. Partner route: the CertiBanks iLearn bundle runs $300 including courseware, labs, and exam eligibility. | store.eccouncil.org |
| Splunk Core Certified User Intermediate SIEM operationsProctored | Splunk | $130per attempt | - | Free eLearning feeds the exam: cheap tooling proof beside the Cribl ladder. | splunk.com |
| Splunk Core Certified Power User Intermediate SPL searchProctored | Splunk | $130per attempt | - | The next rung: SPL, field extractions, and knowledge objects, on the same free eLearning. | splunk.com |
| CCOA, Certified Cybersecurity Operations Analyst Advanced Proctored | ISACA | $399members, plus $50 application | CPE | A new hands-on SOC certification with a four-hour performance-based exam. The application fee applies either way, so the total is USD 449 as a member and USD 549 without. | isaca.org |
| Elastic Certified SIEM Analyst Advanced Proctored | Elastic | $400per attempt | 2 yrs | No discounted retakes; the Engineer variant is USD 500. | elastic.co |
Cribl University
| Certification | Level | Effort | Validity | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC UserCourse cert | 1, Foundation | 4-7 h | 3 yrs | The entry gate for the ladder. | university.cribl.io |
| CC Admin, StreamCourse cert | 2 | 16-22 h | 3 yrs | Stream administration. | university.cribl.io |
| CC Admin, EdgeCourse cert | 2 | 10-12 h | 3 yrs | Edge administration. | university.cribl.io |
| CC EngineerCourse cert | 3, Expert | 5-15 h + prereqs | 3 yrs | Multi-product: HA and DR, performance, governance, API, migration. The architect-grade credential; requires User plus both Admins. | university.cribl.io |
Progression: User, then Admin Stream, then Admin Edge, then Engineer. CCSC, the services-consultant tier, is partner-only. Cribl University is always free; scenario labs run in real sandboxes; exam formats are unpublished.
Free
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AttackIQ Academy, the full catalogue Intermediate Course cert | AttackIQ | Free | Twenty-plus certificates, the whole catalogue free with ISC2 CPE eligibility: ATT&CK operationalization, purple teaming and emulation planning, adversary emulations (FIN6, menuPass, OceanLotus), Threat-Informed Architecture, Security Stack Mappings for AWS and Azure, M3TID, Top ATT&CK Techniques, Attack Flows, supply chain, and a Security Leadership certificate. A program rather than a single course. Sign in to see the current course versions. | academy.attackiq.com |
| Tines University and the Core certification Intermediate Course cert | Tines | Free inferred | The learning platform is explicitly free; the Core certification, near five and a half lab-based hours graded by Tines, publishes no price anywhere, which is consistent with free. Confirm at registration. Useful SOAR-tooling proof beside the Cribl ladder. | tines.com |
| LetsDefend certificates, free-tier confirmation Intermediate Registration | LetsDefend | Free tier | Completion certificates on the free Basic tier, now under Hack The Box. The Threat Hunting family, SOAR Fundamentals and SIEM Alert Tuning certificates show the depth on offer. VIP runs near USD 25 monthly. Sign in to see which courses sit on which tier. | help.hackthebox.com |
Vulnerability management and CTEM
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenbone OpenVAS starter rooms Fundamentals Registration | Greenbone via TryHackMe | Free | Free scanner fundamentals; formal Greenbone certification is partner-gated. | greenbone.net |
| LearnCTEM certifications Fundamentals Course cert | LearnCTEM | Free | Vendor-neutral CTEM exams with verifiable certificate IDs. Anonymous independent issuer with no brand recognition; treat as knowledge, not signal. | learnctem.com |
| Rapid7 InsightVM Certified Administrator Intermediate Proctored | Rapid7 | $215 | Per-exam certification. Purchase runs through a purchase-order flow; non-customer access is ambiguous. | academy.rapid7.com |
| Tenable One VM Specialist, exam-only Intermediate Proctored | Tenable | ~$490 | Written plus practical exam without the $2,200 course. Partner-listed price. Confirm with Tenable. | tenable.com |
| Cisco CyberOps Associate (200-201) Fundamentals Proctored | Cisco | $300 | The SOC-tailored alternative to Security+; recurs in analyst postings. Three-year validity. | cisco.com |
| Autopsy Basics and Hands On Advanced Course cert | Sleuth Kit Labs | $495 | Eight hours with certificate. Take it only if you need DFIR tooling proof; everything else here is better value. | training.sleuthkitlabs.com |
| Qualys Training & Certification Intermediate Course cert | Qualys | Free | Certified self-paced courses with labs: VMDR, Policy Compliance, PCI, EDR, Container Security, TotalCloud, API Fundamentals. | qualys.com |
Cloud securityRole domain
Cloud security certifications, free vendor badges, and the exam-voucher value ranking.
| Credential | Body | Cost | Renewal | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Security, Specialty Expert Proctored | AWS | $300 | 3 yrs | Any passed AWS exam yields a half-price voucher for the next, making Security Specialty effectively USD 150 after a USD 100 AI Practitioner. | aws.amazon.com |
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Skill Builder free tier Fundamentals Digital badgesRegistration | AWS | Free | Nine hundred plus free digital courses with microcredential assessments. | aws.amazon.com |
| Microsoft Applied Skills Intermediate Lab credentialsCourse cert | Microsoft | Free | Free lab-based assessments issuing verifiable scenario credentials; the security-relevant labs are filed in their domain tabs. | learn.microsoft.com |
| Google Cloud Skills Boost free tier Fundamentals Skill badgesRegistration | Free | Free-tier badges; lab-consuming skill badges need Innovators credits, as flagged in the IAM tab. | skills.google | |
| CSA self-paced cloud infrastructure courses Intermediate Registration | Cloud Security Alliance | $30-99bundle $395 | Certificates and CPEs; the Introduction to CSA Tools course is free; CSA runs periodic half-price events. | training.cloudsecurityalliance.org |
Databricks
| Credential | Cost | Validity | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakehouse Fundamentals badge Fundamentals Platform fundamentalsBadge | Free | - | Unproctored with free retakes; badge via Accredible. | databricks.com |
| Generative AI Fundamentals badge Fundamentals GenAI fundamentalsBadge | Free | - | Same format, on the GenAI stack. | databricks.com |
| AI Agent Fundamentals badge Fundamentals Agentic AI fundamentalsBadge | Free | - | Same format, on agent systems: the freshest of the three. | databricks.com |
| Platform Administrator Intermediate Course cert | Free | 1 yr | Final assessment of the platform-admin pathway. The security and governance core. | databricks.com |
| Platform Architect, AWS or Azure or GCP Advanced Course cert | Free | 1 yr | Deployment, security, cloud integrations; twenty questions, eighty percent pass, unproctored. Take it on your primary cloud. | databricks.com |
| Data Engineer Associate, then Professional Advanced Proctored | $200each | 2 yrs | All Databricks certification exams cost USD 200; no free retake, fourteen-day wait. The self-paced training itself has been free for everyone since June 2025. | databricks.com |
| Generative AI Engineer Associate Advanced Proctored | $200 | 2 yrs | The one paid Databricks exam that feeds the AI-security narrative directly. | databricks.com |
Google, Microsoft and AWS
| # | Credential | List price | Validity | Why this order | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AWS Security, Specialty (SCS-C03)Proctored | $300 | 3 yrs | The most frequently cited cloud security credential in senior security postings. Architect level. | aws.amazon.com |
| 2 | Microsoft SC-500, Cloud and AI Security EngineerCloud security engineeringProctored | Price at vendor | 1 yr, free renewal | AZ-500 retired 31 August 2026; SC-500 replaced it with no transition path and satisfies the SC-100 prerequisite. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| 3 | Microsoft SC-100, Cybersecurity Architect ExpertSecurity architectureProctored | Price at vendor | 1 yr, free renewal | The capstone worth having, taken after SC-500. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| 4 | Google Professional Cloud Security EngineerProctored | $200 | 2 yrs | Direct role match, no prerequisites. Its sibling, the new Professional Security Operations Engineer, covers the detection-engineering angle. | cloud.google.com |
| 5 | Google Professional Cloud ArchitectCloud architectureProctored | $200 | 2 yrs | Architecture breadth on GCP. | cloud.google.com |
| 6 | AWS Solutions Architect ProfessionalCloud architectureProctored | $300 | 3 yrs | SAP-C02 tests last on 17 November 2026; SAP-C03 registration opens 27 October. Sit the C03. | aws.amazon.com |
| 7 | Microsoft SC-200, Security Operations AnalystDetection and responseProctored | Price at vendor | 1 yr, free renewal | Portfolio breadth after the ranking above. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| 8 | Microsoft SC-300, Identity and Access AdministratorIdentity administrationProctored | Price at vendor | 1 yr, free renewal | The identity slice of the same breadth layer; also in the IAM tab. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| 9 | Microsoft SC-401, Information Security AdministratorData protectionProctored | Price at vendor | 1 yr, free renewal | Superseded SC-400; also in the Privacy tab. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| 10 | AWS Machine Learning Engineer AssociateML engineeringProctored | $150 | 3 yrs | The ML slice of the breadth layer. AI-102 retired in favour of AI-103. | aws.amazon.com |
2026 retirements to not trip over
AZ-500 retired 31 August 2026, replaced by SC-500. AI-900 retired 30 June, replaced by AI-901. AI-102 retired, replaced by AI-103. AWS SAP-C02 retires 17 November, replaced by SAP-C03. AWS Advanced Networking Specialty retires 31 December. SysOps Administrator became CloudOps Engineer Associate, SOA-C03. Google's Professional Agentic Architect opened registration on 3 September 2026.
Platform and vendor certifications
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datadog certifications Fundamentals Proctored | Datadog | $100 | Per exam, free learning paths; the Cloud SIEM for AWS path is the security-relevant one. The cheapest new paid item in this domain. | learn.datadoghq.com |
| Wiz Certified Intermediate Course cert | Wiz | $150 | Proctored via Webassessor, registration open to all. Price via third party, and preparation effectively needs product access. | wiz.io |
| AWS Solutions Architect Associate Intermediate Proctored | AWS | $150 | The platform baseline cloud-security postings assume underneath the Security Specialty. | aws.amazon.com |
| Oracle OCI Security Professional (1Z0-1104) Advanced Proctored | Oracle | $245 | Free official learning path and practice tests included. | oracle.com |
| PCCSP, Cloud Security Professional Advanced Proctored | Palo Alto Networks | ~$200 | Successor after PCCSE retired in the role-based transition. Partner-listed price. Confirm with Palo Alto Networks. | paloaltonetworks.com |
| CCSK v5 Advanced Course cert | Cloud Security Alliance | $445 | Two attempts, open-book, two-year token; watch CSA half-price sales. | cloudsecurityalliance.org |
| CKS, Kubernetes Security Specialist Expert Proctored | Linux Foundation / CNCF | $445 | Performance-based, two attempts plus killer.sh sims. Requires an active CKA (another $445); frequent 40 to 50 percent sales. | training.linuxfoundation.org |
| CCSP Expert Proctored | ISC2 | $599 | The vendor-neutral senior cloud credential; rides the single ISC2 AMF. | isc2.org |
| GIAC GCLD, Cloud Security Essentials (exam-only) Expert Cloud defenceProctored | GIAC / SANS | $999 | Poor dollar value without the SANS course. Renewal $499 per four years. | giac.org |
| GIAC GPCS, Public Cloud Security (exam-only) Expert Multi-cloud securityProctored | GIAC / SANS | $999 | The multi-cloud sibling under the same pricing and renewal terms. | giac.org |
| AWS Well-Architected Foundations, then the Well-Architected Proficient badge Intermediate Badge | AWS Skill Builder | Free | Free digital course; the Credly badge follows the assessment with no partner restriction. GuardDuty Getting Started and Security Hub Getting Started are free siblings. AWS Security Essentials is the paid classroom product; verify tier after login. | skillbuilder.aws |
Identity & access managementRole domain
Directory and protocol grounding, federation, governance and privileged access. Non-human identity has one accredited credential, NHI Foundation.
Free: badges and credentials
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISAA, Identity Security for the AI Age Fundamentals Course cert | Saviynt University | Free | Genuinely free certification: the exam blueprint states a zero exam cost; the code ISAAEXAM40 is an access code at profile creation rather than a discount. Forty questions, 45 minutes, two-year validity. Foundational level, and the free counterpart to Saviynt's partner-gated IGA certification. | saviynt.com |
| Identity Security Leader Intermediate Course cert | SailPoint Identity University | Free | SailPoint opened Identity University to the public. A strategic-level IGA credential, and the most senior of the free identity set. | sailpoint.com |
| Applied Skills: Get Started with Identities and Access using Microsoft Entra (APL-0501) Intermediate Course cert | Microsoft | Free | Free lab-verified credential, no expiry; the Defender XDR sibling in the Zero Trust tab is the closest free thing to an ITDR credential. | learn.microsoft.com |
| Okta Learning skill badges Intermediate Badge | Okta | Free | Badge assessments are free of charge even where the learning path has a cost; OIDC, OAuth, passkey, and Auth0 paths. No expiry. | learning.okta.com |
| IGA certification series Intermediate Course cert | ManageEngine User Academy | Free | Eight-course series with digital badge; hybrid AD and M365 governance. Vendor-flavored, mid-level, and a genuine no-cost IGA badge. | useracademy.manageengine.com |
| Styra Academy OPA and Rego suite Intermediate Course cert | Styra | Free | Policy authoring, Kubernetes admission control, microservice authorization. Complete soon: Styra's commercial arm wound down after the 2025 Apple acqui-hire and the academy's longevity is uncertain. | academy.styra.com |
| Security & Identity Fundamentals skill badge Intermediate Badge | Google Cloud Skills Boost | Free conditional | A real Google skill badge, but the labs consume credits: free only through the Innovators program's 35 monthly no-cost credits, otherwise near USD 29 monthly. | skills.google |
Paid
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LFS178x, Getting Started with Self-Sovereign Identity Fundamentals Course cert | Linux Foundation via edX | ~$149verified track | Free to audit; the verified certificate price shows only at checkout. Entry-level, and still the standard W3C VC and DID orientation. | edx.org |
| NHI Foundation Level Certification Intermediate Course cert | NHI Management Group | $299~$200 promo* | The only CPD-accredited non-human-identity credential on the market, with a dedicated module on agentic AI and NHIs; maps to the OWASP NHI Top 10. First two chapters free to trial. | training.nhimg.org |
| Vault Associate (003) Intermediate Secrets managementProctored | HashiCorp | $70.50 | The cheapest credible proctored secrets-management credential; two-year validity. | developer.hashicorp.com |
| Vault Operations Professional Advanced Secrets operationsProctored | HashiCorp | $295 | A four-hour lab-based exam with a free retake: the senior-appropriate rung, still in budget. Two-year validity. | developer.hashicorp.com |
| Okta Certified Professional Advanced Proctored | Okta | $250 | Broadest market recognition among in-budget proctored platform certifications; retakes USD 100, two-year validity, maintenance exams alternate USD 100 and free. | certification.okta.com |
| Certified Identity Server Practitioner V7 Advanced Proctored | WSO2 | $50includes 2 attempts | Online proctored, 30 questions; the cheapest proctored IAM platform certification found anywhere. | wso2.com |
| CIDPRO Expert Proctored | IDPro | $750 | The vendor-neutral IAM professional certification; member discounts exist. The free Body of Knowledge remains worth reading first. | idpro.org |
| CyberArk Defender (PAM-DEF) Advanced Proctored | CyberArk | ~$200 | PAM tooling signal recurring in IAM postings. Price via Pearson VUE listings. | pearsonvue.com |
| SC-900, Security, Compliance & Identity Fundamentals Fundamentals Proctored | Microsoft | Price at vendor | Current as of July 2026, no expiry. Entry level: a fast, Credly-visible identity marker. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
Privacy & data protectionRole domain
Free certificates from the ICO and CNIL; IAPP exams start at USD 550; free options cover the AI Act, DPDP, and LGPD.
Free: regulator, treaty-body, and vendor certificates
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Protection Essentials Fundamentals Course cert | UK ICO | Free | Launched August 2026 by the UK regulator: thirteen short modules, digital certificates for the individual and the organisation, annual renewal, and a public register. The most credible free privacy certificate available. | ico.org.uk |
| ENAP LGPD certificate Fundamentals Brazil LGPDCourse cert | ENAP | Free | Brazilian government-school certificate; Portuguese language. | escolavirtual.gov.br |
| Internet Society privacy course Fundamentals Privacy fundamentalsCourse cert | ISOC | Free | A participation certificate from a reputable non-profit. | internetsociety.org |
| PrivacyOps Certification Intermediate Course cert | Securiti Education | Free | Eleven lessons, nine quizzes, a real exam, and 4 IAPP CPE credits. The operational counterpart to the Securiti AI governance certificate in the AI security tab. | education.securiti.ai |
| Data Protection and Privacy Rights Intermediate Course cert | Council of Europe HELP | Free | Twelve hours, open to anyone with an account, from an actual treaty body. | coe.int |
| L'Atelier RGPD Intermediate Course cert | CNIL | Free | Near twenty hours across six modules from the French regulator; per-module attestations. French only, and the closest thing to being certified by a DPA besides the ICO programme. | cnil.fr |
| Data Privacy Fundamentals Fundamentals Badge | IBM | Free | Four hours on the principles behind every privacy regime: lawful basis, minimisation, retention, and the rights a data subject can exercise. The grounding the regulator courses assume you already have. | cognitiveclass.ai |
| EU AI Act Essentials Intermediate Course cert | KI-Campus, appliedAI and TU München | Free | Near eight hours from a strong issuer; German language. The Regulation AI free fundamentals course is an English-language, lower-weight alternative usable as Article 4 AI-literacy evidence. | ki-campus.org |
Paid
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy by Design (ISO 31700) Foundation Intermediate Proctored | ITCERTS | $150 | The only individual ISO 31700 credential found anywhere; niche Canadian issuer, low recognition. Take only if privacy-by-design coverage is specifically needed. | itcerts.myshopify.com |
| CIPM Advanced Proctored | IAPP | $550 | The privacy-management credential that often outranks CIPP in officer postings; same maintenance model as CIPP/E. | store.iapp.org |
| CIPT Advanced Proctored | IAPP | $550 | The technologist angle of the IAPP family. | store.iapp.org |
| SC-401, Information Security Administrator Advanced Proctored | Microsoft | Price at vendor | The SC-400 successor: data protection and insider risk in M365. Free yearly renewal. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| AIGP Expert Proctored | IAPP | $799$649 members | The emerging default AI-governance credential, mapping directly to the AI Act. Maintenance $250 per two years. | store.iapp.org |
| ISO 27701:2025 Lead Implementer Expert Course cert | PECB via partner | $899and up | First-mover credential on the revised standalone PIMS standard. Partner bundle pricing; CertiBanks lists Lead Implementer at $450 and Lead Auditor at $465, revision year unstated on its pages. | pecb.com |
| CIPP/E Advanced EU privacy lawProctored | IAPP | $550flat, no member rate | The market-signal EU privacy credential, near EUR 475. Maintenance: USD 250 per two years, waived by the USD 295 yearly membership. CIPT sits two rows up for the engineering angle. | store.iapp.org |
| GDPR CDPO e-learning bundle Advanced Proctored | PECB via partner | $450partner price | Official e-learning, exam, one retake, and first-year maintenance in one bundle; stacks directly on an existing PECB portfolio. The lowest cost per credential in the privacy domain. PECB publishes no list prices; this is CertiBanks reseller pricing. | certibanks.com |
| ISO 27701:2025 Lead Auditor, self-paced Advanced Course cert | Mastermind Assurance | $99 | Cheap knowledge of the revised standalone PIMS standard from a real IAF-listed certification body. The course certificate is not an accredited personnel certification; treat as knowledge, never as a resume credential beside PECB. | learn.mastermindassurance.com |
| Privacy & Data Protection Foundation Intermediate Proctored | EXIN | Price at vendor | The European foundation exam that sits between the free regulator courses and the $550 IAPP band. Feeds the EXIN Data Protection Officer title, which is awarded on holding this plus two siblings rather than sat as its own exam. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | exin.com |
| CHPS, Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security Advanced Health privacyProctored | AHIMA | $329$259 members | The health-sector privacy credential, and the one to take now that ISC2 has set HCISPP to go inactive on 1 December 2026. Experience-gated rather than degree-gated: a bachelor's plus two years, or six years without one. | ahima.org |
| CDPSE Expert Proctored | ISACA | $575members, plus $50 application | The technical privacy credential in the ISACA portfolio. CPEs pool across certifications and the maintenance fee drops to USD 25 yearly at the third one. | isaca.org |
Zero Trust architecturePractice domain
The CSA's CCZT, with free labs and two low-cost exams around it.
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LFS183, Introduction to Zero Trust Intermediate Course cert | Linux Foundation | Free | Roughly three hours, self-paced, with SPIFFE and SPIRE content; Credly badge from the LF training portal. The edX free track carries no certificate. | training.linuxfoundation.org |
| ZTCA, Zero Trust Cyber Associate Intermediate Course cert | Zscaler | Price at vendor | Five hours of eLearning plus a 75-question exam, three attempts, badge and certificate. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | zscaler.com |
| CCZT, Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust Advanced Course cert | Cloud Security Alliance | $175 | Seven modules from Zero Trust concepts through SDP, strategy, and implementation against NIST and CISA guidance. The token buys two attempts over two years; CCSK is recommended first, not required. The issuer page states no renewal requirement. | cloudsecurityalliance.org |
| Applied Skills, Zero Trust adjacent labs Advanced Course cert | Microsoft | Free | Entra, network security, and Defender XDR lab assessments issue verifiable credentials at no cost. | learn.microsoft.com |
Threat modelingPractice domain
The method, its tooling, and the certificate ladder: Microsoft's fundamentals path, Shostack's courses, SAFECode, OWASP Threat Dragon and pytm, and four free IriusRisk certificates.
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat Modeling Security Fundamentals path Fundamentals Badge | Microsoft Learn | Free | Module trophies, no certificate: a structured refresher only. | learn.microsoft.com |
| Shostack threat modeling courses Intermediate Registration | LinkedIn Learning | ~€20-40/mo | Name-recognition certificates at subscription cost. Check the current subscription price with LinkedIn. | shostack.org |
| Modelling Threats: Strategies in Threat Modelling Intermediate Course cert | Coursera, Packt | ~€49/mo | Six hours, intermediate: STRIDE, DREAD, ATT&CK, attack trees, Threat Dragon, Threagile. Tooling breadth; content below an experienced modeler's level. | coursera.org |
| Shostack Essentials 201, self-paced Advanced Course cert | Shostack + Associates | $899 | Thirty-day access from the author of the field reference. Check whether a certificate is issued before you buy. | shostack.org |
| SAFECode Threat Modeling 101 Intermediate TM practiceCourse cert | SAFECode | Free | Free on-demand course; no certificate. | safecode.org |
| OWASP Threat Dragon and pytm Intermediate TM toolingRegistration | OWASP | Free | Open-source modeling tooling; practice substance, no certificate. | owasp.org |
| Toreon TMI newsletter Intermediate TM currencyRegistration | Toreon | Free | Practitioner currency from the Toreon training house; no certificate. | toreon.com |
| IriusRisk Threat Modeling Foundations Fundamentals TM fundamentalsCourse cert | IriusRisk Academy | Free | Certified for free, per the academy's own promise. | iriusrisk.com |
| IriusRisk Threat Modeling Champion Intermediate TM leadershipCourse cert | IriusRisk Academy | Free | The program-building tier above Foundations. | iriusrisk.com |
| IriusRisk Threat Modeling Embedded Intermediate Embedded systemsCourse cert | IriusRisk Academy | Free | The embedded and device angle. | iriusrisk.com |
| IriusRisk Threat Modeling AI-ML Systems Advanced AI threat modelingCourse cert | IriusRisk Academy | Free | Expert level at about four hours: the freshest angle available to an existing STRIDE hand. | iriusrisk.com |
Secure software developmentRole domain
Secure coding, DevSecOps, AppSec, API and supply chain security.
Free: certifications, certificates, and badges
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LFD121, Developing Secure Software Intermediate Course cert | OpenSSF, Linux Foundation | Free | The anchor free credential of this domain: 16 to 20 hours across design, implementation, and verification, with a free final exam and digital badge. Cross-listed from the Core cyber academies. | training.linuxfoundation.org |
| LFD125, Security for Software Development Managers Fundamentals Course cert | OpenSSF, Linux Foundation | Free | One to two hours for development managers: vulnerability handling and proactive controls. Digital badge on completion. | training.linuxfoundation.org |
| LFEL1001, Understanding the EU Cyber Resilience Act Fundamentals EU CRACourse cert | OpenSSF, Linux Foundation | Free | 60 to 90 minutes, digital badge, 30-day access. Directly usable regulatory literacy for EU teams. | training.linuxfoundation.org |
| LFEL1012, Secure AI/ML-Driven Software Development Fundamentals AI-assisted developmentCourse cert | OpenSSF, Linux Foundation | Free | 60 to 90 minutes, digital badge, 30-day access. | training.linuxfoundation.org |
| LFEL1006, Securing Projects with OpenSSF Scorecard Fundamentals Supply chain scoringCourse cert | OpenSSF, Linux Foundation | Free | 60 to 90 minutes, digital badge. | training.linuxfoundation.org |
| LFEL1007, Automating Supply Chain Security (SBOMs) Fundamentals SBOM automationCourse cert | OpenSSF, Linux Foundation | Free | Free express course with badge, per the OpenSSF training index. | openssf.org |
| LFS182, Securing Your Software Supply Chain with Sigstore Fundamentals Artifact signingCourse cert | OpenSSF, Linux Foundation | Free | Free course with badge, per the OpenSSF training index. | openssf.org |
| Applied Skills: Implement security through a pipeline (APL-2001) Advanced Course cert | Microsoft | Free | Lab-verified Azure DevOps pipeline security assessment issuing a shareable Microsoft credential. The issuer prints no price. Free from a Learn profile. Confirm at launch. | learn.microsoft.com |
| APIsec University certifications Intermediate Course cert | APIsec U | Free | API Security Fundamentals, OWASP API Top 10, API penetration testing, and the CASA exam, all free behind an account. Cross-listed from the Core cyber academies; ISC2 CPE eligible. | apisec.ai |
| Snyk Learn learning paths Fundamentals Registration | Snyk | Free | Interactive developer-first lessons; every completed learning path issues a downloadable certificate of completion, and Snyk documents how to claim CPEs for them. | learn.snyk.io |
| Semgrep Academy Fundamentals Course cert | Semgrep | Free | The former We Hack Purple catalog: AppSec Foundations levels, secure coding, and secure guardrails, free for everyone with certificates of completion. | academy.semgrep.dev |
| freeCodeCamp Information Security certification Intermediate Course cert | freeCodeCamp | Free | A claimable, publicly verifiable certification built on HelmetJS, network scanning, and secure app projects. Nominally 300 hours; practical effort is far lower for an experienced developer. | freecodecamp.org |
| Container Security Fundamentals Fundamentals Course cert | ActiveState Academy | Free | Three modules from supply chain fundamentals to production hardening, with a certificate and LinkedIn badge. New program; limited recognition. | activestate.com |
Paid
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Advanced Security (GH-500) Intermediate Proctored | GitHub via Microsoft | Price at vendor | CodeQL, secret scanning, and Dependabot practice for GHAS shops; increasingly named in postings. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| EC-Council CASE Java Advanced Proctored | EC-Council | $450voucher, or $300 via CertiBanks | Application security engineering against the Java stack. CertiBanks bundle price is partner pricing. | store.eccouncil.org |
| PECB ISO/IEC 27034 Lead Application Security Implementer Advanced Proctored | PECB via CertiBanks | $450partner price | The only ISO-track application security personnel credential; the CertiBanks self-study bundle covers e-learning, exam, and a free retake. PECB publishes no direct list price; partner-only pricing, and PECB AMF applies per credential. | certibanks.com |
| DevSecOps Foundation (DSOF) Fundamentals Proctored | PeopleCert | $503direct | Theory-only MCQ from the DevOps Institute family; three-year renewal via CPD points. Take it only when a role explicitly asks for it; CDP outranks it everywhere else. | peoplecert.org |
| ISC2 CSSLP Advanced Proctored | ISC2 | $599€575.04 | The ISC2 secure SDLC certification, named in application security postings. Four years of cumulative SDLC experience required; 90 CPEs per three-year cycle, covered by the single $135 AMF. | isc2.org |
| Practical DevSecOps CDP Advanced Proctored | Practical DevSecOps | $899all in | Course, 60-day labs, and a 12-hour practical exam producing a lifetime credential with zero renewal cost. Siblings: CCSE container security $599, CSSE supply chain $799, CDE $1,199. | practical-devsecops.com |
| GIAC GCSA, Cloud Security Automation (exam-only) Expert Proctored | GIAC / SANS | $999 | The purpose-built DevSecOps GIAC: CI/CD controls, IaC, secrets, and supply chain. Renewal $499 per four years, and poor dollar value without the SANS course. GWEB remains the web-defence sibling at the same price. | giac.org |
Training without a credential
PortSwigger Web Security Academy is entirely free and entirely certificate-less; its credential is the paid BSCP exam in the Pentest & red teaming tab. SAFECode publishes 18-plus free on-demand courses with no certificate. Kontra, now part of Security Compass, keeps free OWASP Top 10 exercises for web, API, and LLM without certificates. OWASP itself issues projects and documentation, never personnel credentials.
Sign-in required before you can see the terms
Four of these sit behind a login: the CISA Software Assurance Executive course certificate, the GitLab Certified Security Specialist individual exam price, the IBM DevSecOps Essentials badge outside IBM's own LMS, and the CYRUS DevSecOps certificate. Codecademy and Secure Code Warrior issue certificates only on paid tiers.
Artificial Intelligence securityRole domainBeta
Securing models, agents and the platforms they run on.
Certifications in this domain are younger than elsewhere in the catalogue, some under a year old, and the set changes between quarterly updates. The Career Planner covers it like any other domain. Confirm exam codes and prices at the issuer before committing.
Free: badges and course certificates
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugging Face LLM Course Fundamentals Model lifecycleRegistration | Hugging Face | Free | Twelve chapters at six to eight hours each. Transformers, fine-tuning, evaluation and dataset curation. No certificate is issued. | huggingface.co |
| Hugging Face Agents Course Intermediate Agent designCourse cert | Hugging Face | Free | Tool use, memory and autonomy across smolagents, LangGraph and LlamaIndex. Two certificates: fundamentals, then completion with a use case and a final challenge. | huggingface.co |
| Made With ML Intermediate MLOpsRegistration | Anyscale | Free | Eight sections from design and data through testing, reproducibility and production. CI/CD for models, monitoring and versioning. Live cohorts with GPU compute are paid. | madewithml.com |
| Introduction to Generative AI & Prompt Engineering Fundamentals Course cert | Cloud Security Alliance | Free | Roughly two hours, shareable certificate, CPE eligible, one-year access. | training.cloudsecurityalliance.org |
| Introduction to Generative AI path Fundamentals Badge | Google Skills | Free | Completion badges per course, Responsible AI included. Light, and keeps the Google vocabulary current. | skills.google |
| Foundations of AI Security Intermediate Course cert | AttackIQ Academy | Free | Four and a half hours with a final exam, ISC2 CPE eligible. Covers MITRE ATLAS, NIST AI RMF, and OWASP: the practical free path to ATLAS and AI RMF literacy, since neither body issues a certificate. | attackiq.com |
| AISU Introduction to AI Security Fundamentals AI security fundamentalsCourse cert | AI Security University | Free | Ninety minutes, 2 CPE; the sibling academy to APIsec University. | aisec.university |
| AISU Zero Touch API Governance Intermediate API governanceCourse cert | AI Security University | Free | One hour, 1 CPE. | aisec.university |
| AISU MCP Security Fundamentals Intermediate MCP securityCourse cert | AI Security University | Free | Two hours ten, 2 CPE, covering the OWASP MCP Top 10 through real incidents. MCP security is new enough that early literacy is still a differentiator. | aisec.university |
| Applied Skills: Secure AI Solutions in the Cloud (APL-5009) Advanced Course cert | Microsoft | Free | Hands-on lab assessment across Defender for Cloud and Foundry guardrails; verifiable credential; 72-hour cooldown between attempts. | learn.microsoft.com |
| CS50's Introduction to AI with Python Intermediate AI foundationsRegistration | HarvardX | Free | Seven weeks of search, knowledge representation, uncertainty, optimisation, machine learning, neural networks and language, written in Python. Assumes CS50x or about a year of Python. Free and complete on Harvard's own site, problem sets included. The edX listing sells the certificate; its free audit track drops the graded work and expires. | cs50.harvard.edu |
| Security Copilot Ninja Training Expert Badge | Microsoft | Free | Level-400 training; pass the knowledge check at eighty percent and submit the attestation form for a participation certificate. Neither a Microsoft Certification nor a Credly badge. | techcommunity.microsoft.com |
Proctored
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SecAI+ (CY0-001) Intermediate Securing AI systemsProctored | CompTIA | Price at vendor | The first vendor-neutral AI security exam, launched 17 February 2026. Sixty questions in sixty minutes. Securing AI systems is 40 percent of it, AI-assisted security 24, governance 19, AI concepts 17, so a quarter covers using AI for security work rather than securing AI. CompTIA recommends three to four years in IT and two in security first. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | comptia.org |
| AI-901, Azure AI Fundamentals Fundamentals Proctored | Microsoft | Price at vendor | AI-900 retired 30 June 2026; AI-901 is the current exam. No expiry. Entry level; a fast, cheap AI marker. This issuer publishes no price on its own page. Check it at the vendor before you plan around it. | learn.microsoft.com |
| AAISM, Advanced in AI Security Management Expert Proctored | ISACA | $599$459 members | Plus a USD 50 application on passing; prerequisite CISM or CISSP. The flagship AI-security management credential for a senior holder of either prerequisite. CPE maintenance applies. | isaca.org |
| AWS Certified AI Practitioner Fundamentals GenAI fundamentalsProctored | AWS | $100 | Three-year validity. The AWS counterpart to the Microsoft and Google fundamentals exams; a pass discounts the next AWS exam by half. | aws.amazon.com |
| Certified AI Security Professional (CAISP) Advanced AI security engineeringProctored | Practical DevSecOps | $1,099list $1,199 | Five challenges solved in a six-hour lab, then twenty-four hours to write and submit the report. Sixty days of browser-based lab access and 36 CPE. The badge is issued on Credly and does not expire. | practical-devsecops.com |
Artificial Intelligence governanceRole domainBeta
ISO/IEC 42001, AI assurance and audit work, and the EU AI Act.
Certifications in this domain are younger than elsewhere in the catalogue, some under a year old, and the set changes between quarterly updates. The Career Planner covers it like any other domain. Confirm exam codes and prices at the issuer before committing.
Free: badges and course certificates
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global MOOC on the Ethics of AI Fundamentals AI ethicsCourse cert | UNESCO | Free | Ten modules, around ten hours, from UNESCO with LG AI Research. Fairness, privacy, transparency, sustainability and human autonomy across the AI lifecycle. Every feature is free, the certificate included. | coursera.org |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Course Fundamentals AI management systemsRegistration | AIQI Consortium | Free | Self-paced walk through the AI management system standard: its requirements, the ways organisations implement it, and how an AIMS is established and improved. Hosted by UKAS. | aiqi.org |
| AI Security & Governance Certification Intermediate Course cert | Securiti Education | Free | Eight modules and a final exam in under three hours; per-module shareable badges; 1.5 IAPP CPE. | education.securiti.ai |
Course certificates
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 42001 Foundations Intermediate AI management systemsCourse cert | Advisera | $349EUR 299 | Free to audit, with unlimited access to the videos, quizzes and exercises. The exam and the certificate are the paid part. | advisera.com |
| ISO 42001 Internal Auditor Advanced AIMS auditingCourse cert | Advisera | $699EUR 599 | Free to audit on the same terms as the Foundations course. Certified through Exemplar Global under the TPECS scheme once the paid exam is passed. | advisera.com |
| Introduction to the EU AI Act Fundamentals EU AI ActCourse cert | BABL AI | $99 | The regulation read through its risk tiers and the obligations each one carries. A Credly certification on completion. | courses.babl.ai |
Proctored
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 42001 Foundation Intermediate Proctored | PECB via CertiBanks | $230list $470 | Self-study bundle through an authorised reseller: exam voucher, one free retake within twelve months, and 14 CPD credits. The entry rung of the ISO/IEC 42001 ladder. | certibanks.com |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer Advanced AIMS implementationProctored | PECB via CertiBanks | $450list $938 | Self-study bundle through an authorised reseller: exam voucher, one free retake within twelve months, 31 CPD credits, and a Credly badge on passing. | certibanks.com |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Auditor Advanced AIMS auditingProctored | PECB via CertiBanks | $450list $938 | The audit side of the same standard, on the same bundle terms: exam voucher, one free retake within twelve months, 31 CPD credits, and a Credly badge on passing. | certibanks.com |
| CAIM, Certified Artificial Intelligence Manager Advanced AI managementProctored | PECB via CertiBanks | $475list $925 | Five days of self-study material, over 300 pages, with the exam voucher and one free retake within twelve months. | certibanks.com |
| CAIP, Certified Artificial Intelligence Professional Advanced AI practiceProctored | PECB via CertiBanks | $450list $938 | Certification and exam fee valid for twelve months, one free retake, 31 CPD credits and 21 PMI PDUs. | certibanks.com |
| AAIR, Advanced in AI Risk Expert Proctored | ISACA | $599$459 members | Same price class and format as its AI security management and AI audit siblings, angled at risk. | isaca.org |
| AAIA, Advanced in AI Audit Expert Proctored | ISACA | $599$459 members | The audit sibling of AAISM, appearing in AI-assurance postings; same pricing tier and application fee. | isaca.org |
Cryptography & post-quantumPractice domain
Free badges from IBM, the Linux Foundation and AWS; paid certificates from UMBC and TU Delft. Covers both halves: quantum-computing foundations, and migration to the NIST post-quantum standards FIPS 203, 204 and 205.
| Credential | Body | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LFQ101, Fundamentals of Quantum Computing Fundamentals Course cert | Linux Foundation | Free | Self-paced, launched with the World Bank; Credly badge. LFQ102 is the senior-leader variant. | training.linuxfoundation.org |
| Introduction to Quantum Computing, express course Fundamentals Course cert | ISC2 | $19members | Thirty minutes, half a CPE. Trivial, and near-free CPE inside the body already paid for. Price via third party. | isc2.org |
| Practical Introduction to Quantum-Safe Cryptography Intermediate Badge | IBM Quantum Learning | Free | Course and exam awarding a Credly badge; siblings cover quantum-safe encryption essentials and the basics of quantum information. Free, and the only post-quantum credential here that issues a badge. | quantum.cloud.ibm.com |
| AWS Knowledge: Amazon Braket Intermediate Badge | AWS Skill Builder | Free | Digital learning plan and assessment award the Braket knowledge badge. | skillbuilder.aws |
| QBronze workshop diploma Intermediate Course cert | QWorld | Free | Live cohorts; diploma on completing five homework sets; about eight live hours plus sixteen of self-work. | qworld.net |
| Introduction to Post-Quantum Cryptography Advanced Course cert | UMBC via edX | $212-249 | Six weeks; free audit. The most directly NIST-standards-relevant paid certificate here. | edx.org |
| Quantum 101 and 201 Professional Certificate Advanced Course cert | TU Delft via edX | $333-370 | Two six-week courses; free audit; a Dutch-institution signal. | online-learning.tudelft.nl |
| Certified Quantum Computation using Qiskit v2.X Developer, Associate Advanced Proctored | IBM | ≤$200 | The current 2026 credential, the v0.2X exam retired September 2025; 68 questions in 90 minutes, Credly badge, optional USD 30 practice exam. Developer-flavored; take it only if hands-on quantum code belongs on the file. | ibm.com |
Reference material, no certificate
The CSA Quantum-Safe Security Working Group papers, ETSI QSC specifications, ENISA PQC studies, and NIST NCCoE migration guidance are all free and all certificate-less.
Soft skills
Personal development sits outside the job domains. These are free university courses covering the concepts the Career Planner tracks, and they apply in any domain.
| Course | Provider | Platform | Cost | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking Intermediate PersuasionRegistration | Harvard | edX | Free audit | Builds and delivers an argument: claim, evidence, structure, and the speaking that carries it. Eight weeks at two to three hours. Free to audit; certificate $209. | pll.harvard.edu |
| Structure and Function of Argument Intermediate Critical thinkingRegistration | Harvard | edX | Free audit | How arguments are constructed and where they break: premises, inference, fallacy. Eight weeks. The reasoning underneath a threat model and a risk write-up. Certificate $209. | pll.harvard.edu |
| Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles Intermediate LeadershipRegistration | Harvard Kennedy School | edX | Free audit | Adaptive leadership from the Heifetz tradition: mobilising people through problems that have no owner and no clean answer, which is most of security. Self-paced. Certificate $209. | pll.harvard.edu |
| Building Personal Resilience Intermediate ResilienceRegistration | Harvard Medical School | edX | Free audit | Recognising and managing pressure and anxiety, and recovering from sustained load. Six weeks. Written for people whose work does not stop. Certificate $219. | pll.harvard.edu |
| Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook Intermediate NegotiationRegistration | Yale | Coursera | Free audit | Principled negotiation from Barry Nalebuff: framing, leverage, and finding the agreement both sides can defend. The longest negotiation course listed here. | coursera.org |
| Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress Intermediate Emotional regulationRegistration | Yale | Coursera | Free audit | Regulating your own state under stress and reading other people’s, from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. About ten hours, and directly applicable on an incident bridge. | coursera.org |
| Influencing without Authority Intermediate InfluenceRegistration | Johns Hopkins University | Coursera | Free audit | Carrying a decision you do not own: mapping stakeholders, building a coalition, and making the case stick. About four hours, and the exact problem security work runs into daily. | coursera.org |
| Introduction to Crisis Management and Crisis Communication Intermediate Crisis communicationRegistration | CU Boulder | Coursera | Free audit | Preparing, running and communicating through a crisis: holding statements, spokesperson discipline, and the sequence of who is told what. About eight hours. The nearest free university course to breach communications. | coursera.org |
| Business Writing Fundamentals Written communicationRegistration | CU Boulder | Coursera | Free audit | Writing that survives a busy reader: structure first, one idea per paragraph, evidence before conclusion. The nearest verified match to writing for a board audience. | coursera.org |
| Storytelling and Influencing: Communicate with Impact Intermediate NarrativeRegistration | Macquarie University | Coursera | Free audit | Framing a technical narrative for people who do not share your vocabulary, and choosing what to leave out. | coursera.org |
| High Performance Collaboration: Leadership, Teamwork, and Negotiation Intermediate CollaborationRegistration | Northwestern | Coursera | Free audit | Leading a team you do not manage, running a negotiation inside one, and the behaviours that make a group perform. About eighteen hours; course one of the Organizational Leadership specialization, auditable alone. | coursera.org |
| Organizational Analysis Advanced Organisational insightRegistration | Stanford | Coursera | Free audit | Why organisations behave as they do: incentives, structure, decision-making and inertia. Eleven modules. Read it before trying to change one. | coursera.org |
| Introduction to Public Speaking Fundamentals Public speakingRegistration | University of Washington | Coursera | Free audit | Constructing and delivering a talk that holds a room: structure, nerves, and speaking to a hostile question. Inside the Dynamic Public Speaking specialization; the individual course audits free. | coursera.org |
| Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution Intermediate Conflict resolutionRegistration | UC Irvine | Coursera | Free audit | Working and disagreeing across cultures: what registers as directness, escalation and agreement in different places. About seven hours, and relevant to any security function spanning regions. | coursera.org |
| Philosophy and Critical Thinking (META101x) Intermediate Critical thinkingRegistration | University of Queensland | edX | Free audit | Evaluating a claim on its merits: evidence, inference, and the difference between a strong argument and a confident one. Four weeks, free per Queensland’s own page. | edx.org |
| Finding Purpose and Meaning in Life Fundamentals PurposeRegistration | University of Michigan | Coursera | Free audit | What makes work sustainable over a career rather than a year. About seven hours across four modules. | coursera.org |
| The Science of Success Fundamentals Personal effectivenessRegistration | University of Michigan | Coursera | Free audit | The research on what actually drives personal effectiveness, against what is commonly assumed. Short, and evidence-led rather than motivational. | coursera.org |
How to take these free
On edX choose the Audit track, which opens the materials at no cost; the certificate is the paid part. On Coursera use the Audit link on the enrolment panel, which is offered on individual courses and never on Guided Projects. Several entries here sit inside Specializations: the individual course audits free, the Specialization certificate and capstone do not. Coursera prints no certificate price on its public course pages, so no figure is quoted here for those; the edX and Harvard figures come from the providers' own catalogue pages.
Maintenance feesISC2 charges a single annual maintenance fee: existing members add further ISC2 credentials at no extra cost. ISACA and PECB charge per credential (isc2.org).
CPE Planner
Certifications lapse without continuing education. Pick your ISC2 or ISACA credential: the portal shows its maintenance requirement and fee, then suggests catalogue courses inside that credential's domains, free first. Select what you plan to take to see the cycle fill.
ISC2
ISACA
Budget
How the numbers work
One hour of qualifying learning generally equals one CPE credit at ISC2 and one CPE hour at ISACA, so course effort estimates stand in for CPE value here; treat them as indicative, since each body's category rules and caps decide the final count. Submission always runs through the issuer's own portal: ISC2 CPE opportunities and ISACA CPE. ISC2 charges one $135 AMF however many ISC2 certifications you hold, $50 for CC only; ISACA charges per certification each year, $45 member and $85 non-member, dropping to $25 and $50 from the third certification, and its revised CPE policy takes effect 1 January 2027.