Hands-On Virtual IT Labs for MSP Techs
Skillsoft virtual IT labs for MSP technicians, from CompTIA to CCNA and Azure. Included with every Empath Learn seat; premium in Grow. The download lists the full course library.
40+
Hands-On Labs
Browser
Practice Environment
Guided
Task-Based Exercises
Sandbox
Room to Explore
Start Here: Start Skillsoft Labs by Technical Role
Choose the technical task your MSP tech handles first; Grow clients with technical teams can use these Curated Collection labs too. Listed lab lengths vary.
- CompTIA Start with support, network or security tasks tied to the tech's current tickets.
- Cisco Networking Practice switch, router and IP-addressing work before changing a client network.
- Azure and AWS Cloud Explore cloud configuration in a practice environment before client changes.
After the first lab, use the full course list to choose a related networking, cloud or security course.
How Do Virtual IT Labs Work?
A lab gives your tech a place to do the task: configure a network, investigate a security issue or write code. Skillsoft publishes the labs in the Curated Collection. The browser-based practice environment lets technicians work through exercises before they use those skills on client systems. Some labs ask you to use your own environment, and Challenge Labs cannot be paused.
- Choose the skill you need to practice. Use a guided lab for a specific task, a sandbox to explore or a longer certification-aligned lab for a wider set of exercises.
- Read the requirements and listed length. Some labs may ask you to use your own environment; each lab's page says what it needs.
- Open the lab environment and work through the tasks. Sandbox titles include software environments you can use without installing the software on your own device.
- Set aside enough time for a whole Challenge Lab before starting. Challenge Labs cannot be paused once started, saved or resumed after you leave.
A guided task can fit a short practice session. A sandbox gives a developer room to try code or a cloud engineer room to explore.
Hands-On Labs by Technical Category
Explore 40+ Skillsoft labs across these technical areas. Start with the skill your technician needs to practice. Some categories overlap: Linux and security skills also appear in CompTIA practice. Certification names describe skills coverage, not an award for completing a lab.
| Category | What Techs Practice |
|---|---|
| CompTIA | IT support, network, server, Linux, cloud and security tasks. Certs: CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+, Cloud+, Server+ |
| Cisco Networking | Configure switches and routers; work with IP addresses. Certs: CCNA |
| Azure and AWS Cloud | Explore cloud environments, secure EC2 access and review cloud security advice. |
| Cybersecurity | Find network weaknesses, test access controls and handle incidents. Certs: CompTIA Security+ |
| Linux | Use commands, adjust firewalls and fix permissions and configuration files. Certs: CompTIA Linux+ |
| Programming | Write Python and C# code; explore Node.js, APIs and web development. |
| AI and Data Science | Try anomaly detection, classification, visualization and language models. |
| Databases | Use MySQL and MongoDB; create Azure Cosmos databases and storage. |
These labs sit within a Curated Collection of 14,000+ courses, including technical training, leadership and business skills. The download covers the full course library. Get the Full Course List.
Can These Labs Support Certification Practice?
Yes. The Collection has labs for practicing the skills covered by CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+, Cloud+, Server+ and Cisco CCNA. Azure labs add cloud practice. Use the exercises alongside your technician's study plan, with the current objectives from the certification provider.
Choose practice by the work your technician needs to do, then compare it with the certification provider's current objectives. A networking exercise may be useful for someone learning to troubleshoot, while a cloud sandbox gives an engineer room to explore a platform. Completing a lab does not award the certification, and there is no pass promise.
For a help desk technician, start with the network or security tasks they are learning to handle. For an engineer, choose the cloud or security environment used in their work. Developers can practice Python, C#, APIs and web development.
See training for help desk technicians and training for security and compliance leads for the wider course selection around those jobs.
Included in Empath Learn
Every seat on every plan includes the Curated Collection and its hands-on labs at no extra cost. Use them for your MSP's own team.
Premium in Empath Grow
Offer the Curated Collection to your clients as a premium catalog. Its labs come with it. In Empath Grow, each client has the Curated Collection or Bigger Brains, not both.
A free Empath Learn trial includes all Learn content, including the Curated Collection. Standalone Bigger Brains, Clip Training and Inspired eLearning catalogs are premium and outside that trial. Your Empath account executive sets up Grow client trials case by case; book a demo.
Build the Rest of the Training Plan
Find courses to accompany lab practice in Information Technology and Cybersecurity. For leadership and business skills, browse the Curated Collection.
Questions About Hands-On Labs
Answers on access, lab formats and choosing time for practice.
Are Hands-On Labs Included With Every Learn Seat?
Yes. Every Empath Learn seat includes the Curated Collection and its hands-on labs at no extra cost, on every plan. The labs are published by Skillsoft. In Empath Grow, the same Collection is a premium catalog an MSP can offer to its clients.
What Are Labs in Cyber Security?
In Empath Learn, cybersecurity labs let technicians practice finding and fixing security problems in a lab environment. Skillsoft exercises in the Curated Collection include correcting Linux directory permissions, examining cloud security recommendations and analyzing network vulnerabilities. Choose the task that matches the security work a technician is learning to handle, then check the lab's environment and session requirements.
Do Technicians Need to Install Software for a Lab?
The virtual sandbox titles in Empath's Curated Collection let technicians practice without installing software on their own device. Some labs may ask you to use your own environment; each lab's page says what it needs. Check those requirements before starting, because access depends on the exercise. Challenge Labs cannot be paused, saved or resumed after you leave.
How Long Do the Labs Take?
The Skillsoft labs in Empath's Curated Collection list lengths from 30 minutes to 63 hours 30 minutes, as of October 2026. That range reflects listed catalog lengths, not promised completion times; check the selected lab's page. Choose a lab whose tasks and listed length fit the practice session you have available.
Can a Learner Pause a Challenge Lab?
No. The Challenge Lab instructions say learners cannot pause, save or leave and return to their progress. Set aside enough time for the whole challenge before starting. This instruction applies to the challenge titles; it should not be read as a session rule for every sandbox or longer lab.
Do the Labs Award a Certification?
No certification award is promised for completing a Skillsoft lab in Empath. The labs let technicians practice skills covered by certifications such as CompTIA Security+ and CCNA. Certification requirements and exams are separate. Use the certification provider's current objectives to decide which skills to study, then choose lab practice that supports those skills.
Put Your Team's Next Skill Into Practice
Ask in a demo how the lab experience fits your technicians' work. The download lists the full course library.