I Finished TryHackMe Pre Security — Here's What Changed

MAYANK SAHU — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:16:55 +0000

I started learning cybersecurity without really knowing where to begin.

I kept seeing roadmaps, certifications, tools, and people talking about advanced security topics. I wanted to get there, but I also knew I was missing the basics.

So I decided to slow down and build a proper foundation first.

I started with TryHackMe's Pre Security path.

Now, I've finished it.

And honestly, completing the path feels less important than what changed while going through it.

What I Learned

The path covered a lot of the fundamentals I wanted to understand:

Networking — IP addresses, DNS, TCP/IP, HTTP, and how devices communicate
Web fundamentals — how browsers, websites, and servers interact
Linux & Windows — basic commands, files, permissions, and system concepts
Security fundamentals — the basic ideas behind how systems can be attacked and protected

Before starting, I had heard most of these terms before.

But knowing a definition and actually understanding where something fits are two different things.

The labs helped me connect those pieces.

The Biggest Thing I Learned

The biggest lesson wasn't a specific command or technology.

It was that fundamentals really matter.

My long-term goal is to become a Red Teamer, but right now I'm focusing on building toward SOC and Blue Team skills first.

That means I need to understand networks, operating systems, logs, normal system behavior, and how attacks actually look.

I don't want to jump straight into advanced tools without understanding what's happening underneath them.

You can't recognize what's abnormal if you don't understand what's normal.

That idea probably sums up this stage of my learning better than anything else.

What's Next?

Pre Security was my foundation.

Now I want to go deeper into SOC and Blue Team topics:

Logs
SIEM
Threat detection
Network monitoring
Incident response
Security investigations

I'll also keep learning web security and offensive security alongside it.

Eventually, I want to bring all of that together and move toward Red Teaming.

But for now, I'm taking it one step at a time.

One Milestone Down

Finishing Pre Security doesn't make me a cybersecurity expert.

It just means I'm a little further than I was when I started.

And that's enough.

I'm going to keep learning, building, and documenting the journey as I go.

Pre Security → Done.

Next chapter → SOC & Blue Team.

If you've completed Pre Security too, what did you move on to next?

Starting My Cybersecurity Journey from Zero: 14 TryHackMe Rooms in 7 Days

MAYANK SAHU — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:09:05 +0000

Hey everyone! 👋

This is my first post on DEV.to, and I wanted to use it to document the beginning of my cybersecurity journey.

I've been interested in cybersecurity for a while, but getting started was honestly confusing.

There are endless roadmaps, certifications, courses, tools, and opinions about what you should learn first.

So instead of spending more time planning, I decided to just start.

My first goal was simple:

30–40 minutes of hands-on practice every day.

No paid tools. No complicated setup. Just learning and doing.

My First Week

I started with TryHackMe's Pre Security path to build my fundamentals.

After 7 days, I completed 14 free rooms and reached almost 50% of the path.

I worked through topics like:

Networking: OSI, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, ARP, IP addresses and subnets
Web fundamentals: HTTP/HTTPS, requests, responses, headers, cookies and status codes
Linux & Windows: terminal basics, files, permissions and basic administration

The biggest difference for me was that I wasn't just watching someone explain these concepts.

I was actually using them.

Some things clicked quickly.

Some didn't.

And sometimes I got stuck on things that looked ridiculously simple.

But that's probably the most useful part of hands-on learning.

Where I'm Heading

My immediate goal is to build strong SOC and Blue Team fundamentals.

I want to eventually work with things like:

SIEM
Logs
Network monitoring
Threat detection
Incident response

At the same time, I want to understand the offensive side of security too.

My long-term goal is Red Teaming, so I'll gradually explore web security, bug bounty labs, and offensive techniques alongside my defensive foundation.

For now, though:

Learn the fundamentals first. Build the skills step by step.

What's Next?

I'm planning to continue with TryHackMe and start working through PortSwigger Web Security Academy.

I'll keep documenting the things I learn, the labs I complete, and probably the things I completely mess up along the way. 😅

I'm not an expert.

I'm just getting started.

And that's exactly why I want to document it.

14 rooms down. A lot more to learn.

If you're also learning cybersecurity, what was the first resource or lab that helped things finally click for you?

DEV Community: MAYANK SAHU

I Finished TryHackMe Pre Security — Here's What Changed

What I Learned

The Biggest Thing I Learned

What's Next?

One Milestone Down

Starting My Cybersecurity Journey from Zero: 14 TryHackMe Rooms in 7 Days

My First Week

Where I'm Heading

What's Next?