Everyone talks about “we need a stronger blue team”, but very few people have a clear plan for where to train and what actually gives value (instead of just shiny PDFs on LinkedIn).
Here’s a quick, opinionated guide: platforms for hands-on training, why they’re useful, and which certs are actually worth chasing if you want to work in a SOC or defensive role.
1. Hands-On Platforms for Individuals (Blue Team / SOC)
These are good if you’re a solo learner or a small team without a big budget.
TryHackMe – Blue Team & SOC Paths
TryHackMe has a “Blue Team” path and a SOC-focused path that cover log analysis, SIEM, Windows event logs, network monitoring, etc., all in browser labs.
- Blue Team path: TryHackMe | Cyber Security Training
- SOC Level 1 path (good for juniors): TryHackMe | Cyber Security Training
Nice for people coming from CTF/red-team land who want to understand the defender side without getting bored.
LetsDefend – Simulated SOC Environment
LetsDefend gives you a fake SOC with real alerts (phishing, web attacks, malware, etc.) and makes you triage/investigate them like an analyst.
- Main site: https://letsdefend.io
- SOC Analyst path: SOC Analyst Learning Path - LetsDefend
If you want something that feels close to “day 1 in a SOC job”, this is one of the better options.
Blue Team Labs Online (BTLO)
Blue Team Labs Online is a gamified investigation platform for defenders – incident response, forensics, threat hunting, OSINT, etc.
You get “investigations” where you dig through logs, memory images, PCAPs, etc. It’s built by Security Blue Team and pairs nicely with their certs (see below).
2. Cyber Ranges for Teams (Serious Org Training)
If you’re in a company that can pay, this is where full defence teams can really level up.
RangeForce
RangeForce gives you cloud-based cyber ranges with real tools (Splunk, EDR, firewalls, etc.) and full breach scenarios.
Good for team exercises: multiple defenders dropped into a simulated incident and forced to work together.
Immersive Labs
Immersive Labs offers cyber ranges and labs for detection, incident response and crisis exercises.
- Cyber Range training: Cyber Range Training - Immersive
Best suited to orgs that want structured team drills and management-friendly reporting.
3. Why This Kind of Training Is Actually Worth It
Compared to just reading PDFs or doing multiple-choice exams, these platforms give:
- Muscle memory: you actually touch SIEMs, logs, PCAPs, email headers, etc.
- Tool familiarity: many ranges use real tools (Splunk, EDR, firewalls) instead of toy UIs.
- Team practice: cyber ranges like RangeForce / Immersive Labs make you run incidents as a group, which is how real breaches work.
- Portfolio: BTLO / LetsDefend give you profiles and stats you can show to employers.
If you’re trying to break into a SOC, screenshots of real lab work + platform profiles often speak louder than yet another generic cert.
4. Certs That Actually Matter for Cyber Defence
Certs don’t replace skills, but they help HR filter you in instead of out. Rough roadmap:
Entry Level – “Can you speak security at all?”
- CompTIA Security+ – good general baseline; many gov / corporate places look for it.
If you’re completely new, starting with Security+ + a hands-on platform (TryHackMe/LetsDefend) is a solid combo.
SOC / Blue-Team Focused
- CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) – focused on threat detection and response, sits nicely between Security+ and more advanced stuff.
- EC-Council Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) – specifically marketed for SOC roles; covers monitoring, triage and incident basics.
- Security Blue Team – Blue Team Level 1 (BTL1) – very popular practical junior defensive cert: phishing analysis, DFIR, SIEM, TI, etc., with a 24-hour practical exam.
If I had to pick a “first real blue-team cert” right now, I’d probably say Security+ → BTL1 → CySA+ depending on budget.
More Advanced / Long-Term
Once you have some experience:
- GIAC – e.g. GCIH (Incident Handler), GCIA (Intrusion Analyst), GCED/GMON – high quality, but also high price. Common in mature orgs.
- CISSP / CISM etc. – more management and governance focused; not mandatory for a junior SOC analyst, but useful later if you move into lead / architect roles.
5. Simple Training Plan You Can Copy
If I were building up as a defender (or training a small team), I’d do something like:
For individuals:
- Basics:
- Security+ (or equivalent knowledge)
- TryHackMe Blue Team path + some BTLO investigations
- SOC skills:
- LetsDefend SOC path end-to-end
- Blue Team Level 1 (if budget allows)
- Ongoing:
- A couple of BTLO / LetsDefend cases per week to stay sharp
For teams:
- Pick a common baseline cert (Security+ / CySA+ / BTL1).
- Use BTLO / LetsDefend / TryHackMe for weekly “mini-incidents”.
- Run quarterly full-on exercises in RangeForce or Immersive Labs if the org can pay.
- After each exercise, fix one real weakness in your monitoring or process.
Do that for a year and your “cyber defence team” will actually be a team, not just a bunch of people staring at a SIEM hoping nothing explodes.