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UdemyBestseller on UdemyIT & SoftwarePaid courseBeginner levelCertificate

The Absolute Beginners Guide to Cyber Security 2026 - Part 1 (Udemy.com)

Learn Cyber Security concepts such as hacking, malware, firewalls, worms, phishing, encryption, biometrics, BYOD & more

Created by: Alexander Oni

Last updated August 2026

Our take

Based on the ratings of 58,513 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in August 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.

This course delivers exactly what its title promises: a ground-floor tour of cyber security from instructor Alexander Oni, covering hacking methods, malware types, firewalls, encryption, biometrics, and BYOD policy over about 8 hours and 83 lectures. It's built for people with zero background; the requirements list only asks that students know how to use a computer and the internet. Anyone eyeing an IT or InfoSec career, or just curious how hacking actually works, is the real audience here.

Reviewers consistently praise Oni's delivery, calling him clear and enthusiastic, and good at using movie clips and real-life cases to make dry terms like phishing or DDoS click. The 4.6 rating across more than 58,000 reviews backs that up, with over 32,000 five-star scores and only a few hundred at the bottom. The main gripe isn't loud complaints so much as a structural one: there are no coding exercises or practice tests here, so anyone hoping to actually do something rather than absorb concepts will need to look elsewhere, or wait for Part 2.

At 8 hours for 83 lectures across 14 sections, the pace moves quickly, from networking basics through malware and defenses to a closing section on AI and cyber security, so depth on any single topic stays limited by design. That breadth-over-depth approach fits its job as an entry point rather than a technical course, and it works best as a first stop before more hands-on cyber security training. For someone starting from nothing, it's a solid, low-friction way in.

Best forComplete beginners who want plain-English explanations before touching any tools
Skip it ifYou want hands-on labs or coding exercises, not conceptual overviews

Pros

  • Movie clips and real-world examples make abstract security terms stick
  • Covers a wide sweep: networking, hacker types, malware, defenses, VPNs, AI threats
  • 58,000+ reviews average 4.6, with over 32,000 five-star ratings
  • Includes a dedicated section on AI and cyber security

Cons

  • No coding exercises or practice tests, so it stays conceptual, not hands-on
  • This is Part 1 of a series, so it stops short of deeper technical skills
  • 83 lectures packed into 8 hours means some topics only get a quick pass
If you’re really interested in the basics, this is a great course to start with.
Adam Kerekgyarto, a student

Beginner Level really means beginner here: no networking or IT background assumed, just basic computer use

Featured in our guide: The 10 Best Cyber Security and Ethical Hacking Courses on Udemy in 2026

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What you will learn

  • Understand the basic concepts and terminologies used in the information and cyber security fields
  • Take up entry roles for IT and Cybersecurity Positions
  • Differentiate between the various forms of malware and how they affect computers and networks
  • Understand how hackers actually hack
  • Basics of Computer Networks
  • Social Engineering
  • Password Management
  • AI & Cyber Security

Course content

14 sections · 83 lectures · 8 hours of video 5 quizzes, 2 articles

  1. 1Welcome to the Course 1 free preview3 lectures · 7 min
  2. 2Security Foundations 2 free previews2 lectures · 12 min
  3. 3Networking Essentials7 lectures · 1 quiz · 57 min
  4. 4Hackers - Who are They? 2 free previews6 lectures · 1 quiz · 43 min
  5. 5Cyber Attacks14 lectures · 1 quiz · 1.3 hours
  6. 6Malware7 lectures · 1 quiz · 36 min
  7. 7Defences9 lectures · 1 quiz · 43 min
  8. 8Identity & Access Management4 lectures · 22 min
  9. 9Privacy, Anonymity & VPNs9 lectures · 59 min
  10. 10Backups. Cloud & Encryption6 lectures · 41 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Students who want to learn the basics of computer and cyber security
  • Students who want to become IT or Cyber Security Experts

What you need before you start

  • You should know how to use a computer
  • You should know how to use the internet

How it compares

Against the other 1,182 rated Udemy courses in IT & Software on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.6 out of 5higher than 67% of them
  • Reviews58,513#2 of 1,183 by number of reviews
  • Length8 hourslonger than 63% of them
  • Last updatedAugust 2026more recently than 85% of them

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Course Description

** PART 1 OF THE CYBER SECURITY GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS SERIES **

Have you ever wondered exactly how hackers 'hack'? Do words like firewalls, encryption, bio-metrics and malware sound confusing to you? Have you been looking for a course that teaches you all the basics of both information and cyber security in a fun relaxed manner? If so then you are going to find this course absolutely perfect for you.

This is a course that is perfect as an introductory one for individuals and students who are interested in becoming cyber security or information security professionals. It is also ideal for students who just want to have a well rounded knowledge about the basic concepts used in the world of information security.

Over 40000 happy students have enrolled in this best seller course which has an average rating of 4.6 due to stellar reviews.

'An expert with great teaching style: provided clear explanations and concise definitions. Topics were reinforced and made tangible using graphics and real life (or movie) examples. The quizzes helped me retain and feel confident about the material.'  - E. Wolfe

"Great intro to Cyber Security. I currently work in IT and I'm considering transitioning to InfoSec. This course was very informative and it has me motivated to continue exploring and learning more about the field of Cyber Security and InfoSec. I am even going to recommend this to my wife who works in IT management as it would be very useful in helping her understand the different concepts. The instructor is good. Speaks clearly and provides good examples." - Chris Loyola

PERFECT FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS

This course is intended primarily for students who have little to no prior background or knowledge about the field of cyber security. 

Course Curriculum

In the very first section, we will cover the basic terminologies used and discuss topics like the trinity of IT security and computer protocols.

In section 2, we will explore the world of hackers and the hacking methodology. We will take a look at the different types of hackers and how they actually hack.

Section 3 will introduce you to the various ways how cyber criminals and hackers attack systems and networks. You will learn about the most popular forms of attacks such as 

  • Phishing

  • Brute Force Attack

  • DoS & DDoS Attacks

  • Bots and Botnets

  • and much more

We will then move on to cover everything about malware. You will learn the various forms of malware such as viruses, worms and trojans and how they differ from one another.

In section 4, you will learn about the methods employed by cyber security professionals to protect systems and networks from cyber attacks. You will learn how the following work

  • Antivirus

  • Firewalls

  • Encryption

  • Biometrics

  • Authentication Methods

  • and much more

Finally we will cover and discuss about other topics related to both information and cyber security such as the BYOD policy and cyber warfare.

By the end of this course, you would have gained a lot of knowledge and insights that can help to jump start your career as an information security professional. 

What are you waiting for??? Enroll in this best selling course today.

Alex.

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Instructor Details

Alexander Oni

My passion is teaching people through online courses in a fun and entertaining manner.  I have been teaching online for about 5 years now and during this period, I have created over 25 different courses with more than 220,000 students registered worldwide.

What would you like to learn?

Would you like to learn how to build and manage your WordPress website?

Would you like to learn advanced skills that will make you a true WordPress developer?

Would you like to learn how you can establish a successful career as a web developer?

Would you like to learn the basics of information and cyber security?

 If you want to do any of these things, just enroll in the  course and  I'm always improving my courses so that they stay up to date and the  best that they can be. Check them out, and enroll today!

MORE ABOUT ALEX:

We all have one shot at life and as such, I believe in living life to the fullest. This means constantly stepping out of my comfort zone by visiting new places and trying out new things. My relative success on Udemy has given me both financial freedom and the ability to be location independent. I am currently travelling around the world spending about a month in one city (current location is Chiang Mai, Thailand) before moving on to the next. 

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Reviews

4.6

58,513 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Hailey Mak on 9/8/2026

I really enjoyed this course. Alex presented really well for beginners, easy to follow and really fun to learn from him. Will be getting to part 2 of the course.

By Ganesh Barud on 8/17/2026

Simple explanations, effective communication, and engaging storytelling.

By Yolanda Ndlovu on 8/12/2026

IT was good l got to know more about information security triangle there is more to CIA that is privacy and non-repudiation.I also got to know the intentions of hackers

By Ekta - Ext Agrawal on 7/21/2026

a very nice, detailed and informative course, included multiple real life examples, especially referring to movie clips to understand better, the instructor was able to explain terms easily.

By Chahal Goyal on 7/2/2026

good for beginners and insightful in cyber

By Sarah Paquette on 6/22/2026

Enjoyed taking this course with Alex. This was informative, engaging and entertaining. I would recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about cyber security.

By Gabriel Pino on 5/10/2026

Very knowledgeable and the focused short videos make it really digestible. I especially like how he uses references and analogies to assist with understanding the context of the data. Great job.

By Paul Foot on 5/4/2026

I found this course to be as stated, a Beginner Course, it was also entertaining and engaging. Thoroughly enjoyed the course.

By Kofi Afriyie on 3/29/2026

I took an intro cyber security course back in college however, I did not understand concepts like computer networking . You did a great job explaining in it in laymen terms for me.

By sarla Drayan on 3/18/2026

Informative course . Provided an excellent general background for beginners thanks

By Isiaq R on 3 months ago

The explanation is very clear, engaging and understandable.
Though, I thought of learning some practical aspect of cyber hacking.
It doesn't come out that way. Nevertheless, I still learned a lot of useful things.
Thank you very much for your efforts.

By Daniel Gomis on 3 months ago

A friend bought the course for me to get an idea about cyber security before jumping into it. I have to say the course was well taught with clear understanding compare to some courses i had true Udemy.
Thank you Alexander for all the advices you had given at the end.

Showing 12 of 15 reviews

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Quality Score

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Overall Score : 92 / 100