Erik Vazquez

Directory

Resources

Where I would point someone getting into security, or moving into a corner of it they have not worked in before.

Nothing here is sponsored, no link is an affiliate link, and none of it is mine. These are references I keep coming back to, pruned rather than dumped. There is plenty more out there worth finding.

Certifications

  • Security Certification RoadmapThe whole certification landscape on one chart, arranged by domain and seniority. The clearest single view of the field anywhere.
  • Professor MesserFree video courses covering the core CompTIA exams.
  • CompTIAVendor-neutral certifications, and where most people start.
  • OffSecOffensive security certifications, including the OSCP.
  • GIACThe SANS certification body, spanning both offensive and defensive tracks.
  • ISACAGovernance, audit, and risk credentials.

Frameworks and Standards

  • MITRE ATT&CKThe shared vocabulary for adversary tactics and techniques. Worth knowing before writing a detection.
  • OWASP Top 10The reference list of web application security risks.
  • NIST Cybersecurity FrameworkA structure for organizing a security program, and the vocabulary most security programs are described in.
  • CISA Known Exploited VulnerabilitiesCISA's catalog of flaws with reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. The shortest useful patch list there is.
  • CIS Critical Security ControlsA set of defensive controls grouped into implementation tiers, so a small team knows which subset applies to it.
  • Cyber Kill ChainOlder than ATT&CK and still the clearest way to explain an intrusion in phases.

News and Industry Reading

  • Krebs on SecurityInvestigative reporting on cybercrime and the people running it.
  • BleepingComputerDaily reporting on breaches, malware, and new vulnerabilities.
  • SANS Internet Storm CenterA daily handler diary on current attacks and odd internet traffic. High signal, low volume.
  • tl;dr secA newsletter summarizing application security research, tooling, and conference talks.
  • The Hacker NewsHigh-volume and fast. Good for breadth, not for depth.
  • Dark ReadingAnalysis aimed at the people who run security programs rather than the people who run the tools.

Analysis and Testing

  • CyberChefA browser toolkit for encoding, decoding, parsing, and extraction. Processing happens locally, so pasted data is not uploaded.
  • VirusTotalA file, URL, domain, or hash checked against many engines at once. Anything uploaded is shared, so treat it as public.
  • urlscan.ioA sandbox that loads a URL and reports what the page contacted and served. Scans default to public, so set visibility deliberately.
  • HTTP ObservatoryA grade for a site's security headers and configuration, with the reasoning behind each test shown.
  • WiresharkThe standard packet analyzer, and the fastest way to see what a protocol is really doing.
  • RegExrA live editor for regular expressions, with match highlighting as you type.

OSINT and Reconnaissance

  • ShodanSearch engine for internet-exposed devices and services.
  • DNSdumpsterDNS reconnaissance and subdomain discovery against a domain.
  • WHOIS LookupRegistration and ownership records for a domain.
  • CentralOpsDNS, WHOIS, traceroute, and address lookups gathered in one place.
  • Have I Been PwnedA breach-exposure lookup for an email address, or for a domain you can prove you control.
  • Wayback MachineArchived snapshots of pages that have since changed or vanished.

Offensive References

  • PayloadsAllTheThingsPayloads and bypass techniques collected and organized by vulnerability class.
  • SecListsThe standard collection of wordlists for usernames, passwords, fuzzing, and discovery.
  • LOLBASSigned Windows binaries that can be turned against the host, with the commands that do it.
  • GTFOBinsUnix binaries that can escape a restricted shell or escalate privileges, with the commands for each.
  • Exploit DatabaseAn archive of public exploits and proof-of-concept code, searchable by product and by CVE.
  • Upgrading shells to interactive TTYsThe canonical writeup on turning a raw reverse shell into a usable terminal.

Training and Education

  • TryHackMeGuided, beginner-friendly labs and capture-the-flag exercises. The gentlest way in.
  • Hack The BoxHarder vulnerable machines and challenges, pitched past the beginner level.
  • TCM SecurityHands-on courses in offensive security, and the practical certifications that go with them.
  • LetsDefendBlue team training built on simulated alerts and investigations.
  • HacksplainingInteractive walkthroughs of common web vulnerabilities, pitched at developers.
  • WGUCompetency-based online degrees. The IT and cybersecurity programs bundle certification exams into tuition, though which ones changes, so check before enrolling.

Building a Home Lab

  • VirtualBoxA free hypervisor. One old machine becomes the several it takes to run a lab.
  • Microsoft Evaluation CenterFree, time-limited evaluation copies of Windows Server and other Microsoft software, for lab use.
  • pfSenseFree, open-source firewall software. Writing the rules yourself is how networking stops being abstract.
  • Kali LinuxThe distribution that ships most offensive tooling preinstalled, ready to run as a lab machine.
  • Security OnionA free distribution for network security monitoring, log search, and intrusion detection. The defending half of a lab.
  • Pi-holeNetwork-wide ad and tracker blocking, and a weekend project that teaches DNS properly.