Learn core cyber abilities and have a portfolio to secure a good job

MICS - Introduction to Cyber Security

MICS offers entry-level cyber security training in a variety of domains, such as open-source intelligence, security tools, operational security, network reconnaissance and threat hunting.

This curriculum provides students with the essential skills needed to commence or further develop a career in cybersecurity. The courses are designed to provide students with a strong foundation in cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and abilities.

MICS-certified students can apply for summer/winter internships with the assurance that their skills are in high demand. Certification proves that you have the competencies necessary to thrive in a competitive industry.

Beginner

Certification

100+ hours

free

No Expiry, No Renewals

Course Overview

The cyber industry is currently facing a talent shortage. This is in part due to the fact that the industry is still relatively new, and few people have the necessary skills to work in it. Another reason for the shortage is that many people are unaware of the opportunities that exist in the cyber industry.

A junior cyber professional can expect to earn a starting salary of around $45,000. This salary may vary depending on the individual's qualifications and experience. Additional pay may be available for those with expertise in specific areas of cybersecurity, such as penetration testing or malware analysis.

The MICS Certification is ideal for a person considering a career in cyber security because it is a globally-recognized credential that demonstrates mastery of the skills required to work in this field. Earning the MICS Certification proves helps you stand out as a qualified cyber security professional.

This certification will equip you with the skillset necessary to carry out the following tasks:

Learn technical and enterprise security concepts
Discover active attack campaigns
Perform network reconnaissance
Extract data from search engines and social media
Classify binaries with YARA
Develop a password policy and a risk matrix
Build a home security lab

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities You Will Acquire

MCSI is one of the most respected and trusted names in cyber security education and training. Our certifications teach critical skills, knowledge and abilities needed to advance a career in cyber security. Our courses are comprehensive and up-to-date, and our instructors are experienced professionals who are dedicated to helping students learn. MCSI provides the real-world skills and knowledge you need to protect any organization from cyber threats.

Open-source intelligence
- Google
- Bing
- Facebook
Reconnaissance
- Certificate transparency logs
- Github source code leaks
- Shodan
- Whois
Discovering attacks
- Typo-squatting
- Phishing websites
- Malware samples
Operational security
- Safe port-scanning
- Safe nslookup
- Safe HTTP requests
Penetration testing
- Directory and file enumeration
- Port scanning with NMAP
- Domain and subdomain enumeration
Governance, Risk and Compliance
- Risk matrix
- Password policy
- IT assets inventory
- Security awareness posters

Career Outcomes

MCSI certifications are highly respected, showcasing your expertise and commitment to excellence. With cutting-edge, hands-on content, our exercises teach in-demand skills for immediate application. Certifications are valid for life, with no renewal fees or time limits.

Syllabus

Training Modules

This course provides you with multiple training modules, each of which is designed to teach you practical skills that can help you solve important cyber problems. Each module offers exercises that will help you build your skills and capabilities.

MICS-000: Complete these exercises first - 2 exercises
MICS-001: Professional Writing - 4 exercises
MICS-101: Internet Searching - 5 exercises
MICS-102: Technical Concepts - 4 exercises
MICS-104: Open Source Intelligence - 2 exercises
MICS-201: Passive Network Reconnaissance - 3 exercises
MICS-202: Discovering Attack Campaigns - 3 exercises
MICS-302: Security Tools - 3 exercises
MICS-303: Threat Hunting using YARA - 5 exercises
MICS-401: Security Lab Setup - 3 exercises
MICS-402: Penetration Testing with Tools - 4 exercises
MICS-403: Digital Investigations - 2 exercises

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Certifications

MCSI Industry Certifications are important for you to earn because they signify that you have the skills required to work in a cybersecurity. Certificates of Completion are also important to earn because they signify that you have completed an exercise. Earning Certificates of Completion and Industry Certifications demonstrates that you are willing to put in the extra work to be successful.

Learn in-demand practical skills

Receive tailored feedback

Earn certificates & build a portfolio

Unlock career opportunities

MCSI's MICS certification provides you with the required skills and knowledge aligned to the Australian Signals Directorate's Cyber Skills Framework . Upon reaching each level, you will earn a certificate of achievement. Click here to learn more about our multi-credentialed approach.

	Certificate Level	Curriculum Completion Requirement
Cybersecurity Enthusiast	Level 1	0%
Cybersecurity Learner - Level 1	Level 2	25%
Cybersecurity Learner - Level 2	Level 3	50%
Cybersecurity Learner - Level 3	Level 4	100%

Sample Exercises

Research And Write An Article On A Recent Cyber Breach (Concepts)

Perform A TCP Port Scan Using Nmap (Novice)

Write a Password Policy (Novice)

Help and Support

Unmatched Mentorship: Accelerate Your Growth

At MCSI, mentorship is built to unlock your full potential. Receive personalized insights from multiple experts, tackle real-world challenges, and get the guidance you need to grow rapidly and excel in your cybersecurity career.

Personalized feedback with an average instructor response time of 1 business day
Direct access to instructors and peers via a 24/7 Discord server
Progress tracking and milestone assessments to keep you on course toward success
95% of MCSI graduates land cybersecurity jobs with expert mentoring and feedback

24/7/365 Discord Community:

If you're looking for additional support during your studies, consider joining our Discord server. Our community of fellow students and instructors is always available to provide help and answer any questions you may have.

Personalized Support:

Your submissions will be reviewed by MCSI instructors, who will provide you with personalized feedback. This input is critical since it can assist you in identifying the areas where you need to enhance your skills. The instructor's feedback will also tell you how well you did an exercise and what you can do to improve your performance even further.

Click here to see an example of personalized feedback.

Our personalized support will take your skills to the next level. Read what a student says about it:

Quick Questions:

If you have any questions or need clarification on any of the exercises, MCSI offers a Quick Questions section on each exercise where you can ask for help. This is a great resource to use if you need assistance. This feature is only available for paid courses.

Prerequisites

Training Laptop Requirement

This course can be completed on a standard training laptop. To ensure you have the necessary hardware to complete the course, your machine should meet the following specifications:

64-bit Intel i5/i7 2.0+ GHz processor or equivalent
8GB of RAM
Ability to run at least (1) virtual machine using Virtual Box, or an equivalent virtualization software
Windows 10 or later, macOS 10 or later, or Linux
Local administrator privileges

Do you support older operating systems?

Yes. Many of the exercises can be completed on older OS versions. A few of our students are successfully using older equipment to learn cyber security.

Proficiency in the English language

You must have the ability to comfortably read and understand IT documentation written in English. Ideally, they have an IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6 (or equivalent).

Note: You can register for this course without having undertaken an English test.

Windows machine
Web browser

Lab Environment

This course teaches you how to setup and configure your own cybersecurity lab.

Save thousands by avoiding the costs of pre-built labs
Customize your lab with the hardware and software you prefer
Gain practical skills in networking, system administration, and technical troubleshooting
Build confidence by practicing tasks you'll need to perform in real-world jobs
Manage and maintain your own tools—just as employers expect in the workplace

Why MCSI's MICS Curriculum is World Class

Comprehensive, Effective, Exceeds Standards

Holders of the MICS Certificate of Completion have completed 75 practical online exercises thus demonstrating that they have entry-level skills and knowledge in the following areas: OSINT, domain enumeration, operational security, network reconnaissance, port scanning, YARA, and GRC.

Practical, Field-Based

Students must complete hands-on challenges that have been inspired from real-life investigations.

How does MCSI Compare?

MCSI is 95% more cost-effective with 20x more practical training hours:

	Traditional Vendors	Conference Workshop	Cybersecurity Bootcamps	MCSI Certifications	Return on Your Investment
Cost:	$5,000+	$4,000+	$10,000+	free	Save between $3,500 to $9,500
Hours of Practical Training:	30	20	150	100+ hours	20x more practical training hours
Travel Expenses:	$8,000+	$4,000+	$6,000+	$0 (online)	Save between $4,000 to $6,000

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Bloom's Taxonomy

Employers seek problem-solvers who deliver real value. With MCSI, you'll develop practical, in-demand skills applicable across diverse cyber roles.

Our proven training method elevates cyber operators to the top 10% of the industry—the results speak for themselves.

We empower both beginners and experts to accelerate their careers and reach new heights

95% of users completing our Remote Internship or an intermediate course landed cybersecurity jobs
84% reported an increased confidence in their real-world cybersecurity abilities
76% said MCSI training opened new career opportunities
71% said managers recognized their skills improvement

We elevate our users to elite levels through the most realistic cyber training on the planet

With just 600 hours of MCSI training, users transform from beginners to expert practitioners—creating tools, presenting at conferences, and being recognized as top talent in their organizations
88% of users reported that MCSI transformed their work approach—enabling greater autonomy, fostering creativity, enhancing problem-solving skills, and improving their ability to meet work expectations
44% of our top users are directly involved in protecting critical infrastructure and national security

Our training transforms lives, empowering users to achieve their personal goals

Many of our users have secured roles in tier-1 cybersecurity teams and contributed to high-profile projects featured in global news, thanks in part to our courses
Some users received visa sponsorships, enabling them to move from developing countries to the UK, United States, and Australia to work for top firms
Several users overcame financial challenges by securing remote freelance or contract roles, rising to the top 5% of IT earners in their countries

We certify cyber practitioners weekly, with results independently verifiable. Our users produce artifacts that employers can audit to confirm their skills—an unmatched capability for those who need to hire top talent.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MCSI Method™?

Watch this video:
Are solutions disclosed and available?
- No. Our method of teaching cyber security consists of challenging you with real-world problem statements that you're expected to research and solve by doing your own research. This is how you'll be expected to work in the field. When you fail an exercise, we provide you with constructive feedback to improve and try again.
Do exercises, training content, or certificates ever expire? Am I expected to buy again in the future?
- Upon purchase, all the materials permanently unlocked with no recurring or ongoing fees.
Do I need to buy the training and the certification separately?
- No. The price provided covers both. You only pay once.
Do you offer any special offers and discounts?
- We understand that many of our customers may be looking for discounts, and we would love to be able to offer them. However, we do not provide discounts because we believe that our prices are fair and reasonable. We work hard to keep our prices low, and we feel that discounts would be unfair to our other customers. We hope you understand.
If I can't solve the exercise where do I go for help?
- We have online forums where you can ask questions and our team of professional instructors will help you out.
- Login/Register for MCSI's Online Forums
Who reviews and marks exercises?
- Trained cyber security instructors that work for Mossé Cyber Security Institute.
- MCSI instructors are highly qualified and experienced professionals who are able to teach a variety of topics related to information security. They have the ability to tailor their teaching methods to meet the needs of each student, regardless of their experience level. In addition, they are always up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in information security, which enables them to provide students with the most relevant and current information.
We can't pay via credit card. Can you raise an invoice for wire payment instead?
- Yes. Send us the list of bundles and certifications you want to purchase at [email protected]
Can I access a trial/demo the certification programmes prior to enrolling?
- We provide a free curriculum with 100+ hours practical exercises you can try.
- The Free Curriculum teaches Security Tools, Penetration Testing, Red Teaming, Threat Hunting, Cyber Defence, GRC and Windows Internals.
- Try the Free Curriculum
Do you provide Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits?
- Yes. Every single exercise offers CPE credits. The number of credits earned depends on the difficulty of the exercise completed. Below are the CPE Credits achieve for an exercise in each difficulty:
- Novice exercises = 1 CPE credits
- Advanced Beginner exercises = 2 CPE credits
- Competent exercises = 5 CPE credits
Do I need to complete an exam to receive MCSI Certification?
- No. MCSI Certifications are completed by solving practical cybersecurity exercises.
Do I need to purchase cybersecurity tools or subscriptions?
- No. Only free or trial versions are used in our exercises. You do not require making any purchases.

More Kind Words from Students

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