Resources for Learning Application Security and Ethical Hacking

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### Essential Resources for Aspiring Cybersecurity Professionals
* 💻 Starting with Python is often recommended due to its **simpler syntax**, making it easier for newcomers to grasp programming concepts before transitioning to Go, which is increasingly popular in the **security field**.
* 🔒 When considering privacy, it's essential to evaluate the **trustworthiness of companies like Google** with your data, and experts in the privacy sector often recommend **Proton Mail for secure email services**.
* 📚 "The Web Application Hacker's Handbook" remains a foundational resource in web application security, despite being published in 2011, as it effectively covers key vulnerabilities like **SQL injection** and **cross-site scripting**.
* 🛡 The OWASP Testing Guide is another critical resource for web application security, providing **extensive methodologies and checklists for testing vulnerabilities**, with its latest version being **continuously updated on GitHub**.
* 📖 For practical experience, "Real World Bug Hunting" by Peter Yaworski offers insights into **real-world vulnerabilities** found in major companies, helping readers understand the **bug discovery process** in complex applications.
* 👩 The "**Bug Bounty Boot Camp**" provides a comprehensive introduction to becoming a bug bounty hunter, covering **essential skills** and **common vulnerabilities** encountered in web applications.
* 📊 "The Tribe of Hackers" series offers valuable career insights and origin stories from successful professionals in the cybersecurity field, emphasizing the **diverse paths one can take in the industry**.
* 📝 New resources like "Evading EDR" and "Hacking APIs" highlight the evolving landscape of security challenges, focusing on **bypassing endpoint protection systems** and **exploiting APIs**, respectively, which are crucial for **modern offensive security practices**.

### Navigating a Career in Information Security: Essential Resources and Insights
* 📚 Andy's book, "Breaking into Information Security: Learning the Ropes 101," is a **pay-what-you-can resource** aimed at helping newcomers **find jobs and succeed in their first assignments** in offensive security.
* 🔍 The sequel, "**Expanding Your Security Horizons: Learning the Ropes 102**," delves into specializations within the field, such as **mobile application testing and web security**, addressing the **lack of guidance for those exploring different paths in security**.
* 💻 Jason shares his experience transitioning from academia to a career in pentesting, emphasizing the **gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application** in the industry.
* 📖 He recommends various resources, including the **Pentest Book by Six2Dez** and **Hack Tricks**, both of which serve as **comprehensive wikis for offensive security methodologies and tools**.
* 🔧 Jason highlights essential fuzzing resources like SecLists and Payload All The Things, which provide **valuable information for penetration testing and vulnerability assessment**.
* 📰 He also discusses newsletters such as Dan's "Unsupervised Learning" and Clint Gibler's "TL;DR Sec," which keep professionals **updated on the latest security news, tools, and methodologies**.
* 🛠 For hands-on practice, platforms like **Hack The Box** and **TryHackMe** offer learning tracks that cater to various security topics, while **Pentester Lab** focuses on **CVE challenges and practical exercises**.
* 💡 Jason emphasizes the importance of **continual learning and adaptation** in the security field, encouraging newcomers to utilize **free and low-cost resources available today** to build their skills and careers.

Top Hacking Books for 2024 (plus Resources): FREE and Paid

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David Bombal

Transitioning from Python to Go and the Importance of Resources in Cybersecurity

Python is often seen as an easier language for beginners, with plenty of software examples, while Go is also a popular choice.

Trusting companies with private data is a personal decision, and experts in the privacy space recommend Proton Mail for secure email.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of bookmarking learning resources and offers a variety of books and courses for those interested in application security and pentesting.

The Impact of the Web Application Hacker's Handbook

The Web Application Hacker's Handbook, published in 2011, is considered a fundamental resource for web hacking.

The authors, Dafydd Stuttard and Marcus Pinto, have since transitioned to offering free online resources through Portswigger's WebSec Academy.

The OWASP Testing Guide is another valuable resource, providing a comprehensive framework for testing web applications and currently being updated to version 5.

Resources for Web Security Testing and Bug Bounty Hunting

2 is a dense resource, with the in-progress version 5.

The guide is free and has a large number of contributors, with the new version expected in 2024.

Other recommended resources include "Real World Bug Hunting" by Peter Yaworski, "Bug Bounty Boot Camp" by Vickie, and the "Red Team Field Manual," which offers useful syntax for red teamers and is still relevant despite being slightly dated.

Recommended Books for Cybersecurity Professionals

The speaker highlights the challenge of outdated hacking books and emphasizes the importance of focusing on underlying methodologies.

Key recommendations include "Red Team Development and Operations" for team building, "The Operator Handbook" for a holistic approach to red and blue team operations, and "Tribe of Hackers" for unique origin stories of successful hackers.

Other notable mentions are "The Pentester Blueprint" for career guidance in offensive security and "OSINT Techniques" by Michael Bazzel for uncovering online information.

Recommended Books for OSINT and Offensive Security

Michael's book on OSINT techniques is a valuable resource for gathering information on people and businesses, crucial for both offensive and defensive security.

Matt Hand's "Evading EDR" offers insights on bypassing endpoint protection systems, making it ideal for red teaming.

Nick Aleks' "Black Hat GraphQL" and Corey Ball's "Hacking APIs" both focus on API hacking, with Corey's book providing a comprehensive guide to various API structures and offering a companion lab for practical learning.

Choosing the Right Scripting Language for Offensive Security

Go is a popular choice for scripting in offensive security due to its stability and concurrency, with many top hacking tools written in it.

Python is easier for beginners and offers a wealth of examples, making it a good starting point before transitioning to Go.

Resources like "Black Hat Python" and the upcoming "Black Hat Bash" provide valuable guidance for those learning scripting for pentesting and offensive security.

Breaking into Information Security: A Guide

Andy, a long-time Defcon goon, has written two books to help individuals enter the information security field: "Breaking into Information Security: Learning the Ropes 101" (pay what you can) and its sequel, "Expanding Your Security Horizons: Learning the Ropes 102.

" The second book explores various specializations within security, such as mobile app testing and web security, aiming to guide readers in finding their niche.

Jason, with a background in career pentesting and CTFs, emphasizes the importance of these resources in navigating the confusing start of a security career.

Essential Resources for Offensive Security

Hack Tricks is a free online wiki book that provides updated methodologies for various types of penetration testing and offers hardening guides.

SecLists and Payload All The Things are two important fuzzing resources, created out of necessity during a challenging internal penetration test.

SecLists, now pre-installed on Kali, offers a collection of fuzzing lists and common passwords, helping to streamline the scanning process for security testing.

Valuable Resources for Web Security Testing

Payload All the Things is a key project offering fuzzing, payload collection, and valuable context on vulnerabilities, making it essential for new web security testers and Red Teamers.

The author also recommends several newsletters for staying informed on security news, AI research, and bug bounty methodologies, including Unsupervised Learning, TL;DR Sec, Bug Bytes, Securib's Hive Five, and Greg's Bug Bounty Reports Explained.

These resources provide insights into real-world hacking, tool releases, and case studies, making them invaluable for anyone in the security testing field.

Matt Jay's Vulnerable U and Bug Bounty Feeds

Vulnerable U, by Matt Jay, addresses burnout and depression in the security profession, offering insights for a long-lasting career.

The newsletter provides up-to-date information on security incidents, with Matt's investigative journalism offering a unique inside scoop.

HackerOne and Bugcrowd offer publicized bug bounty reports, providing valuable real-world insights into vulnerabilities and security disclosures.

Resources for Learning Offensive Security

There are several platforms for learning about vulnerabilities, with Hack The Box and TryHackMe being the most commonly recommended.

These platforms offer learning tracks and labs, along with CTF challenges, covering a wide range of security topics.

Pentester Lab, led by Louie, also provides exercises and challenges for understanding CVEs, making it a valuable resource for those looking to advance in their security careers.

Resources for Starting a Career in Penetration Testing

Jason shares his expertise on building a career in penetration testing and red teaming.

He recommends free resources like wikis, the Red Team Field Guide, and Web Academy for web application penetration testing.

For network hacking, he suggests a book by James Forshaw that focuses on the methodology of attacking network protocols.