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Cyber Career Launchpad

A free, Australian, job-focused introduction to cyber security, built for career changers who want a credible, self-paced on-ramp into the field.

This course takes you from complete beginner to entry-role readiness and CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) preparedness, then hands you off to real Australian pathways (Free TAFE, certifications, and mentoring networks).

Who this is for​

Career changers coming from any background: IT-adjacent roles, admin, audit, project management, trades, the ADF/veteran community, or something completely unrelated. You do not need a technical background to start.

Where it leads: two realistic entry pathways​

  • SOC Analyst (Level 1): real-time monitoring, alert triage, incident basics. The most common first job in cyber (around $75k-95k to start, Hudson Salary Guide, January 2026).
  • GRC / Security Analyst: risk, frameworks, compliance and audit. A strong fit if you're coming from audit, risk, PM or business analysis.

We're honest about the market: penetration testing and consulting are progression roles, not first jobs. Many government and defence roles need Australian citizenship and a security clearance (NV1). We cover that so you can target realistically.

How the course works​

Every module has four parts:

  1. A plain-English lesson: the core concepts, written to be read on any device, on any connection.
  2. Curated links: the best free explainers and references, sent straight to the source (we link, we don't rehost).
  3. Hands-on labs: the core labs run in your browser on free platforms that host the environment for you (PortSwigger Web Security Academy, TryHackMe); a few optional stretch labs use a free virtual machine on your own computer.
  4. Interactive self-checks: a quick scored quiz and flashcards at the end of each module, with the cards coming back on a spaced schedule so the important terms become automatic.

It's self-paced and free to learn: no account required. Your quiz scores and progress are saved on your device only (nothing is sent anywhere) and you can see it all (or erase it) on your progress page.

A note on ethics​

This course teaches defensive, authorised, and educational security only. Only ever test systems you own or have explicit written permission to test. Unauthorised access to computer systems is a criminal offence in Australia (Criminal Code Act 1995). Full terms are on the terms & disclaimer page, and if anything here looks wrong or infringing, report it.

Start learning​