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The Best Free Tools & Platforms to Practise Cyber Security Skills 2025/26
Cyber security is one of the most in-demand career fields in the UK. From preventing data breaches to monitoring networks and defending against ransomware, the role of cyber professionals is critical across every industry. With organisations of all sizes facing increasing threats, demand for skilled professionals continues to rise. But employers don’t just want theory—they want proof that you can analyse systems, detect vulnerabilities, and respond to incidents. The good news is that you don’t need to pay thousands of pounds for training to build practical experience. A wide range of free tools and platforms allow you to practise cyber security skills safely, ethically, and at no cost. This article explores the best free resources available in 2025 to help you gain hands-on skills in ethical hacking, penetration testing, digital forensics, network monitoring, and incident response.
Top 10 Skills in Cyber sScurity According to LinkedIn & Indeed Job Postings
In today’s digital age, cyber security is no longer optional—it’s mission-critical. From financial institutions to healthcare providers, government departments to tech startups, every sector in the UK is under rising cyber threats. As a result, employers are constantly on the hunt for skilled professionals who can defend, detect, and respond effectively. But with cyber threats evolving at pace, what exactly are employers seeking? By analysing job postings on LinkedIn and Indeed, this article reveals the Top 10 cyber security skills UK organisations are demanding in 2025. Read on to discover how to present these skills effectively on your CV, in interviews, and through practical proof of experience.
The Future of Cybersecurity Jobs: Careers That Don’t Exist Yet
Cyber security has become one of the most critical issues of our age. Once regarded as a technical problem confined to IT departments, it is now a board-level priority, a government mandate, and a daily necessity for individuals. The shift towards cloud services, remote working, connected devices, and artificial intelligence has dramatically increased the risks of digital attacks. In the UK, cyber security is central to national resilience. The government has identified cyber as a “tier one” threat to national security, alongside terrorism and pandemics. The private sector, from banks to retailers, now sees data breaches and ransomware as existential risks. Global spending on cyber security is projected to exceed $250 billion by 2030, with the UK already home to a thriving cyber industry employing tens of thousands. Yet, as powerful as the industry already is, we are only at the beginning. The technologies shaping the next two decades—AI, quantum computing, edge computing, extended reality, and biotechnology—will radically reshape cyber security. Many of the most vital cyber security jobs of the future don’t exist yet. This article explores why new roles will emerge, the careers likely to appear, how today’s jobs will evolve, why the UK is well-positioned, and how professionals can prepare now.