--- title: SANS Cyber Ranges Reviews meta_title: 'SANS Cyber Ranges Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 52 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how SANS Cyber Ranges works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.6 review_count: 52 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-08-07' parent_category: name: Vulnerability Management url: https://www.g2.com/categories/vulnerability-management --- # SANS Cyber Ranges Reviews **Vendor:** SANS Institute **Category:** [Cybersecurity Professional Development Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/cybersecurity-professional-development) **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 52 ## About SANS Cyber Ranges We provide immersive, hands-on cybersecurity training through realistic simulations built by world-class instructors. Learners safely develop, assess, and validate skills while earning CPE credits. From foundational to advanced levels, our ranges build confidence, teamwork, and readiness to defend against real threats. Learn more about our best cyber ranges below: SANS SKILLS QUEST BY NETWARS - CORE EDITION: A self-paced hands-on training solution covering a wide range of cybersecurity topics, designed with challenges and hints that support continuous knowledge and skill development. - Delivery: self-paced, online - Run Time: 6 or 12 months - Player Mode: solo & team - CPE Credits: up to 12 per month NETWARS: Composed by the six main disciplines in cybersecurity, these advanced ranges are suitable for all skill levels, with a compelling storyline for interactive learning. The multifaceted, real-world challenges emphasize the in-depth practical application and evaluation of essential cybersecurity skills, empowering practitioners to excel in their field. - Delivery: in-person, online, hybrid - Run Time: 6h - Player Mode: solo & team - CPE Credits: up to 6 BOOTUP CTF: A capture-the-flag range style featuring over 125 disciplines. Engage with real-world scenarios using hands-on skills and tools to tackle authentic targets and memory captures, ensuring you gain practical, applicable knowledge. - Delivery: in-person, online, hybrid - Run Time: 6 or 72 hours - Player Mode: solo & team - CPE Credits: up to 6 CYBERCITY: An immersive 1:87 miniaturized scale of a physical city controlled by real-world equipment. Gain hands-on experience with SCADA-controlled systems, including power, water, transit, and more, preparing you for cybersecurity challenges in a critical infrastructure environment. - Delivery: in-person, online, hybrid - Run Time: customized - Player Mode: solo & team - CPE Credits: up to 6 ## SANS Cyber Ranges Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users find the **realistic practical labs** of SANS Cyber Ranges invaluable for hands-on learning in a safe environment. (5 reviews) - Users appreciate the **ease of use** of SANS Cyber Ranges, making navigation and learning straightforward and efficient. (4 reviews) - Users love the **engaging hands-on experience** of SANS Cyber Ranges, enhancing real-world skills in a competitive environment. (2 reviews) - Users appreciate the **diverse programs and hands-on experience** SANS Cyber Ranges provide, enhancing practical cyber skills safely. (2 reviews) - Users value the **hands-on learning opportunities** with customizable curriculums and relevant courses for real-world application. (2 reviews) - Users value the **comprehensive content** of SANS Cyber Ranges, enhancing their learning experience with integrated resources. (1 reviews) - Users praise the **excellent customer support** for its ease of use and effective training implementation. (1 reviews) - Users find the **easy implementation** of SANS Cyber Ranges allows smooth rollout and user onboarding effortlessly. (1 reviews) - Users value the **easy setup** of SANS Cyber Ranges, making user onboarding quick and seamless. (1 reviews) - Users appreciate the **engaging content** of SANS Cyber Ranges, enabling effective training at their own pace. (1 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find the product **too pricey** relative to the content quality, suggesting more flexible payment options. (4 reviews) - Users find the **slow performance** of SANS Cyber Ranges impacts navigation and overall user experience negatively. (2 reviews) - Users find the **inadequate reporting** of SANS Cyber Ranges frustrating, wishing for more intuitive on-screen features. (1 reviews) - Users experience **lab malfunctions** with slow virtual machines and unreliable clipboard functionality, impacting their challenge effectiveness. (1 reviews) - Users find the **interface outdated** and sometimes slow, hindering smooth navigation and overall experience. (1 reviews) - Users find the **poor design** of SANS Cyber Ranges to be unintuitive and less convenient for accessing reports. (1 reviews) - Question Clarity (1 reviews) - Users find the **UX improvement necessary** , noting the interface lacks intuitiveness and could benefit from on-screen features. (1 reviews) ## SANS Cyber Ranges Reviews ### 1. Real-World Capstones with High-Fidelity, Incident-Driven Scenarios **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Isaac O. | Senior Security Analyst, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** What I like best is that the challenges feel like actual work, not exercises. When I sat the FOR500 and FOR585 Capstones, I was doing the same kind of triage I do at my current and previous roles, just compressed into a few intense hours. The scenarios are curated by instructors who have obviously investigated real incidents, and it shows in the fidelity of the artifacts and the pacing of the story. The other thing I appreciate is that the ranges give you an honest measure of where you actually are, which is rare in this field. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The one that comes to mind is how little you can review after the fact. During the range you are in the thick of it, and the debrief is often light on what the intended path was or what most people missed. I finish some scenarios wanting a proper writeup or annotated walkthrough to compare against my own approach, and that is not always available, unless with On-Demand access. I would also love more coverage of modern cloud investigations and SaaS attack paths, since a lot of what I actually see at my current and previous roles sits in that space, and the ranges still lean heavier toward traditional Windows enterprise scenarios. Neither is a dealbreaker, but they are the two things I would most want to see change. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** For me the big problem the ranges solve is the gap between knowing something and being fast at it under pressure. Reading a book on Windows forensics is one thing, but when a suspected compromise lands on your queue at a place like my current and previous roles, what matters is that you already know where to look and in what order. The ranges built that reflex before I needed it, and the FOR500 and FOR585 Capstones translate directly into how I approach real investigations now. The other benefit is honesty about your own gaps: you can spend years in a comfortable niche without noticing what you can't do quickly, and a good range surfaces that in an afternoon. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your thoughtful review! It’s rewarding to hear that the Capstones have translated into your day-to-day work. We also appreciate your suggestions around post-exercise walkthroughs and expanded cloud and SaaS content, and we'll continue evolving the Cyber Ranges experience to meet the changing demands of the security landscape. ### 2. Diverse, Skill-Building CyberRanges with Challenges for Every Level **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer & Network Security | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** There are two main things I love about these CyberRanges. First, each CyberRange is different, with its own focus on specific knowledge and security areas. They cover topics ranging from offensive security and defensive security to security monitoring, forensic analysis, and OT. Second, they offer several levels of complexity, from very basic subjects to highly advanced ones, which pushes you to keep improving your skills in order to successfully complete them. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I think the main drawback is that, during competitions, there’s a clear disadvantage for new players. The challenges are often very similar to ones from previous CTFs, so regular participants may already know the answers from earlier events and can compete from an unfair position. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I think they’re closing the gap between theory and practice. It’s not the same to have theoretical knowledge of a topic as it is to have real “working experience.” Even the labs that security certs usually include aren’t the same as this CTF, because this presents more real-life situations, which makes a clear distinction in the kind of experience you gain. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We’re glad to hear the variety and challenge levels are helping you build real skills across so many areas of cybersecurity. We also appreciate your feedback on competition fairness and will continue looking for ways to create a rewarding experience for both new and returning participants. ### 3. Hands-On, Realistic Cyber Ranges That Build Real Incident Response Skills **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Aman K. | Cybersecurity - Intern, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 26, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** What I like most about SANS Institute Cyber Ranges is how real everything feels. It’s not like the typical labs where you just follow a set of steps here you actually have to think, adapt, and respond the way you would during a real incident. The scenarios are engaging, too. Instead of answering random questions, you’re working through situations that evolve over time, like tracking an attack or figuring out what’s going wrong in a network. That makes the experience more interesting, and it also feels genuinely practical. I also appreciate that you get to work with tools that are actually used in the industry. It builds confidence because what you’re doing feels relevant to real job roles, not just theory. Overall, it’s hands-on, realistic, and genuinely useful for improving how you approach cybersecurity problems. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** One thing I don’t like as much about SANS Institute Cyber Ranges is that the difficulty can sometimes jump quite a bit without a gradual buildup. You can go from something manageable to a scenario that feels overwhelming pretty quickly, especially if you’re still getting comfortable with the tools. Another issue is that when you get stuck, the guidance can feel limited. The hints are there, but they’re not always enough to point you in the right direction, so you can end up spending a lot of time just trying to figure out what you’re even supposed to be looking for. Also, because everything is quite structured, it can feel a bit constrained at times. Real-world environments are messy, but in the ranges there’s usually a specific path or expected approach, which can limit exploration and experimentation. Overall, it’s still a great learning platform, but these small issues can make the experience slightly frustrating from time to time. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** What I think SANS Institute Cyber Ranges really solve is the gap between learning and actually doing. A lot of cybersecurity training ends up being either too theoretical or too guided, so when you’re faced with a real scenario, it can be hard to connect everything. These ranges help by putting you in situations where nothing is obvious: you have to investigate, correlate logs, and figure things out on your own. They also provide a safe space to mess up. In real environments, you can’t afford mistakes, but here you can try different approaches, get stuck, retry, and genuinely learn from it. For me, it’s been practical. I feel more comfortable working through problems instead of waiting for instructions, and I’m getting used to what things actually look like during a real incident. It’s less about “knowing” and more about “doing,” which is exactly what I needed. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for taking the time to share such thoughtful and detailed review! We also value your feedback on areas for improvement as we continue to enhance the experience. ### 4. Excellent, Realistic Hands-On Cybersecurity Training with Seamless SANS Integration **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Maximilian G. | Dualer Student der Kommunikations- und Medieninformatik, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 21, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** SANS Cyber Ranges is an excellent platform for hands-on cybersecurity training. The labs are realistic, easy to access, and save significant time compared with building local environments. Performance is reliable, the integration with SANS courses is seamless, and the scenarios directly improve practical incident response and investigation skills. Although the pricing is premium, the quality, support, and real-world value provide a strong return on investment. i felt like there could be more smart or ai features. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The backend can occasionally feel a bit inflexible, and there are sometimes short downtimes or performance issues. However, these are relatively minor compared with the overall quality and value of the platform. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** SANS Cyber Ranges enables dynamic, hands-on learning through realistic incident simulations. It helps me build practical skills, test different response approaches, and prepare for real-world cybersecurity incidents in a safe environment. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > We truly appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed feedback! Knowing that Cyber Ranges is helping you strengthen your incident response skills and providing meaningful value alongside your SANS training is exactly what we strive for. Your comments on AI features and platform flexibility are valuable, and we'll keep them in mind as we continue improving the platform. ### 5. Love the Challenges and Designing Experience **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 07, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Challenges and Designing, centralized one platform **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I’m missing digital badges for participation and for rankings (Top 10, Top 15, Top 50, etc.), similar to the trophies and badges awarded in the National Cyber League (NCL) competitions. I’d also like to see more cloud-focused challenges across AWS, GCP, Azure, and AI, as well as a greater overall variety of challenges. For example, adding more MCP-style tasks, more Web API challenges, and more Kubernetes/EKS content, similar to what WIZ CTF offers—would make the platform even more engaging. Finally, it would be great to offer a standalone NetWars CTF subscription or pricing option, separate from SANS training courses. Not everyone is looking to purchase training, many people are primarily interested in participating in CTFs and would appreciate a dedicated, CTF-only offering at a lower cost. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Skills and practice everyday **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Hello, Thank you for your review on SANS Cyber Ranges! We're glad to hear that you enjoy the challenges and platform experience. Your feedback about the digital badges and expanded cloud topics has been noted for future improvements. Thank you for being a part of our community. ### 6. Simple Interface and Hands-On Cybersecurity Learning **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** KIPRUXAS . | N/A, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 15, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The interface is simple to understand, and it offers hands-on cybersecurity learning. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I don’t like that after a CTF (Capture The Flag) tournament ends, it doesn’t show the correct answers for the flags I didn’t complete. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It addresses the problem of not having enough hands-on cybersecurity learning spaces, making it easier to practice and build skills in a more practical way. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We're glad you found the platform easy to use and that the hands-on experience is helping you build skills. We also appreciate your suggestion about post-event flag answers and will keep it in mind as we continue enhancing the learning experience. ### 7. NetWars: not a volleyball tournament **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Asa T. | Information Security Analyst, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 16, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** NetWars provides a fun and interactive means of testing one’s skills while sharpening them AND learning at the same time. Did I mention it’s fun? **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Very rarely there are glitches. These can be frustrating and prevent progression in the course. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I gain confirmation of my skills and a confidence boost from performing well, even if I don’t win. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We're happy to hear you're having fun while building and validating your skills through NetWars. We also appreciate your feedback about the occasional glitches and will continue working to make the experience as seamless as possible. ### 8. Putting Cybersecurity Skills into Practice **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Camilo C. | Cloud Platform Engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 21, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I like the hands-on, realistic scenarios that let me apply the theory, practice with real tools, and learn by solving problems in a safe environment. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Some instructions can be unclear, and the environment occasionally feels slow. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It bridges theory and practice, helping me build hands-on skills and confidence with real tools. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for sharing your experience! It's great to hear the scenarios are helping you turn theory into skills and build confidence with tools. We also appreciate your feedback on the instructions and platform performance as we continue enhancing the Cyber Ranges experience. ### 9. Broad Topics, Easy Setup, Needs Streamlined Challenges **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Museums and Institutions | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 22, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I like the broad range of topics SANS Cyber Ranges covers, which really helps in practicing problem-solving and honing investigative skills with limited information. The platform is easy to use, making the experience smooth for me. I find the VM infrastructure to be good and a lot of the challenges offer a valuable learning experience. The initial setup was very easy, which made getting started a breeze. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I find that there are a lot of challenges for the time given. I would prefer fewer, harder challenges. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use SANS Cyber Ranges to practice problem-solving with limited information, enhancing my investigative skills. It's easy to use, with a comprehensive range of topics, and the VM infrastructure and challenges offer valuable learning experiences. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > We appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed feedback! We love to hear that Cyber Ranges are helping you develop investigative skills. Thank you as well for your suggestion about offering fewer, more difficult challenges. Feedback like yours helps shape future improvements. ### 10. Fun, Competitive Real-World Prctice with Well-Crafted Evidence Sets **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Dan W. | Information Security Officer, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 07, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I love the chance to apply real-world skills in a realistic environment with well-crafted evidence sets. The competitive aspect makes it fun and engaging, and it’s also a great way to meet new people in person while working together. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Some of the answer submissions can feel a bit picky or pedantic — like getting marked wrong over things such as spacing or formatting rather than the actual solution. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** The Cyber Ranges expose you to a wide range of scenarios—especially in the DFIR variant—with evidence sets covering networking, memory, Windows, mobile forensics, and more. It’s a great way to dive into areas I wouldn’t normally encounter in day-to-day work, and I always come away having learned something new—which, I guess, is exactly the point of the ranges! **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Hi Dan, Thank you for your review of SANS Cyber Ranges! We’re glad to hear you’re enjoying the environment and competitive aspect of the exercise. We appreciate your feedback on the answer submission process and will factor it into future improvements. ### 11. Most User-Friendly Interface **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kipras B. | N/A, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 14, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** In my opinion, it has the most user-friendly interface. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I don’t like that when a CTF (Capture The Flag) event ends, it doesn’t show the answers for any flags I didn’t answer. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps solve the problem of having too little cybersecurity learning by hands-on tasks material. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear you found the platform intuitive and easy to use. We appreciate your feedback on post-event flag visibility and will keep it in mind as we continue improving the learning experience. ### 12. Easy-to-Follow Courses with Great Value **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Paul S. | N/A, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 18, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The courses are understandable and easy to follow. The material is easy to learn, and the pricing is good. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It feels a bit overpriced for the amount of content included. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It solves the problem of a lack of cybersecurity learning material. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We're happy to hear you found the courses easy to follow and have been helpful in building your cybersecurity knowledge. We also value your comments on pricing and appreciate you taking the time to let us know where you see opportunities for improvement. ### 13. Easy-to-Use Cyber Range with Smooth VM Setup and Real-World Practice **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Pharmaceuticals | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 21, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Real-world application: it’s a great place to practice and sharpen your skills. The UI is easy to use, and everything you need is right there, which makes it simple to focus on learning and applying what you know. Was easy to get started and worked well. Vm's were spun up for me so I could use linux and windows vms and the integration was simple. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Nothing of note that I disliked about the cyber ranges. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Real world but low stakes application of knowledge. Experience is the best teacher and the best ROI. It gave me and excellent place to integrate and try new workflows with AI, Cybersecurity, and the skills I continue to build. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for sharing your experience! It's fantastic to hear the platform made it easy to get started and provided a realistic environment where you could focus on building your skills. We're especially pleased that the integrated VM experience and hands-on scenarios supported your learning and experimentation with new cybersecurity workflows. ### 14. Practical Instances That Build Skills from Basics to Advanced , Also it made me explore best tools **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Manikanta Reddy N. | Cyber Security Intern, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 26, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The practical instances cover everything from basic to advanced challenges. They also let us explore and learn new industry and market tools. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The Instances are refreshing repeatedly, but any way that made me repeat same commands ,which is helpful for me. Some times it is frustrating also **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It improving Cyber security Defensive skills in upcoming cyber security defenders, like DFIR, log analysis with tools like zeek. We can explore different types of logs with the help of SANS cyber ranges **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We’re glad the challenges are helping you build skills and explore new tools. We appreciate your feedback on instance refresh behavior and will continue working to improve the user experience. ### 15. Realistic, hands-on training that keeps up with the threat landscape **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rakan A. | Cyber Security Specialist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 17, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The challenges are realistic, multi-domain, and always up to date. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Some challenges are overly strict on answer formatting (case-sensitive, exact strings), which forces you to burn hints not to learn the concept, but just to guess what the platform wants. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** SANS Cyber Ranges gives me a safe, realistic environment to practice hands-on skills that are hard to build in production or in a normal lab. **Official Response from Amanda Burdey:** > Thank you for your feedback and being a valuable member of SANS Range Community. We will certainly take your feedback to the team and brainstorm a wider acceptance ruling where possible. ### 16. High-Quality Courses That Are Easy to Follow **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jacob . | Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 21, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** High-quality courses that are very easy to follow. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It’s a bit expensive, but it’s definitely worth paying for. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It solves a lack of knowledge about cybersecurity. ### 17. Hands-On Exposure Across Windows, Linux, Networking, and More **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Willem R. | Security Operations Architect, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 27, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It gives you hands-on exposure to tools and capabilities across almost every domain: Windows, Linux, networking, protocols, and more. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The Guacamole component used to run the Linux machine didn’t work well in Firefox. At one point, I only got a black screen and had to switch to Edge or Chrome to get it working. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I now understand what my weaknesses are and where I need more training. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We’re happy the experienced helped you build skills and identify areas for growth. We appreciate your feedback on browser compatibility and will continue working to improve performance and accessibility across environments. ### 18. Challenging and Educational, but Needs Better Walkthroughs **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Leisure, Travel & Tourism | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It is really challenging. You can learn a lot about different topics. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** There's no walkthroughs, so if you are stuck, even with hints, you are screwed **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** The lack of hard skills in cyber. You may be siloed in certain roles that prevent you from practicing forensics, Linux, or networking. This platform allows you to build skills from things you don't do daily. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! It's great to hear the challenges are helping you build skills outside your day-to-day role. We also appreciate your feedback on walkthroughs and learner support, and we'll keep it in mind as we continue improving the Cyber Ranges experience. ### 19. Structured Skill-Building with Easy Setup **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Bunker W. | Principal Engineer (Product Security), Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 27, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I like the curated nature of SANS Cyber Ranges because it helps in building up my skills. I appreciate how I can use the ELK stack to play around in a structured manner within a ready-made environment. The initial setup was pretty easy, which I enjoy. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The main issue is how small everything is in a VM. Also, some labs take a while to load on Guacamole. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** SANS Cyber Ranges saves me the hassle of setting up environments myself. I enjoy the curated nature that builds my skills and lets me play around in a structured, ready-made environment. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review and sharing details about your experience! We also value your feedback on performance and usability as we continue improving the platform. ### 20. Empowers Practice in a Risk-Free Environment **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I use SANS Cyber Ranges for sharpening my skills and having fun. It lets me practice scenarios that can't be done in real life due to hardware or legal issues. I really enjoyed the Christmas CTF; it was well made with a great story and good challenges. The initial setup of SANS Cyber Ranges was pretty easy. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Nothing **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use SANS Cyber Ranges to sharpen my skills while having fun. It allows me to practice scenarios I can't in real life without setting up hardware or facing legal issues testing systems. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your thoughtful review! Happy to hear you enjoy the challenges, and that getting started was a smooth experience. We appreciate your feedback and are glad you took the time to share it. ### 21. Hands-On, Real-World Practice with the Tools That Matter **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consulting | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Hands-on practice with real-case scenarios, including the tools used and discussed in the courses. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** They’re "rare" and "closed". It would be fantastic to have the option to participate without having to spend capitals. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I like being able to check my skills and test them hands-on using the tools discussed in the courses, etc. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We’re glad to hear the scenarios have helped you apply your skills using the tools covered in our courses. We also thank you for your feedback on accessibility and participation options, and we'll continue exploring ways to make Cyber Ranges available to more learners. ### 22. Wide Variety of Challenges with Great Progression **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 16, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The variety and large number of challenges, the fact that challenges have increasing and various difficulties **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The leaderboard options is a bit limited and we cannot see users close to us in the ranking **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Learning new things about cybersecurity in an actionable and hands-on way **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We're glad you enjoyed the variety of challenges and the progression through the difficulty levels. We appreciate your suggestion for enhancing the leaderboard experience and will keep it in mind as we continue improving the platform. ### 23. Realistic and Challenging, but Progression Can Sometimes Stall **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Pharmaceuticals | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I like the ability to test theoretical knowledge in a practical way, without the scenarios being overly guided or too simplistic **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Sometimes you get completely stuck on a challenge, and it becomes impossible to move forward. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It solves the lack of realistic, high-fidelity environments for testing skills. The benefit for me is being able to apply theory to practice through challenging scenarios that don't hold your hand, forcing me to think critically just like in a real incident. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re pleased to hear the scenarios are helping you apply theoretical knowledge and strengthen critical thinking skills. We appreciate your feedback on challenge progression and will continue looking for ways to better support our learners through those obstacles. ### 24. Easy-to-Understand Courses with Great Value **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Accounting | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 20, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The courses are very easy to understand and offer good value. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It feels a bit too expensive for what the content offers. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps me learn more about cybersecurity and understand it better. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thanks for your thoughtful feedback! We're pleased the courses have supported your cybersecurity learning journey. We also value your comments on pricing and appreciate you sharing your perspective. ### 25. Unique, Standout Challenges That Feel Different From Other CTFs **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 17, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The challenges are very unique and feel different from other CTFs. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The challenges get repeated, so reusing knowledge is a part of the competition, too. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** AI-based challenges, less common in other CTF platforms. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! Knowing that our challenges offer something different from other CTFs is wonderful to hear. We also appreciate your comments on repeated challenges and will keep them in mind as we continue expanding and refining our content. ### 26. Unique Challenges and Helpful Hints That Reinforce the Fundamentals **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Spandana G. | Graduate Research Assistant at IoT Cybersecurity and Forensics Lab, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 26, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I liked how the challenges were unique. Especially the professors book. They had hints as well which helped along the way. The challenges covered most of the fundamentals. I liked how it had both modules for learning and challenging too **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The only thing was when an asset was expiring we were not notified **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It’s solving the gap between traditional learning and hands on labs. And I learnt a lot while doing the challenges **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your feedback, Spandana! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the challenges. We appreciate your note about asset expiration notifications and will continue working to improve the experience. ### 27. Great platform for skill training **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 21, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I use SANS Cyberranges to practice and improve my skills. I think it's a great and memorable platform. Ranges.io works well as part of it, and I have never had any issues with it. The initial setup was very easy for me. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** - **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use SANS Cyber ranges to practice and improve my skills, and it offers a fun and memorable way to train **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! ### 28. Fun, Interactive, and Educational—Love It! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** melvin u. | Adjunct Lecturer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 16, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It’s fun, interactive and educationa. Love it! **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Nothing it’s great! There is nothing to dislike. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am big aware of anything at this moment. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear you're enjoying the experience. We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback, and we're glad Cyber Ranges has made such a positive impression. ### 29. Fun, Themed Cyber Ranges with a Nicely Set-Up System **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in E-Learning | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 26, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The cyber ranges were most of all fun! The theme played a big part of that role playing. The system was set up very nicely **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I was remote, but a mentor for new people might have been really awesome **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** No business problems for me, but learning and putting the knowledge learned from SANS 401 into use was really cool **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the theming and found the platform well designed. We appreciate your suggestion around mentorship and will continue exploring ways to better support learners. ### 30. A Realistic and Effective Cybersecurity Training Platform **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Real Estate | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 08, 2025 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** SANS Cyber Ranges provides an engaging, hands-on experience that mimics real-world cybersecurity situations. The platform is user-friendly and offers a variety of challenges that help develop both basic and advanced skills. I especially value the realistic threat simulations and the ability to monitor progress over time. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** While the content is excellent, the user interface can feel a bit outdated and sometimes slow. Navigation between modules isn't always smooth, and I’ve seen minor bugs during some exercises. A more modern UI and better transitions would improve the overall experience. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** SANS Cyber Ranges helps connect theoretical knowledge with hands-on practice. It has been vital in training our team for incident response and enhancing threat detection skills. The platform has increased confidence and skill levels throughout our security operations. **Official Response from Jason Hodgert:** > Thanks for the feedback! Quite happy that you found the experience and challenge realistic and fruitful. The UI/UX is something we are currently updating to improve the experience. If you would like to elaborate about specifics, feel free to reach out via DM. We'd love to learn more! ### 31. Highly Relevant to Today’s Threat Landscape **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Health, Wellness and Fitness | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 21, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** They are very relevant to current threat landscape **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The UI is not as tactile and sometime is slow. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Cyber range gives me better simulations for me to perform better in my current work and improve my skillset in DFIR specifically. I wish there was more Threat Intelligence and OSINT. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > We appreciate you sharing your experience! Knowing the simulations are supporting your day-to-day DFIR work is exactly what we aim for. Thank you as well for your feedback on the interface and your interest in additional Threat Intelligence and OSINT-focused content. ### 32. Easy Registration, but Wrong Flag Penalties Hurt Leaderboard Accuracy **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer & Network Security | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It was a nice platform with easy registration and cool way to see challenges. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** When you submit a wro g flag you lose accuracy which intact the leader board, not a good system. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** You learn more about cybersecurity, and it helps you understand the topic better. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We're happy to hear you found the platform easy to navigate and enjoyed the challenges. We also appreciate your feedback on the leaderboard scoring system and will definitely keep it in mind as we continue to refine the participant experience. ### 33. Challenging Topics That Deepened My Understanding **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Oil & Energy | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 26, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Some of the challenges covered topics I wasn’t very comfortable with, which ended up helping me understand those areas better. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The UI and the way hints are presented could be improved. I also ran into issues at times with how the labs were spawned. Without a proper support representative (like the ones available during on-demand courses), it becomes difficult. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Challenges are set across a variety of domains, which helps the whole team improve in whichever area they want to focus on. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We’re glad the challenges helped you build confidence in new areas. We appreciate your feedback and will continue working to improve usability and support. ### 34. Great Platform and Challenges That Keep You Engaged **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Facilities Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 21, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I really do like the platform and the challenges **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Changes in the time to complete, and the fact that being first isn't accountable **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps me to test my skills in challenging tasks **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for sharing your feedback! It's great to know you're enjoying the platform and that the challenges are helping you put your skills to the test. Thank you as well for your suggestions regarding completion times and leaderboard recognition. ### 35. Well-chosen, understandable scenarios – makes solving easy **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Telecommunications | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 23, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Scenarios are well chosen and understandable to solve. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** no negative things to complain about, everything is good **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps with further education, deepening of skills **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your kind review! We're delighted to hear the scenarios were clear, engaging, and helped support your continued skill development. We truly appreciate your feedback and are grateful you took the time to share your experience. ### 36. Always Learning Through Fun, Varied Challenges **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Financial Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I can always learn while playing variety of challenges. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Nothing really, it's always working as expected without issues. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's best way to learn new tools and techniques. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We're happy to hear you're enjoying the variety of challenges and continuing to learn new tools and techniques along the way. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. ### 37. Practical, Real-World Challenges That Truly Prepare You **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer & Network Security | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 07, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** They make practical challenges that portray real world scenarios and situations. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Not much to dislike. I do wish the challenges were categorized and broken down based on skill level but that would be hard to gauge everyone’s skill level. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** The ranges help take the courses and labs we learn to a more practical level which benefits the user with hands on experience. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Hello, Thank you for your thoughtful review! It’s great to know the Ranges are helping bridge the gap between course content and real-world application through practice. We appreciate your input on organizing by skill level and will consider this as we evolve the experience. ### 38. Great UI/UX, Easy to Use, and High Performance **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer & Network Security | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 13, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Great UI/UX design, easy to use and great performance **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** More guidance would be helpful for the new users **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am not sure **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your review! We’re glad you found the platform easy to use and enjoyed the overall performance. We appreciate your suggestion for additional guidance for new users and will continue looking for ways to make the experience even more approachable for first-time participants. ### 39. Bite-Sized Labs That Balance Challenge and Achievability **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer & Network Security | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 16, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I like the bite sized labs that build upon one another. They hit a good balance of challenge while still being achievable. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** There is not as much guidance as I'd have preferred for some of the labs. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Getting hands on experience with many different tools and techniques. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for taking time to share your review! We’re glad to hear you find the challenges engaging. We appreciate your note on lab guidance and will continue working to improve the learning experience. ### 40. Hands-On Cyber Practice in a Safe Environment **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Victor L. | Manager, Digital Solution Architect, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 09, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Like other Sans courses is the closer experience i have found to pratice cyber in a safe environment yet not theorical **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Its quite costly, may be way to incentive learning and effort wirh a stepped payment and not full amount upfront payment? **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Pratice, practice, pratice and learn in safe environment **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Hi Victor, Thank you for taking the time to share your review on Cyber Ranges! We value your feedback and will take it into consideration as we continue enhancing our offerings. ### 41. Comprehensive Cyber Range Platform with Impressive Evolution **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 08, 2025 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I really appreciate how the SANS Cyber Range has evolved since 2020. The platform offers a comprehensive experience, providing access to virtual machines and integrating CTF questions and answers directly into the scoreboard. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** One drawback is that the virtual machine used for range challenges can sometimes be slow, and the clipboard functionality is not always reliable. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** I appreciate the increased number of hands-on practical challenges, which have helped me further develop my skills after taking SANS courses, especially during the final day CTF challenges. Additionally, using this platform on Netwars has introduced me to new security challenges in an engaging and gamified way, making the learning experience both enjoyable and educational. **Official Response from Jason Hodgert:** > Thank you for the review! We are always looking to improve where necessary so we have sent your feedback to our product team. We're happy you had a good overall experience! ### 42. Wide Variety of Programs with Helpful, Research-Friendly Hints **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 10, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I was happy to see a wide variety of programs/languages at play to help create opportunities for different types of professionals. Even in areas where I had never performed, the instructions gave me just enough of a hint to research and come back to answer/perform. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** To have it as more of a learning opportunity, offering some kind of debrief video/walkthrough for afterwards. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It was nice to get out there and work competitively. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Hello, Thank you for your review of SANS Cyber Ranges! We are glad to hear that you found the variety of programs and hints helpful to your overall experience. We appreciate your feedback about the debrief video/walkthrough and wil take that into consideration for future improvements. ### 43. One of the better option for On-Demand Cyber Range platform **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consumer Electronics | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 07, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** On-demand cybersecurity skills assessment and of varying difficulty and challenges. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** There are more red team challenges compared to blue team topics like DFIR, Network Analysis, etc. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** On-demand, challenging cybersecurity range with adequate infrastructure. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Hello, thank you for your review on SANS Cyber Ranges! We appreciate your feedback about the balance of red and blue team topics. We will take this into considerations for future improvements. ### 44. Great trainings and certification user experience **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer & Network Security | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 31, 2023 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It has a comprehensive test bed for hands on practise **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** It is too pricey in terms of the quality of content **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is helping me in my daily job role. and it helped in my career development **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear Cyber Ranges is helping you build skills and advance your career. We appreciate your input on pricing and content quality and will continue working to enhance the overall value and experience. ### 45. You always bring something back **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Research | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 30, 2025 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** For every course I've taken, there has always been a great emphasis on practical application. I always get back to my job ready to try something new on a problem. The instructors are from industry, so they offer practical insight to the material you are learning. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** They seem expensive -- but you definitely get what you pay for. Because you have to have your own work platform for the classes, you may have to use your personal devices, as corporate computers are frequently too locked down to be used for these classes. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Keeping up to date on cybersecurity practices and tools. **Official Response from Jason Hodgert:** > That's what we like to hear! Glad you came away with new job-ready skills. Come back any time! ### 46. Authentic, Real-World Cyber Scenarios That Feel Immediately Applicable **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Defense & Space | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 07, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Authentic. Real world scenarios and applicable to real world applications **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Pricing. Would love if it was more reasonably priced for all experience level cyber professionals could participate **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** The business model is to make cyber professionals better and I do believe SANS is accomplishing this by providing world renowned instruction and training that is highly specialized and effective **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Hello, Thank you for your feedback! It’s great to hear that the scenarios and instruction are helping you grow as a cyber professional. We understand your perspective on pricing and appreciate you sharing it as we look for ways to make our offerings accessible to more learners. ### 47. Realistic, Practical Challenges That Make Learning Click **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consulting | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 07, 2026 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The challenges feel realistic and practical, which makes them great for learning. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The price is high, unless it’s bundled with a SANS training. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** It provides the necessary lab time and hands-on practice with the tools and techniques. **Official Response from Jennifer Cochran:** > Hello, Thank you for sharing your feedback! We’re pleased to know the challenges create a meaningful and engaging learning experience. ### 48. User-Friendly Cyber Ranges Make Learning Effortless **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer & Network Security | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 08, 2025 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** The Cyber Ranges are extremely user friendly and easy to navigate. The platform makes learning and testing your knowledge incredibly easy. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** I haven’t encountered anything that I dislike about the platform. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** Gamified learning in offensive security is one of the easiest, quickest, and most fun ways to upskill. **Official Response from Jason Hodgert:** > Thank you for the review! If you're happy, we're happy. Feel free to reach out if you have further comments! ### 49. Best training in the industry **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rebecca S. | Manager - Cyber Security Operations, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 23, 2025 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** SANS courses give you actionable training that you can put into play immediately as well as getting insight into what other industry professionals are doing at their own organizations. It truly is the best training available. **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Graduate certificates aren't available to ad-hoc attendees even if they take the same courses. **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** SANS keeps me up-to-date with tactics and techniques to continue refining a world-class SOC. ### 50. SEC522: Application Security: Securing Web Applications, APIs, and Microservices™ **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nathan P. | Senior Application Security Consultant, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 07, 2025 **What do you like best about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Organization of the event, the additional keynote and the quality of instructor **What do you dislike about SANS Cyber Ranges?** Everything is perfect for now, thank you! **What problems is SANS Cyber Ranges solving and how is that benefiting you?** They solve my problem to connect together every information of a large scope. Understand how a full data pipeline work together **Official Response from Ivy Oliver:** > Thank you, Nathan! We’re so glad you’re training with us in person this week. It’s great to hear you appreciated the event organization and enjoyed Dmitri Alperovitch’s keynote, World on the Brink: The Future of Cyber in War. Wishing you continued success as you put SEC522 into practice! - [View SANS Cyber Ranges pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/sans-institute-sans-cyber-ranges/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-07+14%3A06%3A21+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=7fd58b03-e108-47a5-930e-c6127e0aaa92&secure%5Btoken%5D=4f4ef47ac87c400f15fe1255ff886376a8d35256433e3986b363ef069ac64c8b&format=llm_user) ## SANS Cyber Ranges Features **Additional Functionality** - Search/Filter - Risk Management - Generative AI - Alerts/Notifications - Compliance Management - Third-Party Integrations - Certificate Assessment - API - Incident Management - Automated Containment - Real-Time Data - Vulnerability Scanning - Monitoring - Policy Management - Asset Discovery - Penetration Testing - Runtime Container Security - Activity Dashboard - Security Auditing - Issue Tracking - Threat Intelligence - Patch Management - Endpoint Management - Collaboration Tools - Vulnerability Management - Goal Setting/Tracking - Vulnerability Assessment - Asset Tagging - Assessment Management - Access Controls/Permissions - AI Copilot - Vulnerability/Threat Prioritization - Vulnerability Protection - Risk Assessment - Reporting/Analytics - SQL Injections **Functionality** - Skill Gap Analysis - Skill Assessment - Projects - Comprehension Checks - Course Recommendation Engine - Learning Paths - Channels **Extensibility** - Customization - White-Labeling - Content Library **Platform Reporting and Analytics - Cybersecurity Professional Development** - Baselining - Advanced Analytics - Cybersecurity Reporting - Reports **Content** - Interactive Content - Video Content **Analysis** - Reporting - Baselining - Real-Time Code Analysis **Platform Functionality - Cybersecurity Professional Development** - Learning Paths - Gamification - Dashboard Customization **Platform Reporting and Analytics** - Advanced Analytics - SSO - API Access **Assessment** - Integrated Learning - Gamification - Continuous Assesment - Developer Assesment **Platform Accessibilty - Cybersecurity Professional Development** - Administration - Communication - Integration **Generative AI** - AI Text Generation **Agentic AI - Technical Skills Development** - Adaptive Learning ## Top SANS Cyber Ranges Alternatives - [INE](https://www.g2.com/products/ine/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (401 reviews) - [ACI Learning [ITPro]](https://www.g2.com/products/aci-learning-itpro/reviews) - 4.7/5.0 (384 reviews) - [CodeSignal](https://www.g2.com/products/codesignal/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (1,353 reviews)