# Free Cybersecurity Certifications and Certificates That Are Still Free in Late 2026

> An honest October 2026 list: which free cybersecurity certifications, badges and certificates still exist (Cisco, IBM SkillsBuild, Fortinet NSE 1, Microsoft Applied Skills), which ended or changed (ISC2 CC), and where free learning stops and exam fees start.

Source: https://playciso.com/blog/free-cybersecurity-certifications-still-free-late-2026 · Published: 2026-10-29 · Publisher: PlayCISO (https://playciso.com)

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Lists of “free cybersecurity certifications” age fast, and several popular ones changed in 2026. This list was checked against each provider in October 2026 and separates three things that get blurred: credentials that are free, learning that is free but leads to a paid exam, and programmes that are no longer free. ## Which cybersecurity certifications are still free? CredentialProviderWhat is freeWhat it provesStatus (Oct 2026) **Introduction to Cybersecurity**Cisco Networking AcademyCourse and Cisco badge for passing the final examBasic threats and defencesFree **Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Career Path**Cisco Networking AcademySelf-paced path (about 120 hours) and a badge for the final examNetwork defence, cryptography, vulnerability assessment, incident response basicsFree; the CCST Cybersecurity exam it prepares for is US$125 **Cybersecurity Fundamentals**IBM SkillsBuildCourse and IBM digital badge (pass the assessment at 80%)Threat actors, attack types, cryptography, detect-and-respond basicsFree **NSE 1: Cybersecurity and Cloud Fundamentals**Fortinet Training InstituteSelf-paced course; certification on completion, no examFoundational security and cloud awarenessFree; replaced Fortinet Certified Fundamentals in July 2026 **Microsoft Applied Skills** (e.g. Defend against cyberthreats with Microsoft Defender XDR)Microsoft LearnInteractive lab-based assessment launched from the credential page; no exam fee is listedYou can do specific tasks in Microsoft security toolsAvailable; individual credentials retire over time, so check the page **AI Agents Course certificate**Hugging FaceCourse and certificates for the fundamentals unit and full completionBuilding and evaluating AI agents (useful for AI security)Free ## Which free programmes ended or changed in 2026? - ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC). ISC2 ended its One Million Certified in Cybersecurity programme to new participants on 20 May 2026, after more than 65,000 people earned CC through it. Unexpired exam codes can be used until 31 December 2026. The exam is now US$199 in the Americas, plus US$50 a year once certified. - Fortinet Certified Fundamentals. Replaced by NSE 1 in July 2026. NSE 1 is still free. - CompTIA exam prices rose in mid-2026 (Security+, CySA+ and PenTest+ vouchers from US$425 to US$439). Not free, but it changes the budget for the step after a free badge. ## Which options are free to learn but charge for the exam? OptionFree partPaid part (Oct 2026)Best forMain drawback Microsoft Learn SC-900 and SC-200 pathsAll learning pathsCertification exam fee (varies by country)Microsoft-heavy employersVendor-specific Cisco Networking Academy → CCST CybersecurityCourse and badgeUS$125 examLowest-cost recognised examLess known than Security+ Google Cybersecurity Certificate7-day trial; financial aid availableUS$49/month on Coursera (US)Guided start for complete beginnersA course certificate, not a proctored certification AWS Skill Builder security learning planDigital coursesMost hands-on labs need a subscription; exams paidCloud and DevOps staffLabs behind a paywall TryHackMe, Hack The Box Academy, LetsDefend, Blue Team Labs OnlineFree rooms, modules and challengesFull libraries and their own certificationsHands-on practiceFree tiers carry no certificate PlayCISOBrowser labs, scanners and most toolsPro US$5/month or US$40/year; Projects Certificate of Completion with any planHands-on SOC, IR and leadership practiceNot an industry certification; no VM attack boxes ## Are free cybersecurity certificates worth it? Yes, for learning and for showing initiative, as long as you are clear what they are. A free badge is usually an unproctored course assessment. Job filters mostly look for proctored certifications: in CyberSeek’s US data (514,359 cybersecurity postings, May 2024 to April 2025), the most requested were CISSP, Security+, CISA, CISM and GIAC certifications, all paid. The sensible route on a small budget: - Earn two or three free badges that match your target role (for a SOC: Cisco Junior Cybersecurity Analyst and IBM Cybersecurity Fundamentals). - Build hands-on evidence for free: browser labs, TryHackMe free rooms, LetsDefend’s free plan. Write up what you did. - Sit one recognised exam when you can pass it first time: CCST Cybersecurity (US$125), ISC2 CC (US$199) or Security+ (US$439). The [Cyber Certification Roadmap](/tools/cyber-cert-roadmap) has a $0 budget setting that builds this route and names the exam to take when it is funded. ## How do you tell whether a “free certification” is really free? - Is the exam free, or only the course? - Is the free offer time-limited (a promotion, a closing programme, a trial)? - Is there a renewal or maintenance fee after you pass? - Is the credential proctored, and does it have a verification page an employer can check? - When was the claim last checked? PlayCISO’s learning library prints its last review date for this reason. ## Which free credentials fit which target role? - SOC analyst: Cisco Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Career Path and IBM SkillsBuild Cybersecurity Fundamentals, plus the Microsoft Applied Skills Defender XDR assessment if the SOC runs Microsoft tools. Practise triage in the SOC Log Triage Trainer. - Cloud security: Fortinet NSE 1 for the basics, then the free AWS Skill Builder or Microsoft Learn security paths. Practise in the Cloud Posture Lab. - Application security: no badge is needed to start; PortSwigger’s Web Security Academy labs are free and respected. Practise token handling in the JWT Lab. - GRC: read NIST CSF 2.0 (free) and work through the NIST CSF Toolkit and Risk Register; the paid step later is usually ISC2 CC or ISACA CISA. - AI security: the Hugging Face AI Agents Course certificate and the OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications (free reading). ## Checklist: building a free-first certification path - Pick the target role first; free badges are only useful if they point somewhere. - Choose two free credentials from the table that match it. - Do one hands-on lab a week and keep notes for interviews. - Set aside money for one exam (US$125 to US$439 as of October 2026). - Re-check prices and programme status on the provider’s site before you book.