Network Development Group

What NDG is

Network Development Group (NDG) makes hands-on IT training built around live lab environments. Its homepage headline is "Hands-on labs that build real skills", and its courses cover Linux, cybersecurity, networking, digital forensics and virtualization. NDG serves two kinds of buyer: individual learners preparing for IT certifications, and schools, colleges, corporate training teams and government agencies that run those courses for their students or staff. The site gives its scale as "1,000+ Organizations served", "15M+ Learners since 1999" and "25+ Years building labs".

There are two products. NDG Online is the hosted one: courses run "in your browser through NDG Online, with live lab environments. Nothing to install." NETLAB+ is the on-premises one, described as "real equipment, shared pods, full control, licensed per appliance instead of per learner", and "Built for organizations that host their own training." This entry focuses on NDG Online, where most learners will start, with NETLAB+ as the option for institutions that want the labs in their own data center.

How the labs work

An NDG course is a set of labs rather than a set of videos. Each catalog card lists the number of labs and the hours of practice, a level (Foundational, Intermediate or Advanced) and a price, and some carry a "Cert" tag where the course is aligned to a certification. The labs run in the browser against real systems. The cybersecurity FAQ says "Lab environments include industry-standard tools and virtual network equipment. You work with real firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and security operations tools in safe, isolated lab environments."

Prerequisites depend on level. The FAQ says "Foundational courses require no prior experience, while intermediate and advanced courses may recommend networking or Linux fundamentals", and points learners to each course page for specifics.

The cybersecurity catalog

The cybersecurity page lists 14 courses, organized around career pathways for "security analyst, SOC operator, and penetration tester roles aligned to CompTIA Security+, CySA+, and Cisco CyberOps certifications." The courses, with labs, hours and listed price:

• Digital Forensics (Foundational): "evidence handling across mobile, video, IoT, and location data, the legal frameworks that govern it, and how it holds up in court", with no technical background required. 18 labs, 24 hours, listed as free, with a banner offering it free to claim through September 30.
• Intro to Critical Infrastructure (Intermediate): PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, the Modbus protocol and OT security. 14 labs, 20 hours, listed as educator-led.
• NDG CySA+ (Intermediate): behavioral analytics, threat detection, vulnerability management and incident response, aligned with the CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-003) exam objectives. 21 labs, 25 hours, $50.
• NDG Ethical Hacking v2 (Intermediate): reconnaissance, vulnerability analysis, exploitation and post-exploitation. 26 labs, 20 hours, $50.
• NDG Forensics v2 (Intermediate): evidence collection, file system analysis and incident documentation. 21 labs, 20 hours, $50.
• NDG Security+ v4 (Intermediate): threat mitigation, access control, cryptography and risk management, aligned with the CompTIA Security+ exam objectives. 25 labs, 25 hours. The card lists it at $60.
• Cisco CyberOps Associate (Advanced): monitoring, detecting and responding to threats. 36 labs, 70 hours, from $11.95.
• Cloud Security Automation (Intermediate): Kubernetes, DevSecOps, vulnerability management and the MITRE ATT&CK framework through Palo Alto Networks labs. 7 labs, 10 hours, $40.
• Cloud Security Fundamentals, Cybersecurity Foundation and Network Security Fundamentals (Foundational): each aligned with the Palo Alto Networks PCCET certification, each 10 hours and $10.
• Fundamental Training Bundle (Foundational): a four-course bundle covering cybersecurity, cloud security, network security and security operations, 30 labs and 40 hours for $30.
• PAN11 Firewall Essentials (Intermediate): configuring, managing and monitoring Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls, aligned with the PCNSA certification. 14 labs, 15 hours, from $50.
• Security Operations Fundamentals (Foundational): SOC frameworks, monitoring processes and the people, processes and technology behind security operations. 8 labs, 10 hours, $10.

The levels give a natural order through the list. A beginner can start with the $10 foundational courses or the $30 bundle, move on to intermediate labs such as Ethical Hacking, Forensics or CySA+, and finish with Cisco CyberOps Associate, at 70 hours the longest course on the page. Digital Forensics is the one course that asks for no technical background at all, and its focus on how evidence holds up in court makes it relevant to students of law and investigation as well as IT.

Beyond cybersecurity

The homepage FAQ says NDG courses "align with certifications from Cisco (CCNA), CompTIA (Security+), Red Hat (RHCSA), Palo Alto Networks, and LPI", which places the Linux and networking catalogs alongside the security one. On the virtualization side, the homepage features Proxmox VE 9: Setup and Management, a Foundational course on installing Proxmox, deploying virtual machines and containers, and managing storage and backups, with 16 labs over 15 hours from $75. The course menu groups everything into Linux, Cybersecurity, Networking and Virtualization.

Pricing and how to buy

For individuals, each course is priced on its catalog card, from the free Digital Forensics course through $10 foundational courses to $50 intermediate labs and $75 for Proxmox. The FAQ explains the model: "Course access is per-learner for a set access period." The cybersecurity FAQ adds that some introductory courses cost nothing and that course pages show "current pricing and academic discount availability".

For instructors and training teams, the homepage says "Free evaluation access for verified educators, per-learner pricing for schools, teams, and training programs. Works with your LMS." Classes and teams "can purchase in bulk through price quotes and purchase orders." Institutions that would rather own the hardware buy NETLAB+, licensed per appliance, with its own pages for supported content, requirements, pricing, ordering and instructor evaluation.

Support

NDG runs separate help channels for its two products: an NDG Online Support Center, NETLAB+ technical support and NETLAB+ documentation, plus a contact page. A newsletter covers new courses and platform updates.

Who it suits

NDG suits learners who prepare for certifications by doing rather than watching: someone heading for Security+, CySA+, CyberOps, PCCET or PCNSA who wants real tools in a safe environment, and who likes knowing up front how many labs and hours a course holds. The low prices on foundational courses and the free forensics course make it cheap to try. It is a strong fit for instructors at colleges and training centers, who can evaluate courses free, buy per learner through purchase orders and connect the labs to their LMS, or host everything on NETLAB+. It suits less well someone who wants a video-led course or a broad programming catalog, since NDG's courses are lab practice for IT infrastructure and security rather than software development tutorials.