Technical Skills

How to Build a Cybersecurity Home Lab on a Budget

By James Thompson•December 3, 2024•12 min read

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A home lab is one of the most powerful tools for learning cybersecurity.

Hardware Requirements

CPU: Quad-core processor
RAM: 16GB minimum
Storage: 500GB SSD

Software & Virtualization

VirtualBox (Free)
VMware Workstation Player

Operating Systems to Install

Kali Linux: Pre-loaded with penetration testing tools
Metasploitable 2 & 3: Intentionally vulnerable VMs

Need help building your lab? Connect with experienced practitioners at CyberMentor.

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