Let’sDefend

For those with aspirations to enter the Cyber Security field there is an awesome site LetsDefend. Currently, I am playing around with how to be a SOC Analyst and it’s actually pretty fun. There are exercises where you sift through logs finding source IP addresses. I am going through the SOC Fundamentals as a place to begin with their tutorials. There are a lot of free modules but there are premium modules for deeper learning. There is an Endpoint Security simulator which prepares someone for using services like SentinelOne, CarbonBlack, FireEye, and HX. The search functions on some of these […]

Metasploitable 2, One Pathway to Access via vsFTPD

A detailed Nmap scan with the “sV” option will reveal that Metasploitable is running Vsftpd 2.3.4. Run the msfconsole by typing “sudo msfconsole”. To be honest, I don’t know if msfconsole has to be run under root, I just do. Once running you can do a “search vsftpd” command and it will return one exploit. In this case I typed “use 0” just to make life easier. You can run “set RHOSTS ipaddress” where ipaddress is the local address for Metasploitable. Enter “exploit” and you should have an open Metasploit shell where you can see the file structures and directories.

Hack the Box

There is a super cool website that will teach you the basics of hacking. It does not matter if you are a beginner or more experienced, they seem to have exercises for everyone. The website is called Hack the Box. It seems like the site prefers you to be running these exercises through Linux. Additionally, they want you to connect through their VPN using OpenVPN. Unfortunately, I have had some technical problems with the profile they have created for me, but I will be trying through a different computer. If you want to learn or improve your hacking skills this […]

Flexibility

It’s time to get real with myself and come to accept that in my job search it might be better approach as a generalist rather than try to focus on a particular position itself like Software Developer or Cyber-security Specialist. I am additionally considering Help Desk, Junior System Admin, Linux System Administrator, and the like. Also, I am considering doing WordPress contract work. Just the life it is when the jobs I apply for have a hundred or so other (more) qualified candidates.

Adding SSL to Tech Mania

After asking for career advice about getting into Cybersecurity at Reddit r/ITCareerQuestions I got ragged on big time for having a website that didn’t use SSL. I was always kind of lackadaisical about adding SSL because I figured it’s hosted on a Raspberry Pi, who cares? Well, maybe that was not a good attitude to have. Well, I want to say that adding SSL to your site for FREE is very easy. Let’s Encrypt is an organization that provides SSL certificates for free and is sponsored by groups such as Amazon Web Services and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. They refer […]

Metasploitable

Metasploitable is a virtual machine running Linux that aspiring hackers can use to break into and practice security. As expected, this virtual machine is riddled with outdated software, services with vulnerabilities, and default passwords. It’s up to the end user learner to find how many ways they can break in. I have found a few on my own. The first way I found through the Hacker Loi Youtube channel and it was the ProFTPvs backdoor. There are more ways and this VM is just like a giant puzzle box. Nessus can make vulnerability much easier but the pros out there […]

Nessus Vulnerability Scanning

Nessus Vulnerability Scanner is an awesome and powerful tool. It’s more comprehensive than out of the box Nmap. It orders vulnerabilities from Critical to Low. When you click on the certain vulnerability it tells you if there is an available Metasploit module. I have been able to exploit backdoors and find out if remote shares are mountable by an intruder. All in all the GUI makes it easier than Nmap. This might just be the best vulnerability scanner out there. There is a free Nessus Essentials one can download but any other version will cost money.

WPScan: Enter the world of WordPress Security

Wpscan is an amazing Linux security tool that lets you scan WordPress sites for vulnerabilities. It does a thorough search of a WordPress site telling you the version of WP as well as the plugins used and their versions. Not only that but it will allow you to try and Brute Force an attack using wordlists. Luckily, Kali comes with their legendary rockyou.txt wordlist and this is what I am attempting to use. The Brute Force attack is quite amazing. Somehow wpscan can find every user account on WordPress and tries a password on all accounts before moving on to […]

What equipment do I use?

Some of you are asking, what tech do I use? What hardware do I prefer to be productive on. Well, wonder no more. I have a Dell G1515 Gaming laptop for when I want to play Escape from Tarkov. It’s a great mid-range laptop with an actually superb monitor. The 3050Ti mobile GPU is great too and should last the next few upgrade cycles. I named my laptop M. Bison. My second is a desktop I made during my first year in Hawaii. I used parts I had to order from a certain company that is taking over the mainland. […]

The Joys of Studying for Security+

For most people studying is excruciating and boring. However, studying on my own for Security+ has been a blast. The CompTIA study guides have introduced so many programs to me like Sn1per and TheHarvester. I can’t wait to play around with these tools when I get a break. Plus, I have to know everything about Nmap. Nmap is the most OG computer security tool of all time. I believe it’s even in the movie The Matrix. I am just as passionate about Cybersecurity as I am about developing with code. Oh what is a boy to do?