Foundation Building (Days 1-20) Focus on understanding cybersecurity basics and key concepts.
Day 1-5: Introduction to Cybersecurity
Learn the CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability). Overview of cybersecurity roles: Red Team, Blue Team, and Purple Team. Understand cybersecurity terminologies and attack types.
Day 6-10: Networking Fundamentals
Basics of networking (IP addresses, DNS, TCP/IP, and ports). OSI and TCP/IP models. Tools: Wireshark (packet capture and analysis).
Day 11-15: Operating Systems and Command Lines
Linux basics and common commands. Windows command line and PowerShell essentials. File systems and permissions.
Day 16-20: Security Essentials
Firewalls and VPNs. Cryptography basics: symmetric vs. asymmetric encryption. Hashing algorithms (MD5, SHA, etc.).
Dive into protecting systems and mitigating threats.
Day 21-25: Introduction to Defensive Security
Role of blue teams in cybersecurity. Importance of user awareness and security culture.
Day 26-30: Security Operations Center (SOC) Basics
Understand the SOC structure and responsibilities. Introduction to SIEM tools (e.g., Splunk, Elastic Stack).
Day 31-35: Threat Intelligence
Understanding threat intelligence feeds. Using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools.
Day 36-40: Log Analysis and Incident Detection
How to collect and analyze logs from servers, applications, and networks. Identifying suspicious activities through log analysis.
Day 41-50: Incident Response and Forensics
Steps of incident response: preparation, detection, containment, eradication, and recovery. Basics of digital forensics: evidence collection and analysis.
Learn about testing defenses and exploiting vulnerabilities.
Day 51-55: Ethical Hacking Basics
Understanding the ethical hacking process and rules of engagement. Familiarize with hacking methodologies (Reconnaissance, Scanning, Exploitation).
Day 56-60: Vulnerability Assessment
Learn vulnerability scanning with tools like Nessus and OpenVAS. Understand Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE).
Day 61-65: Web Application Security
OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL Injection, XSS). Tools: Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP.
Day 66-70: Network Penetration Testing
Using Nmap for network scanning. Exploitation frameworks: Metasploit.
Day 71-80: Privilege Escalation and Post-Exploitation
Linux and Windows privilege escalation techniques. Tools for maintaining access and covering tracks.
Choose a path (e.g., cloud security, malware analysis, or certifications) to specialize.
Day 81-85: Cloud Security
Understand cloud computing basics (AWS, Azure, GCP). Security considerations for cloud infrastructure.
Day 86-90: Malware Analysis Basics
Learn how to analyze malicious software. Tools: Ghidra, IDA, and sandbox environments.
Explore certifications like CompTIA Security+, CEH, or CISSP. Practice exam questions and scenarios.
Work on Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges (e.g., HackTheBox, TryHackMe). Document your projects and skills in a portfolio. Network with cybersecurity professionals and join online communities.
Platforms: TryHackMe, HackTheBox, Cybrary, Udemy. Tools: Wireshark, Metasploit, Burp Suite, Splunk. Books: “The Web Application Hacker's Handbook,” “Practical Malware Analysis.” This program ensures steady progress and a blend of theoretical and hands-on learning to kickstart a cybersecurity career.