Certification Prep

CyberSec First Responder

Certification Prep

This certification prep path provides the critical skills needed to effectively combat cyber threats, respond to security incidents, and protect information systems on the front lines.

Path Releasing Q2 2025
Full access included with 
Cybrary Insider Pro
 and 
Teams

20

H

14

M
Time

Intermediate

i
Designed for learners who have no prior work experience in IT or Cybersecurity, but are interested in starting a career in this exciting field.
Experience Level

20

i

Earn qualifying credits for certification renewal with completion certificates provided for submission.
CEU's

Enrollees

Learners at 96% of Fortune 1000 companies trust Cybrary

About this Path

CertNexus's CyberSec First Responder (CFR) certification is designed for cybersecurity professionals who serve as the first line of defense, tasked with protecting critical information systems before, during, and after an incident. This credential validates your ability to assess risks, perform active defense, and lead recovery efforts.

Importantly, the CFR certification is compliant with ISO/IEC 17024 standards and is approved by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to fulfill Directive 8570/8140 requirements, making it a key credential for both public and private sector roles.

The CFR-410 exam will test your expertise across five domains covering the full incident-handling lifecycle:

  • Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Risks: Identifying and assessing organizational risks and attack vectors.
  • Surveillance and Reconnaissance: Analyzing network traffic and log data to detect pre-attack indicators.
  • Cyber Incident Response: Executing a coordinated response to contain and neutralize active threats.
  • Forensics and Analysis: Conducting forensic analysis to determine the scope and impact of an incident.
  • Incident Recovery and Post-Incident Response: Implementing recovery procedures and preparing post-mortem reports to improve security posture.
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Skills you'll gain

Path Outline

Collection Outline

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The Leadership and Management Career Path is expected to release in Q2 of 2025. Sign up now to explore our other leadership courses and content.

Start Learning for Free
1

Learn

Learn core concepts and get hands-on with key skills.

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Cybersec First Responder: Identify Cybersecurity Risk
H
58
M

In this Cybersec First Responder course, you will learn about how to assess, mitigate, and document risk.

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Cybersec First Responder: The Threat Landscape
H
27
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: The Threat Landscape course, you will learn about threat classification and security posture trends.

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Cybersec First Responder: Reconnaissance Threats
H
41
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Reconnaissance Threats course, you will learn about threat modeling, reconnaissance activity, and social engineering.

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Cybersec First Responder: Computing and Network Attacks
1
H
10
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Computing and Network Attacks course, you will learn about malware and DoS impact, hijacking and impersonation attacks, and threats to mobile and cloud security.

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Cybersec First Responder: Post-Attack Techniques
H
38
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Post-Attack Techniques course, you will learn about command and control techniques, lateral movement and pivoting techniques, and anti-forensics techniques.

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Cybersec First Responder: Organizational Security Posture
H
50
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Organizational Security Posture course, you will learn about cybersecurity auditing practices, vulnerability management plans, and penetration testing.

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Cybersec First Responder: Cybersecurity Intelligence Collection
H
39
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Cybersecurity Intelligence Collection course, you will learn about deploying a security intelligence solution and collecting network and host intelligence.

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Cybersec First Responder: Analyzing Log Data
H
30
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Analyzing Log Data course, you will learn about common log analysis tools and SIEM tools.

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Cybersec First Responder: Network and Asset Analysis
H
30
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Network and Asset Analysis course, you will learn about Windows and Linux analysis tools and how to analyze IoCs.

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Cybersec First Responder: Cybersecurity Incident Response
H
41
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Cybersecurity Incident Response course, you will learn about IR handling architecture and incident mitigation and handling.

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Cybersec First Responder: Cybersecurity Incident Investigation
H
40
M

In this Cybersec First Responder: Cybersecurity Incident Investigation course, you will learn about forensic investigation plan, collection and analysis of evidence, and investigation follow-up steps.

2

Practice

Exercise your problem-solving and creative thinking skills with security-centric puzzles

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
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Social Engineering Basics
1
H
30
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn the basics of Social Engineering. You will practice using the Social Engineering Toolkit to simulate a pharming attack and create a malicious payload to be delivered via a spearphishing email.

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
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Metasploit Basics
1
H
15
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn the basics of Metasploit, a popular penetration testing tool. You will practice using some core features of Metasploit to identify and exploit vulnerabilities on a live server.

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
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Injection Attacks
1
H
25
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn the basics of injection attacks. You will practice performing SQL injection, command injection, and XSS attacks against a vulnerable web application.

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
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Tunneling and Pivoting
1
H
25
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn about tunneling and pivoting as tactics for traversing target networks. You will practice tunneling and pivoting using Metasploit and SSH Dynamic Port Forwarding.

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
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VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
Vulnerability Scanner Basics
1
H
5
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn the basics of vulnerability scanners, including basic functionality and practical applications. You will practice configuring and analyzing scans using the OpenVAS vulnerability scanner.

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
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VIRTUAL LAB
Network Observables
1
H
10
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn the basics of network observables. You will practice researching and documenting observables from a suspicious email using the security ticketing system theHive.

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
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VIRTUAL LAB
SIEM Basics
1
H
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn the basics of SIEMs, including basic functionality and practical applications. You will practice analyzing log files using the Wazuh SIEM.

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
Incident Response Basics
1
H
10
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn the basics of Incident Response, including its role in a security program and major phases. You will practice using incident response tools on a live system to capture memory and essential system files for further investigation.

VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
VIRTUAL LAB
Digital Forensics Basics
1
H
M

In this hands-on lab, you will learn the basics of digital forensics, including its role in an investigation and major phases. You will practice using the Autopsy forensics tool to analyze and retrieve evidence from a

3

Prove

Assess your knowledge and skills to identify areas for improvement and measure your growth

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CertNexus CFR 410 CyberSec First Responder (CFR)
1
H
30
M

Get ready for the CFR 410 Certification! This practice exam measures your ability as a first responder to defend against and respond to cyber-attacks. It evaluates your knowledge of threat analysis, secure computing and network environment designs, vulnerability assessments, and incident response.

4

Train Your Team

Cybrary’s expert-led cybersecurity courses help your team remediate skill gaps and get up-to-date on certifications. Utilize Cybrary to stay ahead of emerging threats and provide team members with clarity on how to learn, grow, and advance their careers within your organization.

Instructors

Owen Dubiel
Security Engineer
Read Full Bio
Joseph White
Lab Architect
Read Full Bio
Garret Donaldson
Lab Architect
Read Full Bio

Get Hands-on Learning

Put your skills to the test in virtual labs, challenges, and simulated environments.

Measure Your Progress

Track your skills development from lesson to lesson using the Cybrary Skills Tracker.

Connect with the Community

Connect with peers and mentors through our supportive community of cybersecurity professionals.

Success from Our Learners

"Cybrary really helped me get up to speed and acquire a baseline level of technical knowledge. It offers a far more comprehensive approach than just learning from a book. It actually shows you how to apply cybersecurity processes in a hands-on way"

Don Gates

Principal Systems Engineer/SAIC

"Cybrary’s SOC Analyst career path was the difference maker, and was instrumental in me landing my new job. I was able to show the employer that I had the right knowledge and the hands-on skills to execute the role."

Cory

Cybersecurity analyst/

"I was able to earn my CISSP certification within 60 days of signing up for Cybrary Insider Pro and got hired as a Security Analyst conducting security assessments and penetration testing within 120 days. This certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Cybrary mentor community."

Mike

Security Engineer and Pentester/

"Cybrary really helped me get up to speed and acquire a baseline level of technical knowledge. It offers a far more comprehensive approach than just learning from a book. It actually shows you how to apply cybersecurity processes in a hands-on way"

Don Gates

Principal Systems Engineer/SAIC

"Cybrary’s SOC Analyst career path was the difference maker, and was instrumental in me landing my new job. I was able to show the employer that I had the right knowledge and the hands-on skills to execute the role."

Cory

Cybersecurity analyst/

"I was able to earn my CISSP certification within 60 days of signing up for Cybrary Insider Pro and got hired as a Security Analyst conducting security assessments and penetration testing within 120 days. This certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Cybrary mentor community."

Mike

Security Engineer and Pentester/

"Becoming a Cybrary Insider Pro was a total game changer. Cybrary was instrumental in helping me break into cybersecurity, despite having no prior IT experience or security-related degree. Their career paths gave me clear direction, the instructors had real-world experience, and the virtual labs let me gain hands-on skills I could confidently put on my resume and speak to in interviews."

Cassandra

Information Security Analyst/Cisco Systems

"I was able to earn both my Security+ and CySA+ in two months. I give all the credit to Cybrary. I’m also proud to announce I recently accepted a job as a Cyber Systems Engineer at BDO... I always try to debunk the idea that you can't get a job without experience or a degree."

Casey

Cyber Systems Engineer/BDO

"Cybrary has helped me improve my hands-on skills and pass my toughest certification exams, enabling me to achieve 13 advanced certifications and successfully launch my own business. I love the practice tests for certification exams, especially, and appreciate the wide-ranging training options that let me find the best fit for my goals"

Angel

Founder,/ IntellChromatics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this for?

This certification prep path is designed for mid-to-advanced career practitioners, ideally with experience working in a computing environment as part of a CERT, CSIRT, SOC, or C2 systems.

Which versions of the exam are supported?

This certification prep path is aligned with the 2022 version of CyberSec First Responder exam.