Coaching & cert roadmaps
One-to-one guidance and a roadmap built around your background, target role and timeline, so you stop guessing which cert comes next.
See coaching programsCertification catalog
Four tracks, one table each. Filter by track, level or study-notes availability, or search by name, provider or job title.
64 certifications
Offensive Security 29
| Cert name | Target job title | Level | Prerequisites | Study notes | Recent updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRTA CyberWarFare Labs | Junior Red Team Analyst | Entry | Networking, Linux/Windows basics and introductory web and Active Directory knowledge. | Coming Soon | Entry-level red team cert covering the external-to-internal kill chain: web foothold, pivoting and Active Directory abuse. |
| CEH EC-Council | Ethical Hacker / Junior Penetration Tester | Entry | Two years of infosec experience, or official EC-Council training (which waives the experience requirement). | CEH Notes | v13 (312-50v13) is the current version, with AI woven into all five hacking phases. The optional 6-hour CEH Practical plus CEH earns CEH Master. |
| OSWP OffSec | Wireless Penetration Tester | Entry | Linux command line and networking fundamentals. | OSWP Notes | PEN-210 is included in OffSec's Learn subscriptions. Short proctored practical exam (under 4 hours) on Wi-Fi attacks. |
| eJPT INE Security | Junior Penetration Tester | Entry | None. Networking and Linux basics help. | eJPT Notes | Rebuilt on 31 March 2026: new web-app and recon content, a new Offensive AI course, and a revised practical exam. |
| TryHackMe PT1 TryHackMe | Junior Penetration Tester | Entry | TryHackMe's Jr Penetration Tester path recommended. | THM PT1 Notes | Positioned by TryHackMe as the practical step before OSCP. Business list price includes training and a free retake. |
| HackTheBox CJCA Hack The Box | Junior Security Analyst / Junior Pentester | Entry | Complete the HTB Academy Junior Cybersecurity Associate path. | HackTheBox CJCA Notes | HTB's entry-level certification, covering offensive and defensive fundamentals before CPTS or CDSA. |
| OSCP OffSec | Penetration Tester | Intermediate | No formal prerequisite. Comfortable with Linux/Windows, TCP/IP, web basics and light scripting (Python/Bash). | OSCP Notes | Passing PEN-200 now awards both OSCP (lifetime) and OSCP+ (valid 3 years, renewable via CPE or another OffSec exam). Bonus points are gone and the Active Directory set is scored with partial credit. |
| HackTheBox CPTS Hack The Box | Penetration Tester | Intermediate | Complete the HTB Academy Penetration Tester job-role path (required before the exam voucher can be used). | HackTheBox CPTS Notes | Exam voucher is bundled with HTB Academy's Silver Annual plan. 10-day practical engagement ending in a commercial-grade report. |
| CRTP Altered Security | Active Directory Pentester / Junior Red Teamer | Intermediate | Basic Active Directory concepts, PowerShell and Windows administration. No formal prerequisite. | CRTP Notes | Still the most common first Active Directory attack cert. 24-hour hands-on exam against an AD lab followed by a report. |
| OSWA OffSec | Web Application Penetration Tester | Intermediate | HTTP, HTML/JavaScript basics, Burp Suite familiarity and Linux command line. | OSWA Notes | WEB-200 focuses on black-box web testing (XSS, SQLi, SSTI, SSRF and more) with a 24-hour proctored exam. |
| CompTIA PenTest+ CompTIA | Penetration Tester / Vulnerability Analyst | Intermediate | None required. Network+/Security+ and 3–4 years of hands-on security experience recommended. | COMPTIA Pentest+ Notes | PT0-003 is the current version, adding AI, cloud and attack-surface management topics. DoD 8140 approved. |
| eCPPT INE Security | Penetration Tester | Intermediate | eJPT-level skills; Active Directory and basic exploit development knowledge. | eCPPT Notes | Current v3 format is a hands-on practical exam aligned to INE's Professional Penetration Tester path. |
| TCM PNPT TCM Security | Penetration Tester | Intermediate | Networking, Linux and Active Directory basics. PJPT is a useful stepping stone. | TCM PNPT Notes | 5-day practical engagement (OSINT → external → Active Directory), 2 days for the report, then a live debrief. |
| HackTheBox CWES Hack The Box | Web Application Pentester / Bug Bounty Hunter | Intermediate | Complete the HTB Academy Bug Bounty Hunter path. | HackTheBox CWES Notes | Renamed from CBBH to CWES. Exam voucher is bundled with HTB Academy's Silver Annual plan. |
| CRTO Zero-Point Security | Red Team Operator | Intermediate | OSCP-level skills and Active Directory fundamentals. | Coming Soon | Adversary simulation with Cobalt Strike, from initial access to reporting. The credential does not expire. |
| BSCP PortSwigger | Web Application Pentester | Intermediate | Complete PortSwigger Web Security Academy practitioner-level labs. | Coming Soon | 4-hour practical exam: two web apps, each to be fully compromised using Burp Suite. |
| GPEN GIAC | Penetration Tester | Intermediate | None formal. SANS SEC560 is the aligned course. | Coming Soon | Proctored exam that includes CyberLive hands-on questions. Renewal every 4 years. |
| CARTP Altered Security | Cloud Red Teamer | Intermediate | Active Directory attack basics and working knowledge of Azure and Entra ID. | Coming Soon | Hands-on Azure/Entra ID attack lab with a 24-hour practical exam. |
| CRTE Altered Security | Red Team Operator | Advanced | CRTP-level Active Directory attack skills; comfort with multi-forest trusts and PowerShell tradecraft. | CRTE Notes | 48-hour practical exam across multiple domains and forests, followed by a report. |
| OSEP OffSec | Red Team Operator / Senior Penetration Tester | Advanced | OSCP-level skills plus C#/PowerShell and Active Directory exploitation. | OSEP Notes | 48-hour proctored exam centred on AV/EDR evasion, lateral movement and Active Directory attacks. |
| OSED OffSec | Exploit Developer / Vulnerability Researcher | Advanced | x86 assembly, C, Python and debugging with WinDbg. | OSED Notes | 48-hour exam on Windows user-mode exploit development: DEP/ASLR bypass, ROP chains and custom shellcode. |
| OSAI OffSec | AI Red Teamer / AI Security Engineer | Advanced | OSCP-level offensive skills, Python, and working knowledge of LLM applications, RAG and AI agents. | OSAI Notes | AI-300 launched in 2026. Passing the proctored practical exam against an AI-enabled enterprise environment awards OSAI plus the 3-year OSAI+. |
| HackTheBox CAPE Hack The Box | Active Directory Pentester / Red Teamer | Advanced | Complete the HTB Academy Active Directory Penetration Tester path; CPTS-level skills strongly recommended. | HackTheBox CAPE Notes | Exam voucher is bundled with HTB Academy's Gold Annual plan. Expert-level multi-day AD engagement with a commercial report. |
| TryHackMe PT2 TryHackMe | Penetration Tester | Advanced | PT1 or equivalent hands-on pentest experience across web, AD and cloud. | Coming Soon | Launched 2026: one graded engagement spanning Active Directory, cloud, container breakout and an AI/LLM target. |
| OSWE OffSec | Senior Application Security Engineer / Web Pentester | Advanced | Ability to read PHP, Java, .NET, JavaScript and Python code; OSWA-level web skills. | OSWE Notes | 48-hour exam on white-box source review, chaining auth bypasses into remote code execution. |
| HackTheBox COAE Hack The Box | AI Red Teamer | Expert | Complete the AI Red Teamer job-role path (co-developed with Google); solid Python and ML fundamentals. | HackTheBox COAE Notes | Launched April 2026: a 7-day practical assessment of AI-driven infrastructure plus a commercial-grade report. Available on the Silver Annual plan. |
| CRTL Zero-Point Security | Red Team Lead / Senior Operator | Expert | CRTO-level tradecraft, C programming, Windows internals and EDR evasion. | Coming Soon | Zero-Point Security has joined Fortra, the company behind Cobalt Strike. CRTL remains the advanced evasion-focused follow-on to CRTO. |
| OSEE OffSec | Senior Exploit Developer | Expert | OSED-level exploit development plus Windows kernel internals. | Coming Soon | EXP-401 is delivered as live training only; the exam is a 72-hour practical. |
| HackTheBox CWEE Hack The Box | Senior Web Pentester / AppSec Researcher | Expert | Complete the HTB Academy Senior Web Penetration Tester path. | Coming Soon | Advanced black-box and white-box web exploitation. Voucher bundled with the Gold Annual plan. |
Defensive Security 18
| Cert name | Target job title | Level | Prerequisites | Study notes | Recent updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTL1 Centri (formerly Security Blue Team) | SOC Analyst (Tier 1) | Entry | None. Basic networking and operating-system knowledge helps. | BTL1 Notes | Security Blue Team rebranded as Centri on 1 June 2026. Still a 24-hour practical incident-response exam with lifetime certification. |
| TryHackMe SAL1 TryHackMe | SOC Analyst (Tier 1) | Entry | TryHackMe's SOC Level 1 path recommended. | TryHackMe SAL1 Notes | First rung of TryHackMe's SEC1 → SAL1 → SAL2 defensive ladder. Business list price includes training and a free retake. |
| CompTIA Security+ CompTIA | Security Analyst / Security Administrator | Entry | None required. Network+ and 2 years of IT experience recommended. | COMPTIA SEC+ Notes | SY0-701 is live; its objectives were refreshed in April 2026. SY0-801, with a dedicated LLM objective, has a tentative preview launch around 20 October 2026. |
| Google Cybersecurity Google | Junior SOC Analyst / Cybersecurity Associate | Entry | None. Designed for complete beginners. | Google CyberSecurity Notes | Self-paced on Coursera; covers Linux, SQL, Python, SIEM tools and incident-response basics. Often paired with Security+. |
| Microsoft SC-900 Microsoft | IT / Security Associate (Microsoft stack) | Entry | None. | Microsoft SC-900 Notes | Still an active Fundamentals exam. Microsoft's 2026 security path adds SC-500 (Cloud & AI Security Engineer) while AZ-500 retired on 31 August 2026. |
| ISC2 CC ISC2 | Entry-level Security Analyst / IT Support moving into security | Entry | None. | Coming Soon | New exam outline effective 1 September 2026, the first major update since launch, adding AI and stronger GRC coverage. |
| CCDL1 CyberDefenders | SOC Analyst (Tier 1) | Entry | Networking and operating-system fundamentals. | Coming Soon | CyberDefenders' associate-level cert. All CyberDefenders certs are valid four years, renewable by retake or 36 CPEs. |
| HackTheBox CDSA Hack The Box | SOC Analyst / Incident Responder | Intermediate | Complete the HTB Academy SOC Analyst path. | HackTheBox CDSA Notes | Multi-day practical incident investigation ending in a report. Voucher bundled with the Silver Annual plan. |
| TryHackMe SAL2 TryHackMe | SOC Analyst (Tier 2) / Incident Responder | Intermediate | SAL1, or comfort with alert handling, log analysis and investigation workflows. | Coming Soon | Launched 25 March 2026 with NCC Group. Grades both technical and communication skills; valid for three years. |
| CompTIA CySA+ CompTIA | SOC Analyst / Threat Intelligence Analyst | Intermediate | None required. Security+/Network+ and about 4 years of hands-on experience recommended. | COMPTIA CYSA+ Notes | CS0-004 launched 23 June 2026, adding AI and automation in security operations. |
| CompTIA SecAI+ CompTIA | AI Security Analyst / Security Engineer | Intermediate | None required. 3–4 years in IT with 2+ years in security; Security+, CySA+ or PenTest+ recommended. | COMPTIA SEC AI+ Notes | Launched 17 February 2026 as the first of CompTIA's Expansion Series. Valid three years. |
| SPLK-5001 Splunk | SOC Analyst (Splunk environments) | Intermediate | None required. Splunk Power User-level knowledge recommended. | SPLK-5001 Notes | 66 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes via Pearson VUE. Splunk is now part of Cisco. |
| OSDA OffSec | SOC Analyst | Intermediate | Networking, Windows/Linux logging and familiarity with common attack techniques. | Coming Soon | SOC-200 teaches detecting attacks in a SIEM; the exam is a 24-hour practical. |
| GCIH GIAC | Incident Responder | Intermediate | None formal. SANS SEC504 is the aligned course. | Coming Soon | Includes CyberLive hands-on questions. Renewal every 4 years. |
| Microsoft SC-200 Microsoft | SOC Analyst (Defender / Sentinel) | Intermediate | None required. SC-900 and KQL basics help. | Coming Soon | Covers Defender XDR, Microsoft Sentinel and KQL hunting. Free annual renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn. |
| BTL2 Centri (formerly Security Blue Team) | Threat Hunter / SOC Analyst (Tier 2–3) | Advanced | BTL1 recommended; 2–4 years in security operations. | BTL2 Notes | Up to 72-hour practical threat-hunting exam with a written report; certification valid for four years. |
| CCDL2 CyberDefenders | SOC Analyst (Tier 2) / DFIR Analyst | Advanced | SOC fundamentals, Windows/Linux artefacts and networking. CCDL1 is the associate-level step. | CCDL2 Notes | Renamed from CCD to CCDL2 when CCDL1 launched; existing CCD badges were updated automatically. 48-hour Elastic-based investigation exam. |
| CompTIA SecurityX CompTIA | Security Architect / Senior Security Engineer | Advanced | None required. 10 years in IT with 5 years hands-on security recommended. | Coming Soon | CASP+ was rebranded SecurityX with the CAS-005 exam as part of CompTIA's Xpert Series. |
GRC 9
| Cert name | Target job title | Level | Prerequisites | Study notes | Recent updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CISA ISACA | IT Auditor / IS Assurance Analyst | Intermediate | 5 years of IS audit, control or security experience (up to 3 years can be waived). | Coming Soon | Current job practice since August 2024. An active CISA unlocks ISACA's AAIA AI-audit credential. |
| ISC2 CGRC ISC2 | GRC Analyst / Authorization Officer (RMF) | Intermediate | 2 years of paid experience in at least one of the CGRC domains. | Coming Soon | Renamed from CAP. Also listed as a qualifying credential for ISACA's AAIR. |
| ISO 27001 Lead Implementer PECB | ISMS Implementer / GRC Consultant | Intermediate | ISMS fundamentals. The full credential requires professional experience (PECB: 5 years, 2 in information security management). | Coming Soon | Aligned to ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Certified organisations had to transition from the 2013 edition by 31 October 2025. |
| ISO 27001 Lead Auditor PECB | ISMS Auditor / Compliance Auditor | Intermediate | ISMS fundamentals plus audit experience for the full credential. | Coming Soon | Audits now run against the 2022 edition's 93 Annex A controls; the 2013 transition window has closed. |
| CIPP/E IAPP | Privacy Analyst / Data Protection Officer | Intermediate | None. | Coming Soon | Body of knowledge centres on GDPR. Recertify every 2 years with 20 CPE credits. |
| AIGP IAPP | AI Governance Lead / Responsible AI Analyst | Intermediate | None. | Coming Soon | Maps AI governance to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF and related frameworks. |
| CRISC ISACA | IT Risk Manager / Risk & Control Analyst | Advanced | 3 years of experience in IT risk management and IS control. | Coming Soon | Counts as a qualifying credential for ISACA's new AI-risk certification (AAIR). |
| AAIA ISACA | AI Auditor / Senior IT Auditor | Advanced | Active CISA, or a qualifying audit designation (CIA, US CPA, ACCA/FCCA, Canadian, Australian or Japanese CPA). | Coming Soon | Eligibility was expanded beyond CISA/CIA/CPA to include ACCA and several international CPA designations. |
| AAIR ISACA | AI Risk Manager | Advanced | One of about 25 qualifying credentials, including CRISC, CISA, CISM, CISSP and CGRC. | Coming Soon | The newest of ISACA's AI trio alongside AAIA (audit) and AAISM (security management). |
Leadership 8
| Cert name | Target job title | Level | Prerequisites | Study notes | Recent updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CISSP ISC2 | Security Manager / Security Architect (CISO track) | Advanced | 5 years of paid work in 2+ of the 8 domains (one year can be waived). Pass without it and you become an Associate of ISC2. | CISSP Notes | The experience-waiver list was cut from about 50 to 25 credentials on 1 April 2026 (CEH, CISA, CRISC and OSCP removed). |
| CISM ISACA | Information Security Manager | Advanced | 5 years in information security, including 3 in security management. | Coming Soon | New exam content outline from 3 November 2026, adding enterprise and information security architecture. |
| AAISM ISACA | AI Security Manager | Advanced | Active CISM or CISSP. | Coming Soon | Part of ISACA's 2025–2026 AI credential line-up; gated behind an active CISM or CISSP. |
| GSLC GIAC | Security Leader / Security Manager | Advanced | None formal. SANS LDR512 is the aligned course. | Coming Soon | Covers security program management, risk and team leadership. Renewal every 4 years. |
| CCSP ISC2 | Cloud Security Architect / Cloud Security Manager | Advanced | 5 years in IT, including 3 in security and 1 in a CCSP domain. An active CISSP substitutes the whole requirement. | Coming Soon | New exam outline from 1 August 2026 folds AI/ML security into all six domains; adaptive (CAT) format since October 2025. |
| CCISO EC-Council | CISO / Security Executive | Expert | 5 years in each of 3 of the 5 CCISO domains (training can reduce this); eligibility application required. | Coming Soon | Executive-level program focused on governance, risk, strategy and finance rather than hands-on skills. |
| CGEIT ISACA | IT Governance Director | Expert | 5 years managing or advising on enterprise IT governance. | Coming Soon | Board- and executive-level governance credential; qualifies for ISACA's AAIR. |
| ISSMP ISC2 | Security Program Manager | Expert | Active CISSP plus 2 years of security management experience. | Coming Soon | CISSP concentration focused on leading and governing a security program. |
Not sure which one is yours?
Structured learning tracks
Membership with role- and cert-based learning tracks: roadmaps, cheat sheets, assessments, exclusive writeups and member pricing on notes.
Join the learning tracksPrep resources & cheat sheets
Cheat sheets, command references and exam-day extras for when you already know the material and need it fast and in one place.
Browse prep resources