Learn cybersecurity by doing it.
CyberAcad is a free, browser-based curriculum for students who want to learn security by doing it. Interactive lessons, live Linux labs, and hands-on challenges. Nothing to buy, and apart from CyberPatriot prep, nothing to install. A school laptop is enough.
Middle & high schoolers
Built for students first. No prior experience required. Beginners start at the fundamentals.
Clubs & educators
A ready-made, zero-cost cyber curriculum and CTF platform for classrooms, clubs, and CyberPatriot teams.
Anyone curious
The door is open to any beginner who wants a real, hands-on path into cybersecurity.
From first login to first flag
Learn with interactive lessons
Work through browser-based lessons that introduce a concept and immediately put it into practice. No lecture videos, no passive watching.
Practice in real, sandboxed labs
When a lesson needs a terminal, CyberAcad spins up a live Linux environment in your browser on demand. Nothing to install, nothing to buy, isolated safely for each student.
Practice in the Gym
Lessons end in hands-on challenges on a real machine: find the flag, fix the setting, and the platform checks your work. The Gym keeps every one in one place so you can go back to them.
Earn certificates
Courses that offer a certificate end with one you can share, a concrete record of the skills you have built, for a resume, a club application, or your own motivation.
What you'll learn
These are the courses that are live right now, and each one starts from zero. We're writing more.
- Intro to Linux
- Never opened a terminal before? Fear not! You'll learn to get around Linux with cd, ls, cat, chmod, grep and friends, on a real Ubuntu machine that runs right in your browser.
- CyberPatriot Linux: Tokyo Jujutsu High
- Harden a real, deliberately insecure Ubuntu machine on your own computer. A live scoring engine grades every change you make, and each unit teaches you how to find a class of problem rather than handing you a list.
boroCTF: our international competition
We build and run boroCTF ourselves, an international capture-the-flag competition that drew 2,000+ competitors from 93+ countries in June 2026, with more than a hundred original challenges written by our team.
How to get started
Students
Create a free account and open your first lesson today. No cost, no catch, ever.
Educators & clubs
Bring CyberAcad to your classroom, club, or CyberPatriot team. Reach out and we will help you get set up.
Supporters
Donations keep the platform free for every student. CyberAcad is a registered 501(c)(3), so gifts are tax-deductible.