Infosec Institute sells more than boot camps. Infosec Skills is its on-demand training library and practice exam platform, and Infosec IQ is its security awareness and phishing training product. User reviews of both are mixed, and Cengage’s own reports show IQ customers leaving faster than before.
Cengage’s annual report says Infosec’s products compete with very different rivals: Infosec IQ “competes with KnowBe4 as well as security providers with awareness products like Proofpoint, Cofense and Mimecast,” while Infosec Skills competes in what Cengage calls “a competitive but non-dominated space.” Here’s what users and the company’s own numbers say about each.
What do users say about Infosec Skills practice tests?
The practice exams draw the most criticism.
- CEH, 2021: “I took a very long practice test on there earlier today, and found probably eight objectively wrong answers (basic definition questions)”. The same user added: “Most of the Infosec Institute ones provide no explanation on why the answers were correct or incorrect.” (u/patrick2099 on r/CEH)
- CySA+, 2021: “I also did an infosec skills practice test but it seemed like that was still on the CS0-001 version.” CS0-002 was the current exam at the time. (u/solo_theking on r/CompTIA)
- CySA+, 2021: “The pre-test is poorly written and some of the answers expect too much interpretation” (u/TangoDown757 on r/CySA_Plus_Exam_Prep)
- PMP, 2026: “I looked into a couple of their practice exams for PMP, and they are total garbage.” (u/-ThesuarusRex- on r/pmp)
Usability came up too. In 2021 a CEH candidate wrote: “I am unable to use it properly due to the complex interface.” (u/Swimmingtides on r/CEH)
Business buyers rate Skills much more kindly. On G2, Infosec Skills showed 4.6 out of 5 across 745 reviews as of October 2026. Those are mostly organizations rating the platform, not individuals rating a boot camp, but it’s a real counterweight and worth knowing.
Is Infosec Skills the same as the boot camp?
One student who did both says the content overlaps heavily. In 2023 they wrote: “I did their CISSP bootcamp in 2021 and compared to their skills site, it was identical for $299(other than the printed material and exam pass guarantee).” (u/joedacris on r/cybersecurity) If that matches your course, it’s worth asking what the boot camp price adds beyond the live instructor and the guarantee.
What do people say about Infosec IQ security awareness training?
Reviews are split. A 2020 PissedConsumer reviewer who was required to take Infosec’s awareness training called it “difficult to sit through,” citing “Dated cheesy graphics, poor sound quality, sexist language and graphics” (PissedConsumer; I covered that review here). On the other side, a managed service provider on Reddit in 2019 wrote that “Security IQ from Infosec Institute is fantastic and cheaper than KB4,” meaning KnowBe4. (u/nvisionit on r/msp)
What do Cengage’s own reports say about Infosec IQ and Skills?
Here the numbers point one way for IQ and another for Skills. Cengage’s quarterly report for the nine months ended December 31, 2025 says “Lower renewal rates for our IQ software products also contributed to increased customer churn and reduced recurring revenue, partially offset by higher renewal rates for our Skills software products.” For the full year, the annual report attributes “$1.0 million of decline related to higher customer churn in our IQ software products” to Infosec’s falling revenue.
So by Cengage’s own account, more organizations are dropping Infosec IQ, while Skills renewals improved. That’s a fair point in Skills’ favor, and I’d rather tell you than leave it out. It doesn’t fix wrong answers in a practice test, though. If you use Skills for exam prep, cross-check its questions against a second source.
Frequently asked questions
What is Infosec Skills?
Infosec Skills is Infosec Institute’s on-demand training and practice exam platform. Cengage’s annual report lists it as one of Infosec’s three product lines, alongside Infosec Bootcamps and Infosec IQ.
Are Infosec Skills practice tests accurate?
Some users report problems: a 2021 CEH candidate said they found about eight objectively wrong answers in one long practice test, and a 2021 CySA+ candidate said a practice test seemed to cover the previous exam version.
What is Infosec IQ?
Infosec IQ is Infosec Institute’s security awareness and phishing simulation product. Cengage says it competes with KnowBe4, Proofpoint, Cofense and Mimecast.
Are customers leaving Infosec IQ?
Cengage’s reports say lower renewal rates for IQ products increased customer churn and reduced recurring revenue in fiscal 2026, while Skills renewal rates rose.
Sources
- Cengage, Inc., Annual Report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026: cengage.widen.net
- Cengage, Inc., quarterly report for the nine months ended December 31, 2025: cengage.widen.net
- G2, Infosec Skills reviews, as indexed October 2026: g2.com
- PissedConsumer review, May 7, 2020: pissedconsumer.com
- Reddit comments linked inline above, quoted exactly as posted.
Part of my full Infosec Institute review roundup: every complaint, the pass-rate claims, and better ways to prepare for the CISSP, all in one place.
