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EDWartens UK

Free course · Cybersecurity

ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) Exam Prep

Free preparation for the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) exam, mapped to the five domains of the outline effective 1 September 2026: security principles, security governance, identity and access management, networking and cloud security, and security operations and incident response, with original practice questions on every domain. Exam preparation only: the EDWartens certificate is not the CC, which is earned only by passing ISC2's exam.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
13
Video
13 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain the CIA triad, AAA, non-repudiation and privacy; work through a risk assessment and choose a treatment; tell technical, administrative and physical controls apart; apply the ISC2 Code of Ethics, due care and due diligence; describe GRC, business continuity, disaster recovery, awareness and security metrics; run an identity life cycle with least privilege and separation of duties; explain the OSI and TCP/IP models, common ports, segmentation, zero trust and the cloud shared responsibility model; classify and protect data with the right encryption; triage security events and follow an incident response plan; and answer CC-style scenario questions with a clear method.

  • Know the 2026 CC exam format, the five domains and their weights, and how to break down a scenario question
  • Apply the CIA triad, AAA, MFA, non-repudiation and privacy to real incidents
  • Score and calculate risk with SLE and ALE, and choose avoid, reduce, transfer or accept
  • Classify controls, apply due care and due diligence, and order the ISC2 Code of Ethics canons
  • Set MTD, RTO and RPO, choose backups and sites, and measure security with KRIs
  • Run an identity life cycle with least privilege, separation of duties and the right access model
  • Explain OSI and TCP/IP, ports, firewalls, segmentation, zero trust and cloud shared responsibility
  • Handle and encrypt data correctly, triage alerts, follow the IR life cycle and plan security testing

Software

A web browser. Wireshark (free) and a free virtual machine tool such as VirtualBox are useful for the optional network exercises, which run only on your own computer.

Hardware

None. A laptop that can run one small virtual machine helps with the optional lab tasks.

Syllabus

13 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1How the CC exam works, and how to study for it2 lessons
  2. 2Security concepts: CIA, AAA, non-repudiation and privacy4 lessons
  3. 3Risk management: assets, threats, vulnerabilities and treatment2 lessons
  4. 4Governance, controls and the ISC2 Code of Ethics4 lessons
  5. 5Security governance: GRC, continuity, recovery, awareness and metrics2 lessonsLab
  6. 6Identity and access management: the identity life cycle and access models3 lessons
  7. 7Networking fundamentals: OSI, TCP/IP, addressing, ports and VPNs2 lessons
  8. 8Network threats, firewalls, wireless and embedded systems4 lessonsLab
  9. 9Network security architecture and cloud security2 lessonsLab
  10. 10Data security: classification, handling and encryption3 lessons
  11. 11Security operations: logging, monitoring, triage and threat intelligence4 lessonsLab
  12. 12Incident response, asset protection and security testing3 lessonsLab
  13. 13Final Assessment2 lessons

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Practise backups, firewall rules, zones, log triage and incident response in the OT security lab; the same ideas apply to office networks, so you see them work.

Works alongside ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) Exam Prep. The Lab is ot security practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
OT security: Defend a plant network.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) Exam Prep

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • ThorTeaches.com

    Thor Pedersen's CC lessons: the 2026 exam changes, deconstructing CC questions, the IAAA model, risk management, laws and regulations, physical security, disaster recovery, identity and logical access, the OSI model, attackers and attacks, zero-day exploits, wireless networks, cloud and virtualization, data handling, cryptography, incident management, scheduling the exam and the adaptive (CAT) format

  • IBM Technology

    the explainers on the CIA triad, the five principles of security architecture, building a cybersecurity framework, IAM, network security architecture, quantum-safe cryptography, SIEM, the SOC, threat hunting, the 2026 Threat Intelligence Index, red and blue teams and application security

  • Computer Networks Decoded

    the ISC2 CC 2026 complete course lessons for Domains 1 to 4 of the outline effective 1 September 2026

  • The CISO Perspective

    the lesson on zero trust network access and the zero trust model

Questions

About this course

What is the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) exam?
The CC is ISC2's entry-level cybersecurity certification exam, for people with no work experience in security. Under the outline effective 1 September 2026 it uses computerized adaptive testing with 100 to 125 items in two hours across five domains, and the passing grade is 700 out of 1000; check the current details on ISC2's official CC exam outline page at isc2.org/certifications/cc/cc-certification-exam-outline.
Is the ISC2 CC exam still free?
No longer for new candidates. ISC2's One Million Certified in Cybersecurity programme closed to new enrolments on 20 May 2026; people who already hold an unexpired exam code from it must schedule and sit the exam by 31 December 2026, and everyone else buys the exam from ISC2, with the fee paid to ISC2. This EDWartens course is free to learn either way.
Is this the official ISC2 CC course, and does passing it give me the CC?
No. It is an independent preparation course built on free lessons by ThorTeaches.com, IBM Technology and other educators, with original EDWartens notes and practice questions. ISC2, CC and Certified in Cybersecurity are registered marks of ISC2, Inc.; EDWartens is not affiliated with or endorsed by ISC2, and the CC is earned only by passing ISC2's own exam.
Who is this ISC2 CC exam prep course for, and what do I need to start?
It is for students, career changers, IT support staff and anyone aiming at a first job such as junior security analyst or SOC analyst. No security experience is needed, and the only software is a web browser; Wireshark and VirtualBox are optional for the network exercises on your own computer.
Does the course follow the new 2026 CC exam outline?
Yes. The twelve teaching modules map to the five domains effective 1 September 2026: Security Principles, Security Governance, Identity and Access Management Concepts, Networking and Cloud Security Concepts, and Security Operations and Incident Response, including the AI content ISC2 added across the domains. Some videos were recorded for the 2022 outline, and the notes say where the 2026 outline differs.
How long does the course take, and is it free to learn?
It takes about 13 hours at your own pace, of which about 8.8 hours is video, plus about 8 hours for the optional project. Every module, the notes, the 148 original practice questions, the project and the final assessment are free to learn.
What certificate do I get, and how is it verified?
You get an EDWartens verifiable certificate of completion when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It carries a unique certificate number and a QR code that open a public verification page showing the course, the modules covered and your final score. It is not the ISC2 CC certification.
What jobs can the ISC2 CC lead to?
The CC is a common first step towards roles such as SOC analyst, junior security analyst, IT support with security duties and GRC assistant, and towards ISC2's SSCP and CISSP later. IT services firms, SOC providers, banks and telecoms hire entry-level security staff, and a foundation certification such as the CC or CompTIA Security+ helps a candidate without experience show the basics.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module