It's been a while, since I have just started High School.
I have put a hiatus to my pentesting for a few weeks, and now, I am making a return. I have taken time to read about code, (even did a research article analysis on how humans can write "beautiful" code and something like that) and pentesting, but never made a full return. I will be occasionally coming back for a while.
As a freshman, I have taken another step on the ladder of what is known as my ultimate "plan". I of course, want to be a professional pentester, possibly start a company and a charity similar to Offensive Security, and hack for the good of the world.
So I wanted to get to know a little more about you guys. The people that have really helped me in my career choice in life. A lot of people are surprised when they realize a 14-yr old like me know quite a handful about pentesting and computers, so I really owe a huge debt to all of you guys.
- How old are you? What is your story when it came to hacking/pentesting? Are you going to pursue a full-time career in pentesting or a career similar to it? And if you already have one, or close to getting one, what did you do to reach it?
- I know that I am young, and that I am quite "limited". That means that I cannot take a lot of certifications, courses, training, etc to BECOME a pentester. What are some things I can do? I know that I can take A++, Linux+, and all those other CompTIA certifications, but what are some stuff I can do to help initiate a career in pentesting, as well as teach me more about it, help me get to know others who share common interests, and the best, MAKE ME LOOK GOOD TO THE COLLEGES (for eg. such as at school, where I can create a club, etc.) Academically, I am off on the right foot. I have some really good programs at school, and I am in some pretty good classes with a lot of amazing teachers.
- What does hacking mean to you? What can you do when you encounter script kiddies, and those who always threaten to log your IP and etc etc? I feel as if I have a general morale of the art and integrity of hacking, I will be more motivated for it, and I think that that is what is going for you guys as well, so I want to know what it means to you.
- Do you set goals? I am still learning, and I sometimes, up to a point, just don't know what path to go. What to do
Anything else? Anything you would like to know about me? What are some other things I can do?
Thank you so much, and it is great being back on Null-Byte!
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5 Comments
I had an extensive response to this, however, ajax error. Oh well, I suppose I'll type it out again.
1. I'm 26-years-old. I discovered computers at a very young age, there's more to it than that, but I won't get into it here. Yes, I will be pursuing infosec as a career.
2. Age isn't really a limiting factor in my eyes, if you're willing to put in the work and learn than it doesn't matter how old you are. I would recommend maybe starting your own small malware removal business around town.
Malware removal is pretty easy but a lot of people, specifically older folk, have no idea when it comes to that. I daresay some of the older people around your town might be happy with someone who knows what they're doing fixing their computer woes for a fair price.
I wouldn't recommend hardware repairs at your age for a few reasons though. Firstly, hardware is covered under manufacturers warranty, whereas malware isn't. Secondly, unless you really know what you're doing, you could potentially damage system components and that could run you or your parents up quite a hefty bill if you accidentally ruin a computer. Keep it simple, keep it risk free.
Other than that, maybe do some bug bounties. All this really does is shows the colleges that you apply to that this is truly a tremendous passion of yours, it will go a long way.
However, if you choose to start a small malware removal business, talk it over with your parents first.
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3. It means knowledge to me. I do nothing, script kiddies have literally 0 capabilities, why should anyone fear them?
I personally have 3 rules that I live by. Don't hack government, don't hack major corporations, don't hack friends/family. The first two are pretty self explanatory, but the third is a matter of trust.
A lot of people in my life know about my capabilities but are safe in the knowledge that I would never use what I know on them. On the other side of the coin, I expect them to never come to me asking them to hack someone because they're mad.
Hacking someone close to you can seriously damage any trust in the friendship/relationship, the temptation may be there, but I strongly recommend you steer clear of friends and family when it comes to this.
4. I set goals, however, I tend to never look at those goals again. A fault of mine really. I usually take things as they come. If you're at a crossroads and unsure of what to do next, ask someone on here.
Finally, I want to say that the best thing you can do is to be humble. Humility goes a very long way and just remember, no matter how good you are, there is always someone else in the world who is better.
I'm not saying to ignore your strengths, just know your limitations.
If you have any other questions, all you need to do is ask.
ghost_
I agree alot with ghost. On basically everything he says. I do think it is okay to brag but not in a prideful way. Bragging to your hacker friends that you found a zero day or something is fine in my opinion but don't brag about hacking a company or something stupid like that.
Also the don't hack people who trust you part. I have a story that I am not super proud of but I am going to use it to expand ghost's point. Once a good friend of mine came to me to see if I could fix her computer and I thought that I should take her passwords and such and add a listener on it, just to play pranks and stuff. Well she eventually found out and now she and I almost never talk and she doesn't trust me anymore. Good lesson about that point. Also don't hack big corporations or the government, bad idea ;)
Lmao, you got caught dude, never get caught.
ajax errors are the bane of my life, i can't articulate my response as well as I could prior to the error, But in summary GHOST covered it i'm 19 myself and age is no factor there are people years behind me that far surpass my skills, in fact in my secondary school I remember one story whereby our IT admin and head of ICT was bragging about their unhackable apple network and so one kid hacked it mid brag. You should check out cybrary.it for free security training that is of a high standard, topcoder.com also is a good place to learn and showcase coding skills. and try joining a computer society I only know of the british ones but it will likely be something like the american computing society. Good luck with your studies and career!
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