With the advent of modern technology comes newer, dangerous threats that many of us are utterly unprepared for. The newer the technology, the less protected it is solely for the fact that there are certain attacks that we just can't predict. To address this dire need of protection, over the last couple of decades we've seen the rise of cyber security; a new form of defense against dastardly hackers and cyber terrorists that frequently target individuals, organizations, governments and even large-scale MNCs (multi-national corporations). Cyber security professionals now are often the front line of mass scale cyber attacks and work on a daily to find strains of malware and patching up potential security breaches.
Sounds like being a cyber security professional is mighty important these days, doesn't it? Well lucky for you, we're going to be highlighting some of the very best laptops for cyber security, not only for the everyday cyber security professionals, but also for those keen on getting into the ever expanding industry as cyber security students.
But before that, let's take a minute to go over 'why' you're going to need the best laptops for cyber security in the first place.
Why You Need the Best Laptops for Cyber Security
As you can tell from what we've highlighted so far regarding the scope of being a cyber security professional and its importance, it's only natural that these professionals come well equipped to handle everything that comes their way.
Companies these days pay quite a bit for cyber analysts and security professionals and you can bet they're equipped with the best of the best in tech to speedily solve any potential breach in security. This is even more so for cyber security students who are just familiarizing themselves with these kinds of programs and monitoring systems to protect important data and your client's privacy.
Cyber security courses aren't perfected just yet, and as such cyber security students may find different courses and classes depending on their university of choice. But for the most part, cyber security students will learn things like programming languages, data analysis, cyber defense, legal and ethical policies and much more. You can also specialize in various course like forensics, cryptography, etc. Doing all these kinds of tasks on a computer can be pretty taxing in the long run.
You definitely don't want to be one of those cyber security professionals who fumble during a cyber attack only because your laptop couldn't keep up. Plus it'll be helpful to mitigate any untoward experiences on the best laptop for cyber security by making things like lag, crashes, freezing, etc. a thing of the past.
Also, how would it look if you showed up to a job as part of a team of cyber security professionals with a run down, ancient laptop that takes a good ten minutes to start up? Not very attractive I'd say.
What Kind of Laptops Do Hackers Use?
Something that might surprise a lot of people who aren't too privy to the inner workings of cyber crime and hacking is that more often than not, hackers and cyber security professionals are using the same tools and programs. What this means is that most hackers are inherently cyber security professionals and vice versa. It's just a matter of your allegiances in the broad spectrum of 'good vs. bad'.
But even with 'hacking' and hackers, not all are created equally as some partake in something called 'ethical hacking'. These ethical hacking tools are actually one of the same for both hackers and cyber security professionals to help find potential threats and holes in your security.
Which means that the 'best' laptops for hacking will more or less be similar to those for cyber security students and professionals.
Hackers will undoubtedly be looking for laptops that will greatly enhance their laptop performance with high-powered specs in mainly the processor, RAM and storage capacities. The graphics card is of lesser concern for both hackers and cyber security students so it's probably best to focus on these three core components.
Other than that though, you can expect a lot of neon colors from flashy gaming laptops contrasted by a dark room, a backlit keyboard, a high-resolution screen, and plentiful of connectivity options like an HDMI port, USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB 3.0 ports, USB 2.0 port, etc.
Now that we've got that in mind, let's take a look at some of the specs, features and things to look for in the best laptop for cyber security.
Recommend System Specs
Operating System
The first thing we're going to go over in our search for the best laptops for cyber security students and professionals will be the operating system the laptop comes packed with out the box. This is the very first consideration you'll have to make as it determines your overall experience. Working in cyber security however, you may have to dual-boot some version of Linux though and for the most part, regardless of operating system you'll be able to do so with Windows 10 or the latest macOS versions. The only other differentiator you'll have to be wary of is the affordability and overall selection of the best laptops for cyber security available.
For most users, I'd highly recommend finding a laptop running the Windows 10 Home 64-bit operating system. The Windows 10 Home 64-bit operating system is one of the most widely available in the market and honestly, you're spoiled for choice with this one. Apple's macOS laptops are great machines, don't get me wrong, but in terms of 'value' and 'selection', you're limited to Apple's high prices and limited options. Where as with the Windows 10 operating system, you're basically spoiled for choice of different laptops in various budgets, genres, features, and designs.
It's just easier to find something that fits to your needs and preferences with Windows 10 rather than going after one of Apple's prepackaged products.
Display
The next spec we're going to talk about is another very important feature that will be one of the first things you'll notice about any laptop you're looking to purchase; the display. The display is a very integral spec to all users for the simple reason that it's one of the most used pieces of hardware on your laptop. It goes without saying that one of the best laptop for cyber security should come with a great screen capable of displaying crisp, detailed, and vibrant images and videos. Even if you're looking at a text editor all day, over time you'll come to appreciate how stunning your display is regardless of the work you're doing on it.
As such, we're going to recommend the best laptops for cyber security students have a base resolution of Full HD at 1920 x 1080. In terms of both availability and quality, a Full HD display is one of the best with almost every laptop around in the mid-range to high-end laptop market opting for FHD or better. This is a solid resolution where in almost everything you do on the laptop will look good.
Other than the display resolution, you're going to want to look out for the screen size your best laptop for cyber security comes with. This is mainly up to your own preferences and what you're looking for out of a laptop. You could opt for a bigger screen size like a 15.6-inch or 17-inch laptop display for the extra screen real estate or maybe a smaller screen size like a 13.3-inch or 14-inch display for a more compact, portable experience. The screen size is really up to you and isn't really going to affect how the best laptop for cyber security performs.
Processor
To properly gauge the performance potential of the best laptops for cyber security, the first spec we're going to have to check is the processor. The processor is arguably the most important spec of any laptop as it determines how smoothly, and how efficiently your laptop performs.
The best laptops have one thing in common; they all come equipped with the latest and greatest processors. As such, we're going to recommend users find at least a quad-core processor, preferably an Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 for the best laptops for cyber security. You'll also want to look for a processor that was released somewhat recently which equates to the 7th - 8th Generation Intel Core processor lineup.
Some examples of processors to look for include the 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H, 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H, etc. You could even opt for even better than a quad-core processor like a 6-core processor or better. This will make things even smoother in the long run without running into the dreaded loading cursor.
Another possible feature to look for in the processor is going to be Turbo Boost technology which is supported on either the Intel Core i5 processor lineup or Intel Core i7 processor lineup. Intel's Turbo Boost technology will automatically run the processor core faster than the stated frequency. Which means that this Turbo Boost technology is increasing your performance while keeping in mind with the temperature, power, and spec limits of your laptop's thermal design power to increase performance.
The beauty of this Turbo Boost technology is you don't even need to install anything. If you've got it, you got it. Having an extra boost with something like the Turbo Boost options from Intel will be a game changer when you're working with many programs simultaneously, running VMs and hacking software.
RAM/ Storage
While the processor is important to determine performance on the best laptops for cyber security, a processor by itself can't really do all that much. As such, you're going to want to make sure your laptop comes equipped with equally powered supporting specs.
Firstly, for your RAM you're going to want to pack in as much as possible but for a modest, affordable option we're recommending a base RAM spec of 8GB. But in all honesty, you're probably much better off with a little more RAM like a 16GB DDR4 or even 32GB RAM capacity. When you're looking for the best laptop for cyber security work, you'll soon find out that when juggling between multiple VMs and operating systems that RAM is one of your biggest bottlenecks.
Even if it may not seem like a necessity right now, over time as you're using your laptop for cyber security you'll notice significant slowdowns in performance, multi-tasking and loading. One of the best cases is finding a 16GB DDR4 RAM variant as this is still fairly affordable without breaking the bank completely. You'll thank yourself in the long run for that extra RAM capacity, so if you can afford it, do it.
Storage
For the storage capacity it's a little more flexible in terms of what to look for. As a base specification, you really should look into finding at least a 256GB solid state drive as your hard drive storage space. This is because a 256GB solid state drive storage space is the best in terms of both affordability and sufficient space. But again, similar to the RAM capacity, if you've got the cash I would highly recommend upgrading your hard drive storage capacity to options like a 512GB SSD, 1TB SSD or even a 1TB hard drive if all you wanted was that extra storage space.
Otherwise, stick to an SSD as well as above the 256GB SSD base recommendation. Keep in mind if you were going to be using Linux and other operating systems with a virtual machine, your storage will be partitioned to a certain OS. This means you won't be able to access that storage space anymore, so if you were planning on doing that it really isn't a bad idea to have a little more storage in your hard drive slot.
The Extras
Graphics Card
While you're going to have to pay close attention to most of the specs we've listed so far, the graphics card is not going to be one of them. Luckily for you, the omission of a powerful dedicated GPU should make it easier to find the best laptops for cyber security students without spending all too much money on a spec you're not going to use. Instead, you can use the cash to upgrade the rest of the specs with extra storage, a faster processor or more RAM capacity. For cyber security you could quite easily pass off an integrated graphics card that comes packed in on your laptop's CPU. Some examples of integrated graphics card include Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Iris Plus Graphics, Intel HD, etc.
But if you knew for a fact you're going to need some proper graphical performance, then consider spending a little extra in this department. If you were into playing video games, editing videos and images, using CAD software (for some reason), or graphic design software, you're going to need a pretty powerful GPU to run these programs smoothly. If that were the case, I'd recommend you find the best laptop for cyber security with a dedicated graphics card. Some of these GPUS include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, etc.
Battery Life
Now, I understand this isn't a make or break feature to your laptop's performance but it is actually integral to the overall experience of almost any laptop you use. Yep, now we're going to be talking about the battery life your laptop comes with and why it's important to look for this specific feature. This is especially important for professionals or students on the move because your battery life literally determines your daily experience.
A long lasting battery life will more than likely make things much easier to use, not stuck to your workstation to charge the battery all day, easier to bring around for day-to-day use without carrying a bulky charger, and that added assurance your laptop won't randomly turn off is an important quality of life feature.
Imagine you were in the middle of a cyber attack or even presenting in class or maybe in the middle of a super intense fight scene on Netflix, and then your laptop just turns off. All because its battery didn't last long enough. A pretty simple issue to fix so keep a look out for the battery life these laptops will come with. Anything over 7-8 hours should be capable of handling your day-to-day usage patterns.
Enhanced Protection
While you may be asking yourself, "what kind of protection are we talking about here?" Well think about it right, you're working or going to enter an industry built around protecting valuable, precious data but your own personal laptop wasn't as secure as it could be. Does that make much sense? No right? Well that's why we're recommending you find a laptop with some great additional protective measures to round out the overall package.
This could include things like a fingerprint reader, webcam kill switch, enhanced build-quality to protect against rough handling or dropping, a mute toggle, etc. All these features will not only help protect your laptop but also your precious data from being accessed by someone who definitely shouldn't be. Plus, a fingerprint reader is a great addition to any laptop as it allows for quick and easy access only to your fingerprint.
And now that we've finally gone everything we need to know, let's get straight into the list to find the best laptops for cyber security!
Best Laptops For Cyber Security
1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
The 1st laptop we'll be featuring in our list is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a quintessential 'professional' business laptop with a fantastic array of features and specs. Lenovo's ThinkPad brand has long been regarded as the machine of choice for many working professionals, so I don't see why this should be any different for professionals in the cyber security industry. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon employs a familiar boxy, single toned black look in an industrial build and features a 14-inch screen size with a FHD resolution, anti-glare technology and up to 400 nits of brightness.
On the internals we start to get a better picture as to what the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is really capable of. Powering the laptop's performance is an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM and a decently sized 512GB SSD storage space. Nothing too special in terms of overall wow-factor, but still mighty dependable for everything you would need as a cyber security analyst. The processor is the Intel Core i7-8665U which has a quad-core setup with a maximum clock speed of 4.80GHz which should be plenty for even the most intensive tasks and programs.
The laptop has even more tricks up its sleeve to entice potential buyers including a fingerprint reader, Windows 10 Pro, connectivity options like 2x USB 3.1 Gen-2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.1 Gen-1, HDMI port, ethernet port, backlit keyboard and up to 18.3 hours of battery life.
2. ASUS ROG Strix Scar Edition
Next up we've got a stellar, power-hungry beast of a laptop, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar Edition which towers amongst the rest with basically ever spec being supersized in this one. You'll get what I mean as we go through the specs on this laptop. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar Edition comes with a particularly familiar layout and design we're accustomed to seeing from the gaming laptop genre; a lot of bright colors contrasted by the metal black chassis and Kevlar pattern palm rest.
On the display the laptop comes towering in at a lofty 17.3-inches and a FHD resolution with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate which I'm sure many of you will come to appreciate in the long run. This is definitely the best option for those of you who may want a laptop to be stationary at your workstation with assured performance to give you some peace of mind.
Performance and storage wise you'll notice the ASUS ROG Strix Scar Edition still has plenty to offer. The laptop comes equipped with an 8th Gen intel core i7-8750H processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM capacity as well as some great storage options including a 128GB SSD + a 1TB hybrid hard drive. This is a great combination for your storage options as it gives you a great start up time with the 128GB SSD and also plentiful storage on the 1TB HDD which they say is 5x faster than a traditional hard drive. Since this is a gaming laptop, you also get a capable graphics card, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti to get some light gaming and design work done when you need it.
The laptop has even more features that make it standout including the ASUS Aura Sync RGB backlit keyboard, Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi, Windows 10 Home, connectivity options including USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.0 ports, HDMI port, SD card reader, and up to 7 hours of battery life.
3. Apple MacBook Pro
Of course, what would a list looking for the best laptop for cyber security be without the latest and greatest offerings from Apple, the MacBook Pro. This is the latest entry to the MacBook Pro lineup and comes with plenty of features to love including the patented minimalist design aesthetic in their Space Grey color variant. One thing I will give to Apple's laptop lineup is these are some of the best designed laptops around with such a striking, recognizable look. The laptop also features a 13.3-inch screen size Retina display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and a bunch of on-board display tech. Some of these features include up to 500 nits of brightness, True Tone technology, and a P3 wide color gamut.
The MacBook Pro laptop has more to offer than a pretty package with some dependable performance. The laptop comes with Apple's latest attempt at a processor, the Apple M1 Chip, 8GB and a 512GB SSD storage capacity. The only thing I'd point out is the lesser RAM capacity but it should pose too much of an issue in the long run thanks to the reliable processor. Considering the M1 Chip on this laptop is an 8-core CPU which they claim is 2.8x CPU performance from any other processor they've had on a laptop thus far. Even so, you're paying quite the premium compared to some super powered Windows 10 laptops.
But since this is an Apple laptop you can expect some pretty great extra features to compliment the overall user experience. Some of these include the Touch ID fingerprint reader, Touch Bar, Magic backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 6 support, connectivity options including 2x USB 4 Type-C ports for DisplayPort, charging and data transfers and a long battery life of up to 20 hours.
4. MSI GL62M-7REX
The next one we'll be featuring in the list is going to be another powerhouse gaming laptop with an impressive overall lineup for the money. This laptop is the MSI GL62M-7REX and while some of the features on this laptop will be a little outdated, the overall package is still impressive. With the MSI GL62M-7REX you get the standard gaming laptop aesthetics with the black trim and what MSI claims to be a thin and light chassis. For a gaming laptop, it's a welcome change from the bulkier, heavier laptop form factors. But starting off with the laptop specs, the first feature you'll notice is the 15.6-inch FHD display with an NTSC panel for a wider color range.
In terms of performance, the gaming laptop comes with a slightly outdated processor; the 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7700HQ with a max clock speed of 3.8GHz. Even though it's older and slower than some of the newer Core i7 lineup, it's still a solid processor for the money. Considering the supporting specs you get with this laptop including the 8GB RAM capacity plus a 128GB SSD +1TB HDD storage options you should be very satisfied with the performance. This is plentiful of storage, a similar setup to the previous gaming laptop we've featured on the list. Since this is a gaming laptop, we're met with a dedicated GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti with 4GB GDDR5 VRAM.
The gaming laptop has some more great extras for the money including a Steel Series red backlit keyboard, Nahimic 2 surround sound system, Cooler Boost 4 cooling technology, SD card reader, USB 3.0, Type-C, HDMI ports, and up to 6 hours of battery life.
5. Acer Aspire 5
The last laptop we'll be featuring on the list is going to be regarded as the value champion on this list, and comes from none other than Acer; the Acer Aspire 5. This laptop comes with so much value especially considering the overall package and specs contrasted by the low price tag. Even with everything the Acer Aspire 5 has to offer, it ranges itself at almost half the price as some of the other laptops on the list which honestly, speaks volumes. You don't have to spend a fortune for a stunning laptop. The Acer Aspire 5 feature a pretty standard laptop design with the silver and black color scheme. Nothing too fancy but still a looker with what looks to be a solid build quality. Onto the display, the laptop comes with a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with slim bezels on both sides of the display frame.
In regards to performance, the laptop comes packed with some powerful specs including a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7, 8GB RAM and a modest 512GB SSD storage options. For its graphical performance, the laptop employs an integrated graphics card, the Intel Iris Plus Graphics which isn't much but should still be capable of some light design work, image and video editing, and gaming thanks to the powerful core specs. You can expect up to 3.9GHz clock speed out of the 10th Gen Core i7 processor, which is plentiful to get you through the day even with heavy usage patterns.
A great look and dependable performance isn't the only thing this laptop has to offer users as it has some enticing extras including: a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, Wi-Fi 6 support, Acer TrueHarmony audio, HD webcam, and up to 8 hours battery life. You are missing on some extra features due to the lower price tag like a card reader, better speakers, etc. But even so, there's still a lot to love with what you're getting here.
Conclusion
And that's pretty much it folks'. We've explored a whole bunch of laptops in various price ranges, with different feature sets and focuses but they all have one thing in common: they're going to be a dependable companion in your cyber security journey be it as a professional or as a student currently. We've gone over all of the best laptops for cyber security, so let's now pick one as the ultimate, best laptop for all your cyber defense needs.
The gold medal goes to the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon!
If the overall popularity of the ThinkPad brand amongst working professionals isn't enough to convince you of Lenovo's dominance in the field, then there's not much else I can say. There's a reason laptops like this are the tool of choice for many across various industries, and it's all thanks to its dependable performance, top-notch build quality and industrial design, amazing battery life and no nonsense approach to their laptop's potential. While these laptops are on the pricier side, it's money well spent if you wanted a reliable laptop that'll actually last.
