Cyber Security Tutorials

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)

• Bar Codes: machine-readable visual patterns used to store data
  • JAB (Just Another Barcode) Code: a compact barcode variant for short payloads
  • QR codes: two-dimensional codes encoding URLs and small data blocks
• Data Brokers: firms that collect and sell personal and business data
• Geolocation: techniques to determine physical locations from data
  • EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format): metadata in images that can reveal location
  • Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM): a grid-based geographic coordinate system
  • World Geodetic System (WSG84): global datum used for GPS coordinates
• OSINT Framework: a catalog of tools and methods for open-source research
• OWASP Top 10: a prioritized list of common web application security risks
• Piracy: unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted content
  • Pirate Bay: a popular torrent index site for sharing files
  • Torrents: peer-to-peer file distribution using BitTorrent protocol
• Private Investigators: professionals who gather information discreetly
• Querying: crafting searches to efficiently find relevant information
• Search Engines: tools that index and retrieve web-hosted information
  • Censys: internet-wide search engine for hosts and certificates
  • Google Reverse Image Search: find similar images and their sources
  • IoT (Internet of Things): networked devices that can expose searchable data
    • BinaryEdge: IoT and internet asset scanning platform
    • Insecam: index of unsecured CCTV streams
    • Shodan: search engine for internet-connected devices
    • ZoomEye: Chinese internet asset search engine
  • Yandex: Russian search engine with image and web search features

Cryptography

• Alice & Bob: placeholder names used in cryptography examples
• MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication): authentication using multiple credential types
  • FIDO/FIDO2 (Fast Identity Online): standards for passwordless authentication
    • Biometrics: physiological traits used for user authentication
    • CTAP (Client to Authentication Protocol): protocol for external authenticators
    • Passkeys: phishing-resistant credentials replacing passwords
    • WebAuthn (Web Authentication): browser API for strong authentication
      • Relying Party (RP) ID: identifier for the service using WebAuthn
  • Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA): challenge questions that ask for personal information (ex. mother's maiden name)
  • OAuth (Open Authorization): protocol for delegated access to resources
  • PGP (Pretty Good Privacy): email encryption and signing standard
    • GPA (GNU Privacy Assistant): GUI tool for managing PGP keys
    • OpenPGP: interoperable standard for PGP-compatible encryption
  • PIV (Personal Identity Verification): smartcard standard for identity tokens
  • TOTP (Time Based One-Time Password): time-limited codes for authentication
  • U2F (Universal 2nd Factor): hardware-backed second-factor authentication standard
  • ZTA (Zero Trust Architecture): security model that verifies every access
  • Zero Knowledge Proof: prove knowledge without revealing the secret
• Checksum: a small value used to detect data corruption
• Ciphers: algorithms for encrypting or transforming data
  • Asymmetric Encryption: public/private key cryptography for secure exchange
    • Certificate Based Encryption: uses certificates to bind identities to keys
      • SSL/TLS Certificate: credential used to secure web connections
    • Diffie-Hellman: key exchange method for establishing shared secrets
    • (ECC) Elliptical Curve Cryptography: efficient public-key crypto using curves
      • Trapdoor Function: one-way function easy to compute, hard to invert
    • RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman): widely used public-key encryption algorithm
    • Charcode Cipher: character-based substitution or encoding methods
    • DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency): tones used for telephony signaling
    • Historical Ciphers: classical encryption methods from history
      • Caesar (ROT) Cipher: simple letter-shift substitution cipher
      • Jefferson Cipher: wheel-based transposition cipher
      • Scytale: ancient transposition using a wrapped strip
      • Rail-Fence Cipher: zigzag transposition of plaintext
      • Transposition Cipher: rearranges characters without substitution
      • Vigenere Cipher: polyalphabetic substitution using a keyword
    • Morse: encoding text as sequences of dots and dashes
    • Sign Language: visual-gestural communication system for humans
    • Symmetric Encryption: single-key encryption for confidentiality
      • AES (Advanced Encryption Standard): modern symmetric cipher standard
      • DES (Data Encryption Standard): older symmetric cipher, now deprecated
• Cryptanalysis: techniques to break or analyze cryptographic systems
  • Side Channel Attack: extract secrets from physical leakages
  • Bullrun Decryption Program: speculated agency effort to weaken crypto
• FDE (Full Disk Encryption): encrypting an entire storage device at rest

Log Analysis

Network Security

• Bluetooth: short-range wireless communication protocol
• Encapsulation: wrapping data with protocol headers for transport
• Faraday's Cage: shielding to block electromagnetic signals
• Firewalls: devices that enforce network traffic filtering rules
• IPS (Intrusion Prevention System): detects and blocks malicious network activity
• ISP (Internet Service Providers): companies that provide internet connectivity
  • Starlink: satellite internet service provider
• LAN (Local Area Network): network connecting nearby devices
• MAC (Multimedia Access Control): likely meant MAC (Media Access Control) address
• Networking Commands: CLI tools for inspecting and managing networks
• Network Traffic Analysis: examining packets to understand network behavior
  • Network Miner: packet analysis and forensic tool
  • tcpdump: command-line packet capture utility
  • Wireshark: GUI packet analyzer for network troubleshooting
• NFC (Near-Field Communication): short-range wireless data exchange
• OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Model: seven-layer conceptual networking model
• Pi-Holes: DNS-level ad and tracker blocking appliance
• Ports & Protocols: endpoint numbers and rules for network services
• Proxies: intermediary servers that relay network requests
• TCP/IP Model: practical networking model used on the internet
• VPN (Virtual Private Network): secure tunnel for network communications
  • Mullvad: privacy-focused VPN provider
  • Wiregaurd: modern, fast VPN protocol
• Wifi: wireless local area networking technology
  • PSK (Pre-Shared Key): shared secret used to secure Wi‑Fi
  • WPA (Wifi Protected Access): security standards for wireless networks

Operating Systems

• Unix: family of multitasking, multiuser operating systems.
  • BSD: unix-like system with a focus on stability and networking.
    • FreeBSD: unix-like OS known for performance and licensing.
      • HardenedBSD: fork of FreeBSD that focuses more on hardening its security.
    • NetBSD: provide a unified, multi-platform, production-quality operating system.
      • OpenBSD: fork of NetBSD in 1995 focused heavily on hardening its security and networking.
  • Linux: open-source Unix-like kernel used in many distros.
    • Arch Linux Family: rolling-release distributions focused on simplicity.
      • Black Arch Linux: security-focused Arch-based distribution.
    • Debian Linux Family: stable distributions derived from Debian.
      • Kali: penetration-testing focused Debian derivative.
      • ParrotOS: security-oriented Debian-based distro.
      • SubgraphOS: hardening-focused privacy distro.
      • TailsOS: live OS designed for anonymity.
      • Ubuntu: popular, user-friendly Debian derivative.
        • Linux Mint: free, user-friendly, and highly stable desktop operating system
        • Lubuntu: a lightweight official flavor of Ubuntu
          • DragonOS: SDR-focused Linux distribution.
      • Whonix: Privacy OS using Tor isolation.
    • QubesOS
    • Red Hat Family
      • Fedora
  • TempleOS
• Terminal: Text-based shell interface for system interaction.
  • Commands: Executable operations entered in a shell.
  • Shell Operators: Symbols that control shell behavior.
  • Shortcuts: Key combinations for quicker navigation.
• Virtualization
  • Hypervisors
    • VirtualBox
    • VMWare
    • Xen
  • WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
• Wine

Hardware & Infrastructure

• Burner Phones
• GPIO Boards
• ICS (Industrial Control System)
• IoT (Internet of Things)
  • CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television)
    • Cameradar
• Firmware
  • FreshTomatoes
• FlipperZero
• Hardware Backdoor
• Hardware Keyloggers
• Hardware Security Key
  • Feitian
  • Google Titan
  • SSH Keys
    • Non-Resident Keys
    • Resident Keys
    • TOFU (Trust on First Use)
  • YubiKey
• Physical Firewalls
• Routers
  • Routersploit
• SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition)
• SDR (Software-Defined Radio)
  • Directional WiFi Antenna
    • Yagi Antenna
  • DragonOS
  • HackRF (Hack Radio Frequency)
  • RTL-SDR (Realtek Software Defined Radi)

Offensive Security (Red Team)

• Botnet
• Card Skimming
• Evil Maid: physical attack that alters a device while unattended
• Hardware Backdoor
• Malware
  • Adware
  • Bloatware
  • Computer Virus
  • Computer Worm
  • Rootkit
  • Spyware
    • Pegasus
    • Keyloggers
  • Trojans
    • MalDoc
• MITM (Man in the Middle Attack): intercepting communication between parties
• Password Cracking
• Phishing
• Scanning & Reconaissance
  • GreyNoise
  • Nikto
  • Nmap
  • Zmap
• Schools of Hacking
  • Black Hat
  • Gray Hat
  • White Hat
• SIM Swapping
• Spoofing
  • Biometric Spoofing: faking biometric traits to bypass sensors
  • CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocl) Spoofing
• Web Exploitation

Defensive Security (Blue Team)

• Adblock: Browser extensions that block ads and trackers.
  • Decentraleyes: Local resource polyfill to reduce third-party calls.
  • Ublock Origin: Efficient, configurable ad-blocking extension.
• Antivirus/Antimalware: Software that detects and removes malware.
  • Kapersky: Commercial antivirus and security product suite.
  • MalwareBytes: Anti-malware product focusing on modern threats.
  • McAfee: Longstanding commercial security vendor.
  • Norton: Consumer-focused antivirus and security tools.
• CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team): Group that handles security incidents.
• GRC (Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance): Practices aligning security with business requirements.
  • CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act): Privacy law protecting California residents.
  • CIS (Center for Internet Security) Controls: Best-practice security controls checklist.
  • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): EU regulation on personal data protection.
  • HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): US law protecting health information.
  • HITRUST CSF (Health Information Trust Alliance Common Security Framework): Compliance framework for health data security.
  • NIST (National Institutes of Standards and Technology): US agency publishing security standards.
  • PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): Requirements for handling cardholder data.
  • SOC2 (System and Organization Controls): Audit standard for service organizations.
• Honeypots: Traps designed to detect and study attackers.
• SOC (Security Operations Center): Centralized team monitoring security events.
• SIEM (Security Information and Event Management): Aggregates logs for detection and analytics.
  • Splunk: Commercial SIEM and log analysis platform.

Intersectional Security (Purple Team)

• Purple Teaming: Collaborative approach to align red and blue team activities.

Computer & Digital Forensics

• Reverse Engineering: Analyzing binaries to understand behavior.

Operational Security (OpSec)

• Browsers: Software used to access web content securely when configured.
  • Brave: Privacy-focused browser with built-in ad blocking.
  • Firefox: Open-source browser with strong privacy controls.
  • GNU Icecap: Privacy-oriented browser project.
• Compartmentalization: Separating activities and data to limit exposure.
• Dark Web (Tor): Anonymity network and overlay services accessed via Tor.
• Email: Communication medium with varying privacy properties.
  • Permanent: Long-term secure email providers.
    • ProtonMail: End-to-end encrypted email service.
    • SecureMail: Privacy-focused email solutions.
    • Tutanota: Encrypted email provider with zero-knowledge features.
    • Anonady: Privacy-oriented mail service.
    • GudoMail: Alternative secure email provider.
    • MailFence: Encrypted email and collaboration suite.
    • PrivateMail: Privacy-centric email offering.
  • Temporary Mail: Disposable email services for short-term use.
    • GorillaMail: Disposable email address provider.
    • Temp Mailo: Temporary inbox service.
    • TempMail: Disposable email provider.
• IRC (Internet Relay Chats): Real-time chat protocol used in communities.
  • Briar: Secure, decentralized messaging app.
  • Element: Matrix-based chat client for secure communication.
  • Jabber: XMPP instant messaging protocol.
  • Signal: Encrypted messaging app for private communication.
  • Yami: Lightweight chat client.
• MAC Address Randomization: Technique to prevent device tracking on networks.
• Passwords: Secrets used to authenticate users; best combined with MFA.
  • Passphrases: Longer, memorable strings used as passwords.
  • Password Managers: Tools to generate and store credentials securely.
    • Local: Run on the user's device without cloud sync.
      • KeePassXC: Open-source local password manager.
      • Syncthing: Filesync tool sometimes used to sync vaults.
      • Veracrypt: Encrypted container tool for storing data.
      • Microsoft Word: Unconventional, not recommended for secrets.
    • Browser-Based: Integrated password storage in browsers.
      • Google Password Manager: Browser-integrated credential store.
    • Cloud-Based: Hosted password services with sync.
      • Bitwarden: Open-source cloud password manager.
      • Cryptomater: Cloud-based credential storage.
      • LastPass: Commercial cloud password manager.
• Secure Search Engines: Privacy-respecting web search alternatives.
  • DuckDuckGo: Search engine that emphasizes privacy.
  • Searx: Open-source metasearch engine that preserves privacy.
  • StartPage: Privacy-oriented search proxy.

Blockchain

• Atomic Swappers: Protocols enabling trustless token exchanges.
• Empty Entry: Placeholder for future blockchain topics.

Cloud Security

• CloudFlare: CDN and security provider for web infrastructure.
• Grype: Vulnerability scanner for container images and filesystems.