Free Cybersecurity Webinars & Online Training for Educators

K-12 educators are the first line of defense when it comes to protecting students online, yet most teachers receive little or no cybersecurity training during their careers. The good news is that dozens of high-quality cybersecurity webinars, on-demand courses, and training modules are available at no cost. Whether you teach kindergarten in Irvine or high school in Corona, these resources can help you build cybersecurity awareness in your classroom and protect your school community.

Free Webinar Series for K-12 Educators

Several organizations offer regularly scheduled live and recorded webinar series specifically designed for K-12 teachers, administrators, and IT staff:

CISA Stop Ransomware Webinars

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) hosts a series of awareness webinars covering cybersecurity topics relevant to schools and other organizations. These webinars provide overviews of current threats, best practices for preventing incidents, and step-by-step guidance for responding to attacks. Topics include ransomware defense, phishing recognition, incident response planning, and securing cloud-based tools. All past webinars are archived and available for on-demand viewing.

K12 SIX Webinar Series

The K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX) is a nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to K-12 cybersecurity. They present regular webinar series throughout the year, including a dedicated set of weekly sessions during Cybersecurity Awareness Month each October. Their 2025 series featured industry experts and K-12 practitioners sharing actionable strategies for school cyber defense. Past webinars are available in their archive and cover topics such as putting CISA guidance into action, building district incident response plans, and evaluating EdTech vendor security.

Teach Cyber ARC Webinars

Teach Cyber offers free Academic Resource Center (ARC) webinars for cybersecurity teachers. These sessions are designed for educators who are teaching or planning to teach cybersecurity courses at the high school level. The webinars cover curriculum implementation strategies, classroom activity ideas, and content updates. Teach Cyber also offers their Foundations of Cybersecurity course, which prepares teachers to deliver cybersecurity instruction even without a technical background.

On-Demand Training Platforms (All Free)

Beyond live webinars, several platforms offer self-paced cybersecurity training that educators can complete on their own schedule:

CISA Learning

CISA Learning is the agency's free Learning Management System offering hundreds of cybersecurity courses at no cost. Courses range from introductory awareness modules to advanced technical training. Educators can create a free account and access training on topics including network security fundamentals, cyber threat analysis, risk management, and incident handling. All courses are self-paced and many offer completion certificates.

Fortinet Security Awareness Training for K-12

Fortinet's K-12 Security Awareness and Training Service has been customized specifically for schools and made available at no cost to all K-12 school districts in the United States. The curriculum includes:

• Teacher guides with ready-to-teach lesson plans
• Presentation slides for classroom instruction
• Student handouts and activity worksheets
• Multimedia assets including videos and interactive content
• Assessment tools to measure student understanding

This is one of the most comprehensive free offerings available, providing both teacher training and student-facing materials that can be integrated directly into existing curricula.

Microsoft Learn: Cybersecurity Resilience for K-12

Microsoft Learn offers a free module specifically titled "Build cybersecurity resilience in K-12 classrooms with Microsoft tools." This self-paced course teaches educators how to use Microsoft's built-in security features to protect classroom environments, manage student accounts safely, and respond to security incidents. It is particularly useful for schools already using Microsoft 365 Education, which includes many Orange County and Riverside County districts.

Cyber.org Educator Training

Cyber.org, supported by CISA, provides free professional development for K-12 teachers alongside its curriculum resources. Their training helps educators understand cybersecurity concepts and deliver them effectively in the classroom, even without prior technical expertise. Cyber.org's K-12 Cybersecurity Learning Standards offer a complete framework that teachers can use to build courses from elementary through high school.

NICCS Cybersecurity for K-12 Teachers Hub

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) maintains a dedicated resource hub for K-12 teachers. It connects educators with self-paced and virtual training opportunities, curriculum resources, career awareness tools for students, and information about the Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program (CETAP). CETAP partners CISA with schools, universities, and state education boards to help incorporate cybersecurity concepts into classrooms and build foundational cyber awareness.

Classroom-Ready Lesson Resources

In addition to webinars and self-paced training, these resources provide materials that teachers can use directly with students:

Hacker Highschool — A collection of 14 free lessons available in 10 languages, covering topics from digital forensics to web security and privacy. Designed for high school students but adaptable for advanced middle school learners.

CISA Tip Cards and Fact Sheets — Available through CISA's Cybersecurity Awareness & Training page, these downloadable resources cover specific topics like password security, social media safety, mobile device protection, and recognizing phishing. They work well as classroom handouts, discussion starters, or bulletin board displays.

Texas School Safety Center Cybersecurity Toolkit — While created for Texas schools, the Cybersecurity Toolkit training resources are freely available to all educators and include lesson plans, awareness activities, and training modules applicable to any state.

International Computer Science Institute Lessons — Three standards-aligned lessons covering threat modeling, authentication, and social engineering attacks. Designed for high school students with no account required.

Key Topics Every Educator Should Learn

Whether you attend a live webinar or complete an on-demand course, prioritize these essential cybersecurity topics:

1. Phishing recognition — How to identify and report phishing emails, text messages, and social media scams. This is the number one attack vector against schools, with 45% of districts reporting compromised email accounts.
2. Password and account security — Best practices for creating strong passwords, using password managers, and enabling multi-factor authentication on school accounts.
3. Student data privacy compliance — Understanding FERPA, COPPA (updated 2025), CIPA, and California's SOPIPA requirements for protecting student information.
4. Safe use of educational technology — How to evaluate EdTech apps and platforms for security and privacy before introducing them in classrooms.
5. Incident reporting procedures — What to do when you suspect a security breach, who to contact, and how to preserve evidence without making the situation worse.
6. Social media and digital footprint awareness — Teaching students about the permanence of online posts, privacy settings, and the risks of oversharing personal information.
7. Ransomware and malware basics — Recognizing the signs of a malware infection, understanding how ransomware spreads, and knowing what not to do if a device appears compromised.
8. Physical device security — Securing laptops, tablets, and Chromebooks from theft or unauthorized access, including screen lock policies and USB drive precautions.

Making Time for Cybersecurity Training

Finding time for additional professional development is one of the biggest challenges educators face. Here are practical strategies for fitting cybersecurity training into a busy schedule:

• Use professional development days — Advocate for cybersecurity awareness to be included in district-wide PD days. Many of the platforms listed above can be presented as group training sessions.
• Complete modules in short sessions — Most on-demand courses are broken into 15-30 minute modules. Complete one per week during planning periods.
• Form a school learning group — Watch webinar recordings together with colleagues and discuss how the content applies to your school's specific situation.
• Earn PD credit — Check with your district or the Orange County Department of Education and Riverside County Office of Education about whether cybersecurity training qualifies for professional development credit hours.
• Integrate into existing instruction — Rather than treating cybersecurity as a separate topic, weave awareness lessons into subjects you already teach. Digital citizenship fits naturally into ELA, social studies, and technology classes.
• Attend Cybersecurity Awareness Month events — Every October, organizations like K12 SIX and CISA host concentrated webinar series. Block time to attend one or two live sessions during this month.

Getting Started

Begin with one of these quick-start options:

1. Sign up for CISA Learning — Create a free account at niccs.cisa.gov and complete an introductory awareness module in under 30 minutes.
2. Register for a Fortinet K-12 account — Access the full suite of free security awareness materials at fortinet.com.
3. Browse Cyber.org curriculum — Explore grade-level-appropriate lesson plans at cyber.org that you can use in your classroom this week.
4. Watch a K12 SIX recorded webinar — Visit k12six.org to access past webinar recordings on topics directly relevant to school cybersecurity.