I've been a die-hard Computer Science fan for as long as I can remember. Right after my 10th standard, I picked up C — that was four years ago. Around the same time, GitHub pulled me in before I even understood what was happening there. I couldn't parse a single line of what people were building, but I could tell something big was going on. That curiosity eventually pulled me into web development, and from there, into almost every corner of tech over the next few years — AI included.
Diploma: The Real Lessons Weren't in the Syllabus
I just finished a 3-year Diploma in Computer Engineering. Looking back, the biggest lessons weren't in the coursework. They were in hallway conversations — friends and teachers talking about where technology and the market are headed, instead of the usual teenage small talk. Watching how an organization actually runs, what really happens day to day — that taught me more than most subjects did.
A Habit I Used to See as a Flaw
Here's a pattern about how I work: everything I start, I start from zero — and I don't always go deep. I finish with the basics, then move on. For a long time I saw that as a bad habit. Three years and almost every major technology later, I've changed my mind — it was the fastest way to find out that "a little bit of everything" isn't who I am. What I actually need is to dig into a system until I find the reason it works. Until I do, I can't let it go.
Where That Instinct Pointed Me: Cybersecurity
That same need to dig eventually pointed me toward something equal parts fun and dangerous — cybersecurity. I'm about three months into this path now, and I'm moving slowly. Not because it's too hard, but because I won't move to the next topic until every dot is connected. Loose ends don't let me sleep.
What I've Learned So Far
This is still the floor, not the ceiling, but it's real and hands-on:
Web authentication attacks — 2FA bypass, broken password-reset logic, username enumeration through timing differences, account lockouts, and response inconsistencies
Brute-force protection bypass — IP rotation via X-Forwarded-For, interleaving valid logins with attack traffic, Burp Intruder's Pitchfork and Cluster Bomb attack types
Session and cookie attacks — session hijacking, cookie manipulation
JWT attacks and the fundamentals of IDOR
Networking, with an offensive lens — DNS (CNAME records, zone transfers, subdomain takeover), HTTP versions, TCP/TLS handshakes, proxying, and HTTPS interception
Burp Suite as a daily driver — Proxy, Repeater, Intruder, and routing traffic through FoxyProxy
Why I'm Writing This
I love self-study, but I need people walking the same road. I don't claim to be the smartest person in the room — but maybe I can still help someone a step behind me, and maybe someone here can help me a step ahead. If any part of this sounds like your own story, I'd genuinely like to hear from you.
Thanks for reading.
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