Best Cybersecurity Certifications With No Experience (2026)

Updated October 8, 2026: Prices, experience rules and exam versions below were checked on the official certification sites on this date. U.S. list prices; they vary by country.

You don’t need a job in security to earn your first security certification. Several respected certifications have no experience requirement at all, and a few were designed for career changers. What you do need is a plan: the right first certification depends on whether you are completely new to IT, already work in tech, or want a specific job such as SOC analyst or cloud security.

This guide ranks the best certifications you can earn with no experience, explains what each costs and leads to, and warns you about the ones that look entry-level but aren’t. If you are still deciding whether to switch careers, start with our guide on moving into cybersecurity at any age.

Best no-experience cybersecurity certifications at a glance

Sources: ISC2 CC, ISC2 pricing, Google and Coursera, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, the CompTIA store, Microsoft SC-900, AWS Cloud Practitioner and Cisco CCNA, all checked October 8, 2026.

1. ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)

CC is the entry-level certification from ISC2, the organization behind the CISSP. Its exam outline, effective September 1, 2026, covers security principles, security governance, identity and access management, networking and cloud security, and security operations and incident response. The exam is a two-hour adaptive test of 100 to 125 items, with no experience requirement (ISC2). It costs $199; after you certify, you pay a $50 annual maintenance fee. ISC2’s free “One Million” program closed to new enrollments on May 20, 2026, so budget for the fee (ISC2). CC is also a Basic-level option for five cybersecurity work roles in the DoD 8140 matrix. See our ISC2 CC guide.

2. Google Cybersecurity Certificate

This is a self-paced training program on Coursera rather than a proctored exam. Google says no experience or degree is required. It teaches Linux, SQL, Python, SIEM tools and incident response, and it ends with portfolio projects you can show employers. Coursera estimates about six months at seven hours a week and charges $49 a month in the U.S. and Canada after a 7-day free trial, so most people pay under $300 (Coursera). It is a strong way to learn, but employers usually treat it as training rather than a certification exam. See our Google certificate guide.

3. CompTIA Security+

Security+ is the certification most people mean when they say “get certified for cybersecurity.” CompTIA recommends Network+ and two years of security or systems administrator experience, but it is not required, and many career changers pass it with self-study. It costs $439 and is valid for three years. It is approved at the Intermediate level for 19 work roles in the DoD 8140 matrix, which is why it appears in so many government and contractor postings (our DoD 8140 approved certifications guide lists the roles). The current exam is SY0-701; CompTIA expects SY0-801 to launch on or around November 17, 2026, and SY0-701 stays available in English until June 11, 2027 (CompTIA, CompTIA). See our Security+ guide.

4. CompTIA A+ and Network+

If you have never worked in IT, the most reliable path into security is often through help desk or support work first. CompTIA A+ ($274 per exam, two exams) is built for that first job. Network+ ($399) teaches the networking that every security role depends on. Neither is required for Security+, but both make it much easier, and both are Basic-level options for IT work roles in the DoD 8140 matrix.

5. Low-cost cloud and vendor fundamentals

• Microsoft SC-900 ($99): security, compliance and identity basics in Microsoft cloud services. Fundamentals certifications don’t expire (Microsoft).
• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner ($100): AWS calls it a good starting point for people with no prior IT or cloud experience. It is cloud, not security, but cloud skills matter in nearly every security job.
• Cisco CCNA ($300): no formal prerequisites, but it is a demanding exam. Better as a second or third certification unless you already enjoy networking. See our CCNA guide.

Certifications that look entry-level but need experience

• CEH: you need official EC-Council training or two years of information security experience. Everyone pays the $100 application fee; official training packages include it.
• CISSP and CCSP: five years of experience. You can pass without it and become an Associate of ISC2, then earn the experience within six years, but that is a hard first exam.
• CISM and CISA: you can sit the exam, but ISACA requires five years of relevant experience before it certifies you.
• CySA+, PenTest+ and OSCP: no formal requirement, but CompTIA recommends about four years of SOC or vulnerability analyst experience for CySA+ and three to four years of pen testing for PenTest+. OSCP assumes solid networking, Linux and scripting skills.

A realistic first-year plan

• Months 1 to 3: learn the basics with ISC2 CC or the Google certificate. Set up a home lab with a couple of virtual machines.
• Months 3 to 6: if you are new to IT, take A+ or Network+ and apply for help desk and support jobs.
• Months 6 to 12: earn Security+. Keep building lab projects and write them up on GitHub or a blog.
• After your first job: specialize. If you lean toward defense, our Security+ vs CySA+ comparison shows what the next step looks like.

Certifications get you past HR filters; hands-on projects and a first job in IT get you hired. Once you have that first credential, our list of the best cybersecurity certifications for 2026 covers what employers ask for next.

Which should you pick?

• Completely new to IT: A+ or the Google certificate, then Security+.
• Already in IT (help desk, sysadmin, developer): go straight to Security+.
• On a tight budget: ISC2 CC ($199) or SC-900 ($99). See our list of the cheapest cybersecurity certifications for renewal costs too.
• Want government or DoD work: Security+.
• Want cloud security: AWS Cloud Practitioner or SC-900, then Security+.

Picked a first cert? Plan the second one now. The full certification roadmap maps the usual order from a first certification to analyst, cloud, pen testing and management roles.

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Frequently asked questions

Sources

• ISC2, Certified in Cybersecurity (CC): isc2.org
• ISC2, CC exam outline (effective Sep 1, 2026): isc2.org
• ISC2, exam pricing (Oct 8, 2026): isc2.org
• ISC2, One Million Certified in Cybersecurity (program closed): isc2.org
• ISC2, Associate of ISC2: isc2.org
• Google, Cybersecurity Certificate: grow.google
• Coursera, Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate (price FAQ): coursera.org
• CompTIA, Security+ V7: comptia.org
• CompTIA, Security+ V8: comptia.org
• CompTIA, A+: comptia.org
• CompTIA, Network+: comptia.org
• CompTIA, CySA+ V4: comptia.org
• CompTIA store (Oct 8, 2026): shop.comptia.org
• Microsoft, SC-900: learn.microsoft.com
• AWS, Certified Cloud Practitioner: aws.amazon.com
• Cisco, CCNA exam: cisco.com
• EC-Council, CEH eligibility: cert.eccouncil.org
• ISACA, Get CISM certified: isaca.org
• ISACA, Get CISA certified: isaca.org
• DoD 8140 Qualification Matrix V2.1 (effective Sep 19, 2025): media.defense.gov

Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, SecurityX, ITILv3

Donald Korinchak is a Cybersecurity Professional in the Washington DC area. Donald holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business. Donald is considered a thought leader in business, leadership, and cybersecurity issues.