TryHackMe: Great Way to Learn CyberSecurity for Beginner
Hello. My name is Artem. I have been working as a DevOps Engineer for 3 years, but I also interested in CyberSecurity. Recently, I wondered how best to learn cybersecurity. Today I want to tell you what conclusions I made while trying different methods.
Before we start, I would like to ask you to subscribe to my Patreon, so I can do more content regarding cybersecurity and other funny and interesting stuff: https://www.patreon.com/artem_maksymov
Cybersecurity as a most complicated domain in IT
I have mentioned in my article about the uselessness of most OSINT tools, that the cybersecurity domain is the most complicated because you need to find connections between topics from a very different IT domains.
Let's take this for an example: a cybersecurity engineer implemented a program on python language that assisted him in accessing the Linux operating system through a vulnerable web application.
To do the same in the example above, we already need to know the next topics:
- Programming
- Networking
- Web applications
- Privilege escalation
- Operating systems
And that's only one example. So, we have defined that the complexity of the cybersecurity domain is mostly based on versatile knowledge you must have to beat any task.
Honestly, feels like new technology appears when you learned the first one. Now recall about high school programs in modern IT universities.
To roll into cybersecurity, I tried to watch corresponding videos, blogs, read books (books are the worst way to learn anything in IT except for general concepts and fundamental things. I’m going to write the next article about this problem). But recently, I found a superb way to learn cybersecurity I want to tell you about. I want to tell you about TryHackMe.
It is not only about TryHackMe
Let's define that by “TryHackMe” I mostly mean the global approach in studying cybersecurity, where you have different labs with cycles of theory-practice tasks that lead to better learning because of positive reinforcement. I could write the same article, about, HackTheBox for example, but I started with TryHackMe. So, we will discuss TryHackMe (But keep in mind that you can also choose an alternative like HackTheBox. It is not an advert).
Indeed, TryHackMe in my opinion, is the best way to learn cybersecurity (great to be combined with cybersecurity specialists’ blog posts, videos etc.). It provides an imposing number of labs, learning paths and modules.
Let’s examine what you can find inside TryHackMe.
Learning paths
TryHackMe brings a solution to the problem I stated above: the necessity of knowing and manipulating different topics. TryHackMe brings structured learning paths.
Professional cybersecurity specialists from TryHackMe made a list of required tasks, modules for wide topics you want to roll in.
If you're all about defending (blue team) — pick a “Cyber defense” path.
Felling kind of offensive guy who likes to visit 4chan?
If you would like to get familiar with cybersecurity in the context of cloud security — pick an “Attacking and Defending AWS” path.
And so on.
Modules
Modules are the sets of labs dedicated to specific topics like wireshark, linux, cryptography, etc.
If you haven’t found the learning path you need, and you want to choose topics by yourself — feel free to pick the order of modules you are keen to learn by yourself!
Rooms
Rooms are labs that consist of tasks. As a matter of fact, some rooms provide you virtual machine for time (based on whether you have VIP subscription or not). You must hack these VMs and capture the flag that is answer for task.
Networks
Network are more advanced versions of rooms. They consist of different virtual machines. For TryHackMe such rooms are much pricier, so to enter these rooms, you will probably need one or more of these criteria:
- 7 Days Streak
- VIP subscription
- Separate money transaction (in case of massive networks and rooms)
Practice rooms
Rooms that are mostly dedicated to honing your skills.
Custom rooms
Just want to remind that if you find this room boring or think you can create much more interesting, breathtaking and challenging rooms, you can create your own!
Or find fascinating and extravagant rooms made by the community.
For people who can’t live without matchmaking, ratings and other
For these kinds of people, a set of interesting concepts are waiting:
Streaks and your education dynamic
If you visit and complete tasks on TryHackMe for every day, you will be provided with a streak count and your personal graphic, that shows how much tasks you complete every day. Reaching new levels of streak provides you some benefits.
To be honest, it’s enough to solve only one task to get your daily streak. If streaks are more important to you than knowledge — feel free to open TryHackMe once a day, answer the easiest questions, get your streak and feel smart. (I do the same when I get depressed because of my procrastination).
King of the hill
The real fight starts here. Digital gladiators fight in a digital arena to find out who is the best. People are split on two commands. Endless fight between: Red and Blue teams…
Allow me to introduce you… TEAM FORTRE….
KING OF THE HILL!
Here is the place where you can struggle with real people, not the predefined labs.
Place where you really can check your skills in tight fight with cybersecurity specialists all around the world.
Leaderboards
The place where most what to appear — leaderboards. Wall of fame of TryHackMe.
Summarizing
TryHackMe, HackTheBox and other services, that provide labs regarding cybersecurity labs and other features, can improve your self-education efficiency to the moon!
Thanks for reading!
I would be grateful if you support me on PayPal!
