My Hacking Journey Part 1: NPC to security researcher

Growing up, I was always fascinated by the workings of computers. I would spend hours tinkering with them, trying to understand their complexities and pushing their limits. But little did I know that this fascination would eventually lead me down the path of cybersecurity and hacking.

It all started during my teenage years around 10th class when I developed a fascination for sci-fi and action movies like Micky Virus, Genius, The Return of Abhimanyu, Hacked, Untraceable, Shree, Whoami, Tron, Takedown, Hackers, and The Matrix, and many others. These movies piqued my interest in the world of hacking. Initially, it was curiosity that drew me towards hacking. I wanted to understand how hackers bypassed security measures and gained unauthorized access to computer systems. I started reading articles and watching videos online, trying to understand the basics of hacking.

After watching Mr. Robot (web series) in 12th class, I became more interested in Ethical Hacking. In December 2019, during my first year of B.E/B.tech in Computer Science, I came across a hacking workshop at IIT Bombay that costed me around 1k INR. Which I decided to attend it. There, for the first time, I saw the same Kali Linux that was shown in Mr. Robots, which was vastly different from Windows. I was amazed to discover that really there were other operating systems besides Windows, such as Linux (Kali Linux, Ubuntu, Debian), Mac, and others.

Mr. Robot (Web Series)

During the workshop, I heard terms like SQL, SQL injection, Blink SQLi, XXS, SSRF, CSRF, Cookies, Operating systems, Routers, IP Address, IPV4, IPV6, MAC Address, Databases, Encryption, Decryption, TOR browser, Burp Suit, VPN, NMAP, Terminal, Phishing, and more. However, at that time, Due of my lack of experience and technical knowledge, I wasn’t able to connect with those terms much at that time as this was my 1st every technical workshop that I had attended also I am the first person in my family to pursue B.Tech/B.E in Computer Engineering, but at that moment, I realized that this is what I had been passionate about for so long.

As my interest grew, I began to learn programming and experimented with hacking techniques on my own computer systems. I downloaded tools like Kali Linux and practiced using them on virtual machines. I spent hours trying to break into my own systems and finding vulnerabilities to exploit. It was a thrilling experience, and I was hooked.

However, I quickly realized that hacking was not just about breaking into systems for the fun of it. It had serious implications, and I wanted to use my skills for good. I decided to pursue a career in cybersecurity, where I could use my knowledge and skills to help protect systems and networks from malicious attacks.

To achieve this goal, I started focusing on learning as much as I could about cybersecurity. I read books, watched online courses, and joined online communities where I could learn from experts in the field. I also started participating in Capture the Flag (CTFs) competitions, which allowed me to practice my skills in a safe and legal environment.

The path I’ve taken in cybersecurity has not been without challenges. There were times when I felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information I needed to learn. There were times when I felt discouraged because I wasn’t able to find any vulnerabilities or make any bounties yet. But I persevered, knowing that every setback was an opportunity to learn and grow.

Through my journey, I have come to realize that hacking and cybersecurity are not just about technical skills. They are also about mindset, patience, and persistence. It takes a certain kind of mentality to be able to tackle complex problems and stay motivated in the face of setbacks. But with the right mindset, anything is possible.

In the next part of my blog, I will talk about how I continued to pursue my passion for cybersecurity despite the challenges and setbacks, and how it eventually led me to become a noob security researcher.

Movie Reference:

1. The Matrix
2. The Matrix Reloaded
3. The Matrix Revolution
4. The Matrix Resurrections
5. Mr. Robot
6. For other Movies: youtube.com

Resources I use:

1. Kali Linux : https://www.kali.org/
2. Ubuntu: https://ubuntu.com/
3. VMware: https://www.vmware.com/in/products/workstation-player.html
4. How to set up kali/ubuntu in VMware for that please watch Youtube videos.