Hi, I’m a physics-undergrad familiar with Python, some basic cpp and a little Java script and having played around with some of the other challenges in the Reply-Series, I thought their cybersecurity challenge might be fun. There’s a brief overview and some challenges from previous years on their website. Having checked out the learning section, I’ve unfortunately realised that most stuff is more or less gibberish to me and there’s not much there in terms of explanations (e.g. how to use Wireshark, which seems to come up a few times, stuff like that).

I’m not looking for a job in cybersecurity, I’m not looking to get a degree and I’m aware this challenge probably doesn’t reflect much of the day-to-day work in cybersecurity (I could be wrong though) but is rather built around having fun. On the internet I’ve mostly found agencies offering certificates and “Top 10 courses to become an expert in 2 weeks”-type lists with a hooded figure in front of a green matrix in the background which is either not what I’m looking for, or has me rolling my eyes (unjustly?). I also realise that given the little remaining time, I’m probably looking at next year’s challenge.

With that in mind, can anybody recommend ways to approach this or resources I could use? Are there any prominent lecture series or books that are a must-read for anybody looking to get into cybersecurity? I’ve just come across the National Cyber League which seems to offer a similar challenge and resources, but I’m not sure I can access all of it, as I am not based in the US and can therefore not participate. If anybody as gone through this process and has advice on how to get somewhere with this challenge-based approach, I’m happy to listen 🙂