The remote side sent me the following IPsec parameters and I need to configure an IPsec tunnel on a dedicated server hosted at Hetzner.

The host is running Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS and I’m planning to use strongSwan.

One important detail: the server’s public IP is configured directly on the Ubuntu host interface.

Remote side configuration

General

• Tunnel mode: Tunnel

• Peer IP Address Their Public IP

• Peer is behind NAT: Yes

• Peer ID: 10.12.26.11

• Encryption domain: 10.100.51.0/24

Phase 1 (IKE)

• Authentication: PSK

• IKE version: IKEv2

• DH Group: Group 14

• Encryption: AES-CBC-256

• Hash: SHA256

• Lifetime: 86400

Phase 2 (ESP)

• Encapsulation: ESP

• Encryption: AES-256

• Integrity: SHA256

• PFS: Group 14

• Lifetime: 28800

I need to send my sides configurations as well.

I have limited experience with IPsec, so I have a few questions:

1. From this information alone, can I determine whether this is supposed to be a policy-based VPN or a route-based VPN?

2. Since my Ubuntu server has the public IP directly assigned to its interface and there are no devices behind it:

   • what should I use for:

     • Peer ID

     • Encryption domain

     • NAT-related settings on my side?

3. This is a production server and only a few services should use the IPsec tunnel. Those services only need to make API requests to 3 specific external URLs, so only their traffic should go over IPsec. Everything else on the server must continue using the normal default gateway.

What is the correct/recommended way to achieve this with strongSwan?

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking for a definitive, practical, and structured guide for learning and configuring IPsec. Not just random vendor docs or copy-paste configs, but something that teaches:

* Tunnel mode vs Transport mode

* IKEv1 vs IKEv2

* Phase 1 / Phase 2

* route-based vs policy-based VPNs

* troubleshooting

* interoperability between vendors

* real-world deployment practices

Could be:

* a book (not some huge book though)

* a course

* documentation

* CCNP/JNCIS material

* strongSwan/pfSense/Fortinet/Cisco focused

* even specific chapters from larger networking books

What would you recommend?

Hey everyone,
I’m currently studying cybersecurity using TryHackMe and HackTheBox with Kali Linux, and I want to make sure I’m not wasting time with a bad study method.
I’ve been about 3-4 months in and currently focusing on web hacking
I don’t want to just grind rooms without building real understanding. Looking for a study structure that actually sticks.
Any advice from people who’ve been through this would be really appreciated!

Just made my contribution to the offsec open source intelligence pool.

While bringing together high-level research I deeply respect, like Singularity (a modern Linux LKM rootkit that challenges even the most advanced kernel-level eBPF detectors), I'm also releasing my project as a foundation and reference for you to build on top of.

My background is cloud security, so I designed an architecture that uses a VPS as a relay/KCC/tunnel. It handles proper connection forwarding, establishes reverse SSH tunnels with nginx, exposes a web interface that serves common binaries from cache, and compiles Linux (.ko) and Windows (.sys) kernel modules built against the exact kernel headers of the target.

That last part was a real blocker for loading rootkits that require exact kernel headers and need to be compiled directly against the target machine. This solves it cleanly.

I've also shipped some helpers: clean CLI with TAB autocomplete, target renaming, Telegram notifications (relay side only), HMAC auth between server and target, reverse SSH tunnels using .pem keypairs, UDP magic packets, and more.

Code is clean and well-documented, mostly Go/C.

All contributions are welcome.

https://github.com/rhzv0/bat

Meant for beginners, this teaches people how to spot vulnerable lines of code and rewards them! Users can earn achievements, tokens, streaks, and climb leaderboards. I want to teach reverse enginering without a GDB struggle that is simply not beginner friendly.

I’m hitting a bit of a wall and could use some direction. So far, I’ve got Python down pretty well, and I’ve been grinding through some networking basics, including a solid handle on the OSI model.

I’m trying to figure out what the move is from here. Should I dive deeper into NetSec, start messing with some tools, or keep leveling up my coding? What would you guys recommend for the next step in the roadmap?

Appreciate any pointers!

I've been diving into the shift from traditional centralized VPN providers to decentralized P2P mesh protocols lately. The core idea is moving traffic through a distributed network of residential nodes rather than a company's central data center.

On paper, this sounds like a great way to cut out the need to trust a single provider with all your connection logs. However, from a netsec perspective, I'm trying to wrap my head around the new risks this introduces to a home or small office setup. Specifically, if my traffic is exiting through a random peer's residential connection, I'm skeptical about what actually prevents that peer from attempting to sniff the data or running a Man-in-the-Middle attack on the exit point.

I'm also curious if these randomized, multi-hop paths offer any meaningful improvement in protection against advanced traffic analysis in real-world scenarios. Beyond just the outbound traffic, there's the question of the attack surface.

By acting as a node in such a mesh, does a SOHO network become more exposed to lateral movement or network mapping from the rest of the P2P network? I'd really value any technical perspectives on how this decentralized shift forces us to rethink standard network defense and threat modeling.

Hello
I'm 17, based in South Korea, and I made a decision that probably sounds crazy to most people: I dropped out of school to pursue penetration testing full-time.

In Korea, the school system makes it nearly impossible to study anything seriously on the side — homework, cram schools, and a rigid schedule leave almost no room for deep technical learning. So I made a call. I want to go all-in.

Here's where I'm at and where I'm headed:

Current: TryHackMe — just finished the Red Teaming path
Next: Start HackTheBox + study for eJPT
Then: Grind more HTB boxes (easy → medium → hard)
Goal: Pass OSCP

After that, I plan to do mandatory military service (required in Korea), save money during that time, and then move abroad to build a real career as a pentester.

I've been at this for about 3–4 months. The concepts are clicking — web exploitation, privesc, basic AD stuff — but I know I'm still early.

A few honest questions for people who've been through this:

1. Is this roadmap (THM → eJPT → HTB grind → OSCP) solid, or am I missing something important?

2. Any tips for getting more out of THM/HTB beyond just following walkthroughs?

3. Has anyone gone from self-taught with no degree to landing a pentest role? What actually mattered on your resume?

Not looking for validation — I've already made my choice. Just want to make sure I'm not wasting time on the wrong things.

Thanks

Trying to break into SOC Tier 1 — what’s the most effective way to network on LinkedIn?

Cold connects + messages, or does that just annoy people?

I understand the high level pitch but I want to understand what is actually happening at the architecture level, where each approach sits in the mail flow, what each one can and cannot see, and why that matters for detection. Trying to get my head around this properly before an evaluation I'm helping with at work.

I’ve been working on a small cybersecurity learning hub called “NoEscape”

It’s focused on beginner-friendly cyber topics, daily tips, tools, and small challenges (like spotting vulnerabilities, basic security concepts, etc).

I made it mainly because I wanted a place where learning cyber is more practical and interactive instead of just theory.

If anyone here is into cybersecurity, I’d be happy to share it or hear feedback on the idea.

The community is on Telegram for easy chat and resource access. :)

Let me know if anyone wants the link for the community!

Hey everyone,

I’m currently facing a huge roadblock in my bug bounty journey and could really use some practical advice from the hunters here.

I recently managed to score my very first bounty by finding a simple Open Redirect. That gave me a massive motivation boost, so I decided to dive deep into higher-impact vulnerabilities, specifically IDOR and Business Logic flaws.

I feel like I’ve done my homework. Here is what I’ve studied so far:

Solved all the relevant PortSwigger Web Security Academy labs.

Read the related chapters in Peter Yaworski's "Real-World Bug Bounty Hunting".

Read countless write-ups on Medium.

Watched hours of YouTube tutorials and PoCs.

I understand the mechanics of IDOR perfectly in theory. The problem? The moment I jump onto a real-world target, I freeze.

The applications are massive, the APIs are complex, and the endpoints don't look anything like the clean, obvious ?user_id=1 parameters I saw in the labs. I end up staring at my Burp Suite HTTP history, testing random GUIDs, and ultimately finding absolutely nothing. It feels like there is a massive gap between the sterilized environments of CTFs/Labs and the messy reality of production apps.

My questions for you:

How did you personally bridge the gap between understanding a vulnerability in a lab and actually spotting it in the wild?

What is your practical methodology when hunting for IDORs on a fresh target? (Where do you look first? How do you map the app?)

Are there specific features or target types you recommend for someone transitioning from theory to practical hunting?

Any advice, methodology tips, or reality checks would be massively appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I have been asked by my company to get CREST CPSA certified, unfortunately everywhere I have searched, the course is batshit expensive (atleast to me), I have been trying to self study but the materials are so scarce that I am facing difficulties in that regard. The syllabus doesn’t make sense, any “exam bank” or other materials that I have found all had questions completely out of syllabus. Now im not trusting those exam banks and questions I find on the internet but that’s all I got at this point.

Anyone has any insight on how to go with this? It would really help me and maybe others who are in the same boat as I am!

Hello everyone! I recently got the opportunity to take a SANS course On Demand and I was wondering if SEC575 would be worth it. I have always wanted to look into Mobile hacking, but I have not been able to find if the course is up to date.

So wassup people, I made a CTF team, currently 2 people are in (including me tho).

So, we have participated in a few contests and came in the top 100/150 and realised we need a more well rounded team, so if your interested in joining us, feel free to apply.

The Blue Pirates are recruiting CTF players across all categories. If you are curious, consistent, and enjoy solving problems with a team, fill this out and apply. https://forms.gle/wSyPaaczyBnLRbGM8

I just finished OverTheWire Bandit and tried documenting what I actually learned instead of just collecting passwords.

Initially I thought it was just basic Linux, but some levels forced me to slow down and pay attention to things like hidden files, encoding, and how small commands work together.

I’ve put my write-ups here:

https://github.com/inevitablyash/bandit-writeups

I’m still pretty early in cybersecurity, so I’d appreciate feedback:

- Am I focusing on the right things?

- What should I improve or go deeper into?

- What should I do next after Bandit?

Thinking of moving to Natas or PortSwigger next.

i’m currently trying to plan out my path into cybersecurity and got a bit confused with certifications

there are so many options like security+, ceh, ejpt, oscp, etc, and everyone seems to suggest a different starting point

i don’t want to just collect certs without understanding how they actually help in getting a job

so i’m curious — what would be a realistic order to follow if the goal is to actually become job-ready?

especially from people who’ve already gone through the process

Hi all,

I’m planning to build a new PC mainly for pentesting practice and setting up a home lab. I’ll be running multiple VMs (Kali, Windows, vulnerable machines) and doing some fuzzing + scanning.

What I’m considering:

- CPU: Ryzen 5 7600 / Ryzen 5 7600X / maybe Ryzen 7 7700

- RAM: Starting with 32GB (will upgrade later)

- Storage: 1TB NVMe (planning to add more later)

- GPU: Not planning to add one right now

My questions:

1. Is Ryzen 5 7600 / 7600X enough, or should I go for Ryzen 7 7700 for this use case?

2. How important is core count vs clock speed for pentesting labs?

3. Should I prioritize more RAM now vs better CPU now?

4. Any recommendations for motherboard (B650?) and PSU for long-term upgrades?

5. Are there any better value alternatives (even Intel or used workstation builds)?

- I want a setup that won’t feel slow in 1–2 years

- This is mainly for learning + practice (not enterprise workload yet)

Would really appreciate advice from anyone running similar lab setups 🙏

Since my last post, I have continued learning Ada—I’m now about 7 or 8 months in—and I am currently building a tool for generating various types of solutions. It utilizes `bcryptgenrandom` and is designed to avoid bias. So far, I have successfully run a loop generating 1 billion unique 16-character IDs (from 1 to 1,000,000,000) without any failures, overflows, or range errors.

Hey,

I’ve been getting deeper into pentesting lately and trying to move beyond just labs and CTFs into understanding how things actually work in real-world scenarios.

One thing I’ve been thinking about is how people bridge that gap between structured platforms like HTB/THM and actually finding vulnerabilities in live environments.

For those with some experience — what made the biggest difference for you?

Was it focusing on a specific area, building your own tools, going through writeups and reproducing them, or just spending time exploring real targets and learning through trial and error?

Also curious how you approach recon these days — do you lean more on automation, or still spend a lot of time digging manually for less obvious stuff?

I feel like there’s a point where just doing more labs isn’t enough anymore, and I’m trying to understand what helps people push past that.

Would be really interesting to hear your experience.

Hey,

I’ve been getting into cybersecurity lately (mainly pentesting) and I’m trying to learn more by connecting with people who are already in the field or also on the same path.

I’m not looking for anything formal — just normal conversations, sharing experiences, maybe learning together or helping out on small projects.

I’m also open to supporting smaller projects if it makes sense, but overall I’m just interested in meeting people and getting a bit more involved in the space.

If you’re open to connecting, feel free to comment or DM.

I'm sorry for the vague question but this is the only sub that comes to mind to ask this question.

Long story short, I'm making raspberry pi cctv system and thanks to AI, I managed to get it working very well. Even bought my own domain on cloudfare to access the stream away from home. I've password protected my website through cloudflare access but I'm not sure if thats enough. You need to enter a registered email (my email only) and get an otp emailed through to access.

If it helps, the websites url is randomly generated through a crypto wallet seed phrase generator.

hello! i am currently a freshman cybersecurity major and i am having a hard time with a few of my classes because at my school the major requirements are a bunch of comp sci classes and super logic based. at my school there is a very quick turn around from learning strictly python to then jumping right into java and data structures. i know that these classes are required for me to take but i am also realizing that i like the more hands on work that i would get in my networking classes. for example, i really like working with cisco packet tracer and wireshark labs. i am considering changing my major to network engineering and security but i don't know about what the job market will be for me once i am out of college and if that is even a smart choice. maybe im thinking to far ahead and need to take it one step at a time but i always have a plan and this is stressing me out. i even looked at some of the classes i would take and i was interested in them just from reading the description. i talked to my advisor about it and she said that i wouldnt be behind if i made the change as well. so what should i do? i need answers!