VIRTUAL LAB

Malware Analysis Basics

Lab

Malware doesn’t announce itself; you have to know how to uncover it. This lab provides a practical starting point for analyzing suspicious files and understanding their behavior, enabling you to make informed decisions during investigations.

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 and 
Teams

1

H

20

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.
Designed for learners with prior cybersecurity work experience who are interested in advancing their career or expanding their skillset.
Designed for learners with a solid grasp of foundational IT and cybersecurity concepts who are interested in pursuing an entry-level security role.
Experience Level

991

Enrollees

600

XP

1

i

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

Learners at 96% of Fortune 1000 companies trust Cybrary

About this course

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Skills you'll gain

Lab Outline

1
Module 1: Malware Analysis Basics
1
H
20
Min

1.1 Core Concepts

Free

200 XP

H

20m

1.2 Guided Exercise

Free

200 XP

H

40m

1.3 Challenge Exercise

Free

200 XP

H

20m

Module 1: Malware Analysis Basics
Heading
Module 1: Introduction
1
Hr
5
Min
1.1 Core Concepts

20m

Module 1: Malware Analysis Basics
1.2 Guided Exercise

40m

Module 1: Malware Analysis Basics
1.3 Challenge Exercise

20m

Module 1: Malware Analysis Basics
Lab Description

Step into the role of a malware analyst and learn how to safely examine suspicious files without guesswork. Through guided, hands-on exercises in a controlled lab environment, you’ll inspect file properties, uncover hidden indicators, and observe malware behavior in real time. 

‍

You’ll also work with industry-relevant tools and techniques to analyze code, monitor system changes, and distinguish malicious activity from benign processes. Complete this lab to develop the investigative mindset needed for real-world incident response and threat analysis.

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.

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Included in a Path

SOC Analyst
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Instructors

Joseph White
Lab Architect
Read Full Bio

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this lab for?

This lab is ideal for aspiring cybersecurity professionals, SOC analysts, and IT practitioners looking to build a foundation in malware analysis. It’s also a great fit for learners in incident response or threat analysis who want hands-on experience working with suspicious files in a safe environment.

Why should I complete this lab?

Malware analysis is a critical skill for understanding and responding to cyber threats. This lab gives you practical, real-world experience applying core analysis techniques, so you move beyond theory and build confidence.

What skills does this lab develop?

Aligned with NICE knowledge areas and DoD 8140 KSATs, this lab supports skill development in malware analysis, reverse-engineering fundamentals, and identifying malicious activity across environments. This includes:

‍

  1. Understanding core malware analysis concepts and methodologies
  2. Identifying and differentiating static vs. dynamic analysis techniques
  3. Performing basic static analysis to extract indicators without execution
  4. Conducting dynamic analysis to observe and interpret malware behavior
  5. Using common malware analysis tools and interpreting their outputs
  6. Analyzing code and system activity to determine if it is malicious or benign
Learn

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

Practice

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

Prove

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

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.

Begin the Malware Analysis Basics Virtual Lab for Free Today.

Validate and strengthen your malware analysis skills today! Enroll in Cybrary’s Malware Analysis Basics Virtual Lab to take the first step toward confidently responding to cyber threats.

Enroll Today
https://app.cybrary.it/browse/virtual-lab/malware-analysis-basics
courses

Malware Analysis Basics

Malware doesn’t announce itself; you have to know how to uncover it. This lab provides a practical starting point for analyzing suspicious files and understanding their behavior, enabling you to make informed decisions during investigations.

Share
Start CourseSubscribe for UpdatesNeed to train your team? Learn more
Start Course for FreeNeed to train your team? Learn more
1
H 
20
M
Time
Intermediate
difficulty
1
ceu/cpe

Course Content

Course Description

Step into the role of a malware analyst and learn how to safely examine suspicious files without guesswork. Through guided, hands-on exercises in a controlled lab environment, you’ll inspect file properties, uncover hidden indicators, and observe malware behavior in real time. 

‍

You’ll also work with industry-relevant tools and techniques to analyze code, monitor system changes, and distinguish malicious activity from benign processes. Complete this lab to develop the investigative mindset needed for real-world incident response and threat analysis.

This course is part of a Career Path:
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Instructed by

Provider
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Certification Body
Certificate of Completion

Complete this entire course to earn a Malware Analysis Basics Certificate of Completion

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Start Path for FreeNeed to train your team? Learn More
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Share

Purpose Statement

Cybrary Career Paths are comprehensive training programs designed to prepare you for the most in-demand roles in the cybersecurity workforce. Each path follows a Learn, Practice, Prove model and includes different activity types aligned to key topics within the path’s security domain. As you progress through the path, your progress will be measured in real time using Experience Points (XP) that serve as a comprehensive capability score for each topic. Upon completing all of the requirements for a path, you will be rewarded with a shareable digital badge via Credly.
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Overview

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Frequently Asked Questions
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What Will I Learn?
Foundations
Focused on the core IT competencies that cybersecurity professionals need to succeed in any career path.
Defensive Security
Focused on trying to find the bad guys. Topics such as threat intelligence, threat hunting, network monitoring, incident response. Defensive security is a reactive measure taken once a vulnerability is found through prevention, detection, and response.
Engineering and Operations
Focused on building and operating information systems.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance
Focused on the core IT competencies that cybersecurity professionals need to succeed in any career path.
Leadership and Management
Focused on program design and oversight. Covers project and program management.
Offensive Security
Focused on validating security controls by trying to break them (i.e. penetration testing or ethical hacking). Topics such as Kali Linux, metasploit, scanning, and privilege escalation. Offensive security seeks out the problem or vulnerability through ethical hacking and finds a solution to disable the operation.
Offensive Security
Focused on the core IT competencies that cybersecurity professionals need to succeed in any career path.
Path Outline

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Course Outline

What Our Learners Are Saying

Join 3 million+ users, including 96% of Fortune 1000 companies who use our platform to upskill their teams. See what the buzz is about - start learning for free!

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