PROJECT 02 / Defensive security / Labs
Cybersecurity home lab.
Learn the concept. Test it in a lab.
Hands-on exercises across Windows, Kali Linux, and Ubuntu: inspecting traffic, enumerating services, exploring vulnerabilities, and practicing defensive security.
01 / THE QUESTION
Why I started.
Reading about networking and security only gets me so far. I use virtual machines and guided exercises to see how systems behave, how services are exposed, and how security tools interpret what happens.
02 / THE APPROACH
What I’m building.
A practice environment using Windows, Kali Linux, and Ubuntu virtual machines, alongside hands-on TryHackMe labs and other security exercises. The work spans administration, network analysis, and defensive investigation.
- 01EnvironmentVirtualBox virtual machines
- 02SystemsWindows, Kali Linux & Ubuntu
- 03PracticeReconnaissance, configuration & analysis
- 04ReviewTraffic, logs, permissions & findings
03 / PROJECT COMPONENTS
The pieces in practice.
Network investigation
Nmap reconnaissance and enumeration, Wireshark packet analysis, and exercises using Snort.
System administration
Linux administration, SSH access, user accounts, permissions, and security configuration.
Security exercises
Vulnerability assessment, web security tooling, and hash analysis and password cracking exercises in lab settings.
Defensive practice
Log analysis, network analysis, and guided TryHackMe exercises that connect observations to security concepts.
SECURITY CONCEPTS
04 / REFLECTION
What I’m learning.
Working across different operating systems is helping me connect network behavior, system configuration, and security observations. Troubleshooting the environment is part of the practice, alongside learning to interpret tool output in context.
05 / CURRENT STATUS
Still building. Still learning.
This is ongoing personal lab practice. Exercises are a way to build and revisit technical skills, and are presented as practical learning experience rather than employment or a production security environment.
Follow my work
Find my public repositories on GitHub, or get in touch to talk through this project.