Your Path

Set up an Ubuntu VM, configure users & permissions, write a Bash script that automates system hardening (disable root SSH, set up firewall rules, configure fail2ban).

Build a Python script that scans your local network, identifies connected devices, detects open ports, and logs changes over time — all using scapy and nmap.

Write a PowerShell + Python tool that parses Windows Security event logs, detects brute-force login attempts, and generates an HTML report with timelines.

Build a deliberately vulnerable blog with XSS, SQLi, CSRF, and IDOR bugs — then write an automated scanner that finds them all.

Write a Python tool that captures packets, detects ARP spoofing, and alerts on suspicious DNS queries in real-time.

Create a series of C programs with increasing exploit difficulty — from basic stack overflow to ROP chain on a PIE binary with ASLR.

Build a portable forensics script that collects system artifacts (processes, network connections, logs, browser history) and generates a timeline.

Implement and then break 10 cryptographic constructs — from Caesar cipher to a padding oracle attack on AES-CBC.

Build a CLI tool that audits AWS S3 buckets, IAM policies, and security groups for common misconfigurations using boto3.

Design and deploy a multi-category CTF platform with Docker-based challenge containers, a scoreboard, and flag verification — covering web, crypto, forensics, and pwn.

Create a controlled phishing simulation tool for your organization — track click rates, credential captures, and generate awareness reports.