I'm Ulrich, co-founder of Subverted Academy with Jason Spencer. We're pentesting practitioners from South Africa who got fed up with how cybersecurity training is structured.
The problem: the industry has two extremes. Either expensive certification programs with huge exam fees and no practical focus, or hardcore CTF platforms that throw you in the deep end with no guidance. There's a gap in the middle for practical, guided training that builds real skills and leads to career growth.
We built Subverted Academy to fill that gap.
What we've built:
- 28 in-depth courses across offensive security, defensive security, IT fundamentals and GRC (lots more in development) - Practical simulated challenges: Guided, hands-on scenarios that build real competency, not just theory, not just sink-or-swim - Full gamification platform: Streaks, badges, weekly objectives to keep you engaged and progressing - Workflow-based learning: Organized around how the work actually happens, not tool documentation - SCSP Certification included: Free certification path for our rebel users
What we're not:
We're not trying to replace hardcore CTF platforms or advanced labs (we look up to them). We're focused on real knowledge building with practical guided skills to actually assist employability and career growth.
We've been in beta for 2 months with 4,000+ users. Pricing is $8/month for full access (we also have 3 courses for free - with more coming).
The training industry has become gatekeeping through high costs at $3,000 courses, $500 exam fees and credential stacking. We believe quality cybersecurity training should be accessible to anyone willing to put in the work whether you're breaking in, leveling up or switching domains.
We're still early. Still iterating. But we're committed to building something that actually helps people build careers in security with both practical skills and credentials to show for it.
Would love feedback from the HN community, especially from security practitioners or people who've struggled to find practical, guided training that bridges the gap.
