Build practical cybersecurity skills to help protect yourself and your environment while preparing for an AI-powered future.
Cybersecurity is relevant to every role. Whether you build applications, manage data, lead a team, protect systems, or simply use digital tools, the decisions you make can contribute to a stronger security posture.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’re offering a variety of practical ways to enhance your security skills. Explore role-based learning on AI Skills Navigator, learn from security experts and Microsoft MVPs, join free events around the world, put your knowledge into practice through realistic challenges, and work toward credentials that validate what you can do.
New videos and other content will drop throughout October, so keep checking back to see what’s new.
Why participate?
You can choose experiences that fit your goals and build cybersecurity skills you can put to work right away. Here are a few ways to take part:
Find the right curated learning for your role
Explore curated playlists designed around the cybersecurity skills most relevant to your role.
- Security professionals: Secure Your AI Workloads Layer by Layer. Learn to protect AI workloads across identity, data, models, applications, and runtime layers using Microsoft security and AI platforms.
- IT professionals: Defend Your Tenant Environment. Learn to secure identities, devices, data, and collaboration tools across Microsoft 365 and strengthen your organization’s security posture.
- Developers: Ship Faster, Break Less with GitHub Code Quality. Learn how GitHub Code Quality helps you find issues earlier, improve confidence in AI-generated code, and ship faster.
- Data professionals: Assign Ownership and Control Over Your Sensitive Data. Explore best practices for protecting sensitive information, managing access, and preventing unauthorized exposure.
- Business users: Recognize and Shut Down Every day Digital Threats. Build practical awareness of common digital threats and learn how to make safer decisions at work.
- Executives and business leaders: Evolve your Security Strategy in the Age of AI. Explore learning that connects cybersecurity strategy with resilience, governance, trust, and AI adoption.
- Students and career changers: Start your Cybersecurity Career Here. Build foundational cybersecurity knowledge and explore career opportunities to help you prepare to launch a successful cybersecurity career.
October spotlight
Defend the Tenant Challenge
Put your technical skill and strategic judgment to the test in the Defend the Tenant Challenge Competition. Step into a realistic Microsoft 365 environment to harden your tenant and provide business impact. Compete to win a visa gift card – up to $10,000 total prize pool available.*
Want to know more before you start? Join our live session on October 19 to learn what to expect, get your questions answered, and explore materials to help you prepare. Register today
*Terms and conditions apply, contest rules available here.
Cyber Genius
Build practical security skills with Cyber Genius, a Microsoft-designed learning experience for security professionals. Microsoft Security Solution Engineers walk you through real-world attack scenarios and show how defenders investigate and respond with Microsoft security tools. Practice hands-on, continue the conversation with your dedicated AI Fellow, and prepare for a Microsoft Applied Skills assessment to earn an industry-recognized credential.
More ways to learn and connect
Role-based playlists are only one place to begin. Throughout October, you can also learn from experts, join live events, connect with peers, work toward recognized credentials, and discover new content as it becomes available.
- Get practical answers through Ask a Cybersecurity Pro. Four new episodes on data classification, data governance, identity security, and AI security will drop throughout October.
- Learn live at free cybersecurity events delivered by Microsoft Training Services Partners around the world.
- Connect with the Microsoft Cybersecurity Pros community to ask questions, learn from others, and continue the conversation.
- Work toward Microsoft Applied Skills and certification pathways that validate what you can do.
Ready to get started?
Choose the pathway, event, challenge, or credential opportunity that interests you most, and dive in. With new ways to learn, practice, and connect throughout October, you can keep coming back to build skills and explore what’s next.
Whether you want to develop safer digital habits, deepen your technical expertise, or help your organization prepare for what’s next, there’s a way for you to build skills during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Join us, keep learning, and help build a more secure future.
Build skills. Earn credentials. Help secure the future.
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