Training types · 4
Four kinds of security training, and who each one is for
Short answer
Cyber ranges and hands-on labs train technical skill, at team and individual level. Tabletop and crisis simulation trains the people who make decisions in an incident. Awareness training reaches every employee. Most organisations need more than one, but rarely all four from the same budget line in the same year.
By The Range Desk · Cyber Range Compare · Published 2026-10-11 · Updated 2026-10-13
Desk research from public vendor, standards and regulator pages read on 27 September, 11 October and 13 October 2026. Profiles follow our published method; we did not run the products.
Which training type covers which people?
- RANGE · Live fire
Cyber range
A team detects and responds to a live simulated attack in a realistic environment, using real security tools.
Read the RANGE guideSoldCloud Range,Cyberbit,Immersive Labs,SimSpace
Sold with a conditionHack The Box,TryHackMe
- LABS · Solo skills
Hands-on lab libraries
One person works through a guided technical task in a browser lab, picked from a library of hundreds or thousands.
Read the LABS guideSoldCloud Range,Cyberbit,Hack The Box,Immersive Labs,TryHackMe
Sold with a conditionNone
- CRISIS · Decisions
Tabletop and crisis simulation
The people who own decisions in an incident work through a scenario and decide what to do, from a scripted discussion to an adaptive simulation.
Read the CRISIS guideSoldReflex Security,BreachRx,Conducttr,Cytactic,Hack The Box,iluminr,Immersive Labs,TryHackMe
Sold with a conditionCloud Range,Cyberbit
- AWARE · Every employee
Awareness training
Short modules and simulated phishing that teach every employee to spot and report threats.
Read the AWARE guideSoldKnowBe4
Sold with a conditioniluminr,Immersive Labs
How do the four types compare?
| Type | Who practises | What they practise | Typical session shape | What it leaves behind | Platforms here that sell it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber range | SOC and IR teams | Detection and response on real tools | Hours to a day, scheduled | Team timeline and detection fixes | 6 of 12, 2 with a condition |
| Hands-on lab libraries | Individuals | One technical skill at a time | Minutes to an hour, self-paced | Completion records, certificates | 5 of 12, 0 with a condition |
| Tabletop and crisis simulation | Decision-makers and responders | Decisions, escalation and timing | Minutes to half a day | After-action report and owners | 10 of 12, 2 with a condition |
| Awareness training | Every employee | Spotting and reporting threats | Minutes, a few times a year | Completion and phishing results | 3 of 12, 2 with a condition |
Which platforms sell which types?
- Filled target: the platform sells this training type on the pages we read
- Hatched target: sold with a condition (an add-on, an adjacent product, or part of the type)
- Dashed target: not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it)
- Reflex SecuritySells 1 of 4 types, 0 with a condition
- BreachRxSells 1 of 4 types, 0 with a condition
- Cloud RangeSells 3 of 4 types, 1 with a condition
- ConducttrSells 1 of 4 types, 0 with a condition
- CyberbitSells 3 of 4 types, 1 with a condition
- CytacticSells 1 of 4 types, 0 with a condition
- Hack The BoxSells 3 of 4 types, 1 with a condition
- iluminrSells 2 of 4 types, 1 with a condition
- Immersive LabsSells 4 of 4 types, 1 with a condition
- KnowBe4Sells 1 of 4 types, 0 with a condition
- SimSpaceSells 1 of 4 types, 0 with a condition
- TryHackMeSells 3 of 4 types, 1 with a condition
Read next
- Training type finder
Five questions that weigh the four types for your team.
- How the matching works
The published rules behind the finder.
- Platforms compared
Profiles and a fact grid for every platform.
- Range guide
Lessons on planning and running exercises.