Beyond The Fundamentals

Introduction

It’s been almost a year since I published my last blog post.

During this time, I continued learning cybersecurity, but not consistently. There were weeks where I spent hours learning and experimenting, and there were also months where I barely completed a lab. Looking back, I’ve learned that progress doesn’t always happen in a straight line.

Over the past year, I explored Linux, web fundamentals, privacy tools, Python scripting, Windows internals, and some basic system administration. In this post, I’d like to share what I’ve been learning.

Learning How Websites Work

After spending a lot of time learning networking, I became curious about websites and web applications.

I started learning:

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
  • Basic web concepts

While learning these topics, I also explored cookies, sessions, browser fingerprinting, and session hijacking.

One thing that surprised me was how much information websites can collect from a browser.

Spending More Time With Linux

Linux remained a big part of my learning.

I completed Linux Basics for Hackers by Occupy The Web and spent time using different Linux distributions such as Debian, Fedora, Linux Mint, Parrot OS, and Pop!_OS.

I also learned more about:

  • Desktop Environments
  • Display Servers
  • SSH
  • File compression tools and formats
  • Metadata analysis and removal

To practice my Linux skills, I completed several OverTheWire Bandit challenges.

Learning About Privacy

I spent some time learning how Tor works and even hosted a small .onion website on a local machine.

Building and testing things myself helped me understand concepts much better than simply reading about them.

Windows and Security

I also explored some Windows features that are commonly mentioned in cybersecurity:

  • Startup folders
  • Registry autoruns
  • Task Scheduler

Learning about these features helped me understand how programs automatically start and how attackers may use them for persistence.

Building Better Security Habits

One of the biggest changes wasn’t technical.

I started using:

  • A password manager
  • Browser compartmentalization
  • VirusTotal before opening suspicious URLs
  • VirusTotal before running unknown executables

These habits have become part of my daily routine.

Python and Virtual Labs

I started learning Python for basic scripting and automation.

I also experimented with Ubuntu Server and configured:

  • SMTP
  • IMAP
  • UFW Firewall

I used Thunderbird to connect to the mail server and send emails between systems.

Revisiting The Basics

Recently, I completed the TryHackMe Pre Security learning path.

Most of the topics were familiar, but it was a good refresher and helped fill a few gaps in my understanding.

I’m currently working through the Cyber Security 101 path.

Conclusion

This past year wasn’t about completing certifications or rushing through courses. It was mostly about exploring different technologies, asking questions, and building a stronger foundation.

There were periods where I made good progress and periods where I didn’t. But compared to where I was a year ago, I understand a lot more about Linux, web technologies, privacy, and cybersecurity fundamentals.

For now, I’ll continue learning, experimenting, and documenting the journey.