Careers guide

Cybersecurity Internships: How to Find and Land One

To land a cybersecurity internship, search employer career pages and your careers service for security, SOC and GRC intern roles in the autumn or winter before the summer you want, and apply with a CV backed by two or three written lab or project results. Internships train people without experience, but employers still want proof of interest and basics.

Below: where to look, a checklist to run before you apply, how interviews go, and what to do if you are not a student.

Updated 3 November 2026

Where to find internships

Employer career pages. Search the title variants: security intern, SOC intern, information security co-op, GRC intern, cyber analyst intern.
Your university careers service and faculty. Many roles are advertised only to current students.
Government programmes. The US CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service funds cybersecurity study in return for government service; ask whether your school takes part.
Security communities and local meet-ups. Referrals matter for small teams.

Checklist before you apply

Basics. Explain TCP/IP, DNS, a login in a log file and why MFA matters.
Two or three written results. Work through the SOC Log Triage Trainer, beginner CTF challenges or a lab, and write three lines each: what you saw, how you decided, what you would do next.
A CV that states results. Run it through Resume Review; read the resume guide.
Interview rehearsal. Practise with interview prep: why security, a time you solved a problem, a lab you can walk through.
A short list. Ten to twenty employers, dates for when they usually open, and a tracking sheet.

If you are not a student

Registered Apprenticeships are listed on apprenticeship.gov. BLS notes that many information security analysts first work in IT, so help desk and junior systems roles at employers with a security team are a legitimate route. The entry level jobs guide has a 90-day plan, and the career path guide shows where each first role leads.

What interviewers look for

Can you explain what you did in a lab, step by step?
Do you ask good questions when you do not know something?
Is your written communication clear?
Do you understand the role you are applying for (SOC, GRC, engineering)?

Treat the internship as a long interview: ask what the conversion process to a permanent role is.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find a cybersecurity internship?

Search for security intern, SOC intern, information security co-op, GRC intern and cyber analyst intern on employer career pages, your university careers service and professional networks. Start in the autumn or winter for the following summer because large employers tend to fill early. Government programmes such as CyberCorps Scholarship for Service are another route for eligible students.

Can I get a cybersecurity internship with no experience?

Yes, internships exist to train people without experience, but you still need to show interest and basics. Bring a short written account of a lab or project, a basic grasp of networking, and a clear CV. Applications that show what you did in practice stand out.

What does a cybersecurity intern do?

Duties vary. Typical tasks are triaging low-severity alerts under supervision, helping with vulnerability scans and reports, maintaining asset or risk registers, testing phishing reports, writing documentation and shadowing incident handling. A good internship gives you a project with an outcome you can describe afterwards.

Are cybersecurity internships paid?

We found no verified industry statistic, so we give none. Most formal employer internships are paid, but unpaid or credit-only roles exist; check the posting and the law that applies where you are, and ask before accepting.

When should I apply for summer internships?

Large employers often open applications the autumn before. Smaller employers and public bodies may hire later. Apply early and keep applying; there is no single national calendar.

I am not a student. What are my options?

Look at apprenticeships (Registered Apprenticeships in the US are listed on apprenticeship.gov), help desk or junior IT roles at employers with a security team, volunteering security help for charities, and documented self-directed projects. See the entry level jobs guide for the full route.

What should I build before applying?

Three things: a short list of lab or project write-ups, one recognised entry certification if you can afford it, and a CV that states each result plainly. A write-up should say what you tried, what you found, and what you would do next.