Fortinet Certified Fundamentals Cybersecurity

	As of July 15, 2026, the Fortinet NSE Certification program will change from five to eight certification levels. For details about the new program and certification requirements, visit https://www.fortinet.com/nse-training-update.

Description

The FCF in Cybersecurity certification validates that you have mastered the technical knowledge and skills that are required for any entry-level job role in cybersecurity. This curriculum will offer courses that cover today’s threat landscape and the fundamentals of cybersecurity.

Who Should Attempt the FCF Certification?

We recommend this certification to entry-level cybersecurity professionals and everybody that would like to pursue a career in cybersecurity. We also recommend this certification for professionals that need to have a high-level understanding of the most common cybersecurity concepts.

Getting Started in Cybersecurity: Fortinet recommends this elective to professionals in sales and non-technical roles.
Technical Introduction to Cybersecurity: Fortinet recommends this elective to professionals in technical roles and to anybody that wants to pursue other Fortinet certifications.

Program Requirements

To achieve this certification, you are required to pass the Introduction to the Threat Landscape and either Getting Started in Cybersecurity OR Technical Introduction to Cybersecurity online exams presented at the end of the course.

NSE 1 Exam	Introduction to the Threat Landscape
NSE 1 or NSE 2 Exam	Getting Started in Cybersecurity Technical Introduction to Cybersecurity

To prepare for the certification exams, we recommend that you take the associated NSE courses.

Digital Badges

You will receive digital badges under the following circumstances:

Exam badge: Each time you pass any version of the exam included in FCF - Cybersecurity.
Certification badge: Once you achieve the requirements for the FCF - Cybersecurity.

For more information, see the following knowledge base article in the Fortinet Training Institute Helpdesk.

Get Started

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Certification

To obtain the FCF certification, you must complete the Introduction to the Threat Landscape course and either Getting Started in Cybersecurity OR Technical Introduction to Cybersecurity course within two years. The certification will be active for two years.

Recertification

If your FCF certification has expired, you must complete the Introduction to the Threat Landscape course and either the Getting Started in Cybersecurity (NSE 1) or the Technical Introduction to Cybersecurity (NSE 2) course within two years to earn active status.
If your FCF certification is still active, you can extend its expiration date to two years from the date you complete one of the following requirements:

Complete the Introduction to the Threat Landscape course and either the NSE 1 or the NSE 2 course within two years.
Completing the FortiGate Operator course and passing the NSE 3 exam.
Passing the NSE 4 or any NSE 5 exam.
Passing any NSE 6 or NSE 7 exam.

If your FCF certification is still active, you can extend its expiration date to three years from the date you achieve or renew the FCX in Cybersecurity certification.