Getting started with the Web Security Academy

Follow our beginner's guide to web security, to boost your cybersecurity skills one vulnerability at a time.

Getting started with the Web Security Academy

How the Web Security Academy works

Read our learning materials

1. Read our learning materials

Learn about how vulnerabilities arise, and how they can be exploited in the wild.

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Practice your skills

2. Practice your skills

Put your skills to the test with our interactive labs and real-world scenarios.

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Track your progress

3. Track your progress

Progress from Apprentice to Expert level, and track your rank on our Hall of Fame.

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Get started with your first topic

With so many topics to choose from, you may not be quite sure where to begin. We've created a variety of learning paths to help get you started on your journey with the Web Security Academy.

Get started with your first Academy topic

Learning paths

Guided learning paths through the Web Security Academy

Feeling confident? Pick a topic to begin

Whatever your experience level might be, we've got a topic for you to get stuck into. Pick one from the suggestions below, or view our full topic list to get started.

View our full list of topics

Find your way around Burp Suite with our video tutorials

We've created a handy set of Burp Suite tutorial videos, to guide you through some of the key tools you'll need when working on the Web Security Academy.

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Keep up with the latest from the Web Security Academy

Follow us on Twitter for new topic releases, and to get involved with our wider community.

Learning about web security @WebSecAcademy and don't know how I made it this long in the web design world without getting into this. Now I am hooked. Can't stop playing around in their labs. Just spent an entire long weekend in front of the laptop #websec

@CodeWithFrida

Hall of Fame high flyers

Johnny Villarreal

To find a place that had all of that information in one location, with a consistently high quality of labs, especially being free, it's a no-brainer. Why wouldn't you dive right into it?! Johnny Villarreal

Read about Johnny's Web Security Academy experience
Kamil Vavra

I find that having Burp Suite Pro is really helpful for some of the Web Security Academy labs, so as I'm learning more skills by doing the labs I'm also learning how to use Burp Suite better as well. I just don't think I'd be able to learn the same kinds of skills, to the same level, by doing OSCP or any of those kinds of qualifications. Kamil Vavra

Read about Kamil's Web Security Academy experience
Andres Rauschecker

PortSwigger is a huge company in the cybersecurity field that gives back and creates a community. The way that Burp has developed, how you listen to the community, and create free learning materials. It's absolutely amazing. Andres Rauschecker

Read about Andres' Web Security Academy experience