Cybersecurity training is becoming more like gaming. Here’s why
Cybersecurity training is becoming more like gaming. Here’s why
https://www.sciencefocus.com/advertisement-feature/cybersecurity-training-more-like-gaming
Publish Date: 2026-07-06 04:00:00
Source Domain: www.sciencefocus.com
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. Pursuing a career in cybersecurity can seem intimidating, particularly for those without a traditional IT or mathematics background. It’s a challenging field where responding to threats not only requires an understanding of complex solutions, but also patience and practice. Video games have emerged as a way of making the act of learning these complex solutions accessible for anyone with ambitions to become a cybersecurity professional.
TryHackMe is a training platform that gamifies cybersecurity, transforming regular classes into accessible modules taught in rewarding, straightforward ways.
Could gaming make cybersecurity careers more accessible?
One of the biggest barriers to pursuing a career in cybersecurity is the perception that it’s only for IT professionals or programmers.
Today there are a growing number of platforms that gamify cybersecurity, opening up learning opportunities and making it accessible to everyone. By introducing puzzles, virtual environments and simulations, this approach helps learners grasp complex topics in a way that may be far more engaging than sitting through a lecture.
If you originally dismissed cybersecurity as a career, a gamified experience could entirely prove you wrong.
Cloud-based gaming may be one of the worst environmental online offenders, requiring servers to run continuously around the clock – Photo credit: Getty
How are cybersecurity platforms borrowing from video games?
TryHackMe is a gamified cybersecurity training platform designed to teach anyone cybersecurity through a more rewarding, accessible approach than a traditional degree course. You’ll follow a ‘learning roadmap’ that guides you through pathways and industry-recognised certifications needed to specialise in one of four areas.
These pathways are broken down into modules, all of which encourage hands-on learning from the outset: you’ll learn how to attack and defend corporate networks, secure cloud-based applications and be guided through real-world scenarios like investigating suspicious activity in a security operations centre (SOC).
There’s even a King of the Hill mode where 10 players compete to compromise a system first while fending off other skilled hackers who want to dethrone you.
When you’re ready to reinforce what you’ve learned so far, there are five-minute hack challenges and Jurassic Park-themed Capture The Flag exercises, which see players exploit vulnerabilities, crack cyphers or analyse data to find hidden strings of text known as ‘flags’.
Curious to find out what gamified cybersecurity training looks like?
TryHackMe may be gamified, but it isn’t playing around. For those serious about a cybersecurity career switch or simply exploring whether the field is for them, the platform offers an accessible way to digest complex information through engaging, hands-on exercises.
Try interactive, browser-based cybersecurity courses for free