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Top YouTube channels offer free, high-quality cybersecurity education for all skill levels.
Practical tutorials cover ethical hacking, penetration testing, and real-world cyber threats.
YouTube has become a powerful alternative to traditional cybersecurity courses in 2025.
Everyone’s realizing how important it is to protect your stuff online these days. Good news is you don’t have to spend a ton of cash to learn the basics. YouTube is killing it with free content that can seriously level up your security game.
These channels are the real deal, giving you step-by-step instructions and showing you how things work in the real world.
This channel is run by Heath Adams. He is an ethical hacker and knows his stuff. If you're into hacking, checking security, or breaking into systems, you definitely need to check his channel out. All levels of expertise can learn from him. He walks you through entire hacking labs, giving hands-on examples. If you want certifications, he can tell you how to get them. It’s laid out so everyone can keep up, even if you’re just starting.
What to watch: His series on Ethical Hacking and Hack the Box.
Perfect for: Getting your hands dirty with hacking and learning ways to test networks and systems.
Also Read: Top Non-AI IT Certifications to Boost Your Tech Career in 2025
NetworkChuck makes tech stuff easy to get. He talks about hacking, tools, virtual machines, and getting certified, but he makes it fun. He breaks down hard topics so they’re not scary, which is great if you’re new to all this.
Check out: His videos on Wireshark, hacking basics, and guides to Kali Linux.
What's great: He's engaging and the labs are easy to follow.
Alright, so John Hammond's channel isn't for total beginners, but If you are ready to go into deep tech stuff, John is your guy. He looks at actual security problems, takes apart code, checks for bad software, and does Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges. He goes through challenges and fixes them, so you learn how to solve problems yourself.
Must-sees: His CTF walkthroughs, how he takes apart bad software, and his Python scripts for security.
Best if: You've got some skills and want to get better.
Also Read: Go vs Python: Who Leads the Cloud-Native Revolution?
David Bombal is the YouTuber to watch if you want to get into network security. He talks about everything from analyzing data packets to security setups. He also chats with people who work in security, so you get different points of view.
Watch these: His Cisco packet tracer labs, deep dives into Wireshark, and the basics of network security.
Good for: Mixing what you know about networks with security stuff.
With HackerSploit, you learn by doing. He is hands-on when it comes to cybersecurity. He does hacking, makes systems harder to break, looks at Linux security, and finds weak spots in systems. He uses real systems to show you how attacks and defenses happen, so you see it all in action.
Hot topics: Security for web apps, scanning with Nmap, and making Linux secure.
Why it’s good: You get solid skills in hacking and making systems safe.
InfoSec Pat is super helpful if you’re trying to get certified in something. He gives you the lowdown, asks practice questions, and tells you how to study. He also shows you how to use security tools.
What to see: His reviews for CompTIA certifications, Kali Linux labs, and videos on hacking tools.
Perfect for: Getting ready for certifications and seeing how security tools work.
Practical Programming isn’t only about security, but it’s got a ton of stuff on Python for hacking and making things automatic. Knowing how to code is a must in security, and this channel connects coding with security. The lessons are simple and solve real problems.
Goodies: Python scripts for hacking.
Why it’s great: You learn security by coding.
YouTube is still a goldmine for learning cybersecurity without spending a fortune. These channels give you lessons, lab walkthroughs, and exam prep to get you the knowledge you need.
If you stick with it, you can totally start a career in hacking, network security, or security analysis. With online threats always popping up, learning this stuff is more important than ever, and these channels are helping to train the next wave of cyber defenders.
