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Capture the flag with TryHackMe and HackTheBox
Continue to Capture… The Skills?In
December 2019 I read a Tweet calling for participants in an “upcoming 24-hour CTF”. Most infosec Tweets with lots of acronyms usually go over my head, this one should have not been any different, except for the gigantic flamingo plastered on it.
If you have not caught on by now, I have a thing for flamingos, they are FABULOUS!
Needless to say, I took notice and started ferociously DuckDuckGo-ing to find what this flamingo-related CTF thing was. I wanted to be part of it. Capture What Flag? details the start of my journey into a list of Capture the Flag events and hacking platforms which has led to my great fascination with CTFs.
TryHackMe had been on this list for the better part of a year. I compared it to HackTheBox (HTB)and back then, HTB’s level of difficulty was beyond my skill level, therefore, I was reluctant to try them. July 2020, a TryHackMe OWASP 10-day challenge encouraged me to reactivate my (never before used) account and jump right in — I have been working my way through hacking rooms ever since.
TryHackMe
TryHackMe (THM) is an online platform focused on the teaching and development of cybersecurity skills through a series of theoretical exercises, CTF competitions, and practical labs.
TryHackMe is a multipurpose platform where a user is able to learn, practice, compete, and create content related to cybersecurity. This platform currently provides users with a free and paid membership, both of which have access to an increasing number of challenges and workshops. The content is displayed in rooms, which have a variety of tasks that, upon completion, earn the user experience points — sometimes even badges!
Rooms in TryHackMe are a virtual space where CTF challenges, workshops, and teaching sessions take place. Essentially, each room is considered a page on the TryHackMe site. The rooms are then broken down into Tasks where theory, instructions, descriptions, and questions…
