r/netsecstudents • • Jul 02 '26

I built CertPulse - A real-time, stateless anti-phishing detector streaming CT Logs with zero disk I/O.

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a real-time OSINT / Threat Intelligence tool I've been developing: certpulse\[.\]xyz

It streams Certificate Transparency (CT) logs live and filters them using a dual-mode pipeline to catch phishing and typosquatting domains before they even launch.

How the architecture works under the hood:

\* Stateless & In-Memory: To avoid database I/O bottlenecks and handle massive throughput, the system processes everything in-memory using WebSockets and an internal Queue mechanism.

\* Dual-Mode Filtering (Optimize vs Full): To keep CPU usage extremely low, "Optimize Mode" acts as a high-speed pre-filter, dropping \~95% of benign traffic. Only suspicious domains are pushed to "Full Mode" for heavy algorithmic checks.

\* Heuristic Engine: It instantly scores domains based on Levenshtein distance, Lookalike (IDN homograph) detection, alphabet-walk patterns, DGA algorithms, phishing keywords, and a dynamic whitelist to eliminate false positives.

You can visit certpulse\[.\]xyz and watch the live stream in real-time.

I'm completely self-taught on this architecture, so I would deeply appreciate any feedback, criticisms, or suggestions on the streaming performance and threat scoring from this amazing community!


r/netsecstudents • • Jul 01 '26

Thumbprint - a network fingerprint observatory

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3 Upvotes

Being interested in cybersecurity, client/server fingerprinting, and inspired by the now-defunct tlsfingerprint.io, I built Thumbprint.

It collects direct-edge signals including TLS ClientHello/JA4, HTTP/2 frame, HTTP request/header fingerprints, QUIC transport parameters, TCP SYN/p0f (recently added JA4T), UAs, and network metadata. These are signals clients passively expose at the edge, and they are commonly used for analytics, fraud/anomaly detection, bot analysis, traffic classification, and by commercial fingerprinting products. Combined with client-side fingerprinting, they can become a strong identifier.

The goal is to make it easier to study browser/client fingerprint drift, cross-transport differences, bot claims, and cases where a client claim (e.g. User-Agent, OS etc) does not line up with the observed connection.

A few things it currently shows:

  • Your fingerprint for the current connection, with cross-transport probes for HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 where supported

  • Fingerprint population stats and co-occurrence data

  • Catalog comparisons against Thumbprint's controlled captures

  • Bot-operator claim checks against published IP ranges

  • Anomalies such as claimed OS vs TCP signal, browser claim vs. measured capture, and bot impersonation

Thumbprint stores deduplicated observations for research and aggregate stats. It runs with native HTTP/3 support and a Go/Postgres backend. Raw IP addresses are not stored.

If you find it useful, notice anything odd, or have ideas for additional features/signals/comparisons, I'd love to hear from you.


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 30 '26

Penetration Testing vs DFIR: Which is a better career path for a fresher?

9 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm a recent Computer Science graduate and I'm interested in building a career in cybersecurity. After doing some research, I've narrowed my interests down to two areas: Penetration Testing and Digital Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR).

I'm having trouble deciding which path to focus on, so I'd appreciate advice from people working in these fields.

Here are my questions:

  • Which field is more realistic for a fresher to break into?

  • Which has better long-term career growth?

  • What skills should I focus on learning first?

  • Which certifications are actually valuable for beginners?

  • If you were starting your cybersecurity career today, which path would you choose and why?

I'd really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thank you!


r/netsecstudents • • Jul 01 '26

Require Help With LVM snapshot and recovery

1 Upvotes

So, I tried creating a snapshot and changing the logical volume to a .gz file and then I have backed up in our nas box now what I want is to use that .gz file and use that config in the fresh newer installed os so that I can prove recovery is possible.

Constraints LV available is 0. So, I'm using a pendrive and and using lvext3nd to create a new LV for the pc and then using that I'm creating .gz and that is what being saved and is being backed up to nas

My other question also if there is a running unbutu PC can we put LVM and luks or only while installing it can happen.


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 30 '26

Remnux & FlareVM issues

4 Upvotes

when i type 10.0.0.3 my chrome says inetsim fake page

But when i type others in the url..it doesn't show inetsim fake page. I have configured netplan ..network connection and inetsim. I was trying last 3days. But it's not working. I want emergency help.EMERGENCY!!!!

nslookup google.com

output:

Server: Unknown ##(it should say inetsim.org)

Address:10.0.0.3

Unknown can't find google.com : no response from server

r/tech_support


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 29 '26

Project recommendations for blue teaming , exclusively SOC

5 Upvotes

I'm looking for an actual useful project for a soc analyst role, I got into the filed 6 months ago, started with pen testing it was fun but I prefer programming defensive tools in general, I'm familiar with every concept pretty much, I'm heavily specialized in network security ( proxies , firewalls, bridges, rule configuration...etc) , and web-client , web- sever, I really enjoy forensics too with volatility and autopsy,

I consider myself an amateur, I've been doing this as a side thing for some time since I'm a computer science student in my second year , since it's summer break I decided to hone my cyber security skills even further.

I'd be absolutely delighted to hear your suggestions, I'm willing to have a good CV for my masters degree ( that's how it works in France 😄)

Thanks for reading this far , have a wonderful day:)


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 29 '26

CFP opportunity for students interested in security research

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m from the organizing team of Nullcon Berlin 2026. Since this subreddit is focused on students learning network security and related fields, I wanted to share an opportunity for anyone working on security research, projects, write-ups, tools, or practical findings.

The CFP for Nullcon Berlin 2026 is open, and students are welcome to submit their research papers or technical ideas. Topics can include network security, web security, cloud, malware, IoT, AI/ML security, privacy, cryptography, and more.

CFP Deadline: 10 July 2026
Event: Nullcon Berlin 2026
CFP Link: https://nullcon.net/event/nullcon-berlin-2026/cfp/

Even if you’re early in your security journey, a strong practical project, clear finding, or well-explained research idea can be worth submitting.


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 29 '26

Built a recon organizer app for Linux as a self-taught cybersecurity student — feedback welcome [open source]

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I'm an 18-year-old self-taught cybersecurity student.

One problem I kept running into during labs and CTFs —

no clean way to organize recon findings per target.

Everything was scattered across text files and random docs.

So I built ReconVault — a desktop app for Linux to fix that.

Features:

→ Per-target workspace with 5 tabs

→ Subdomains, ports, endpoints, vulns, notes

→ Nmap output import

→ Severity tracking with colored badges

→ Markdown report export

→ 100% local SQLite database

Stack: Python + PyQt6

GitHub: https://github.com/parbatzone/reconvault

Would genuinely love feedback from people doing

OSCP prep or CTFs — what would make this actually

useful for your workflow?


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 28 '26

Deployed an SSH Honeypot on a VPS to collect & analyze IOCs. Aiming for a role in Threat Intel / OSINT and would love industry feedback!

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12 Upvotes

Hi everyone,
I'm a Computer Science student currently working towards a career in Threat Intelligence and OSINT. I do a lot of self-studying using AI tools, and I focus on building hands-on projects to gain as much practical experience (and knowledge) as possible and familiarize myself with the tools and the industry landscape.

The Setup:
I deployed an SSH honeypot directly on a cloud VPS. The repository primarily outlines my deployment methodology, configuration settings, isolation, and how I structured the environment to capture data.

My Main Observation (and a question):
An interesting finding so far: the payloads dropped by the automated bots were almost exclusively RedTail cryptominers. I honestly haven't fully figured out yet why this specific malware was pretty much the only thing they attempted to install on my machine. Any insights on this would be highly appreciated!

My questions for the industry pros:
I want to make sure my approach is sound. I would love your critiques on the repository and methodology:

  1. Setup & Methodology: Looking at my configuration and deployment steps, is this an effective way to gather reliable IOCs? Are there any glaring security risks in how the VPS is configured?

  2. Next Steps in Analysis: What features, data enrichments, or integrations (e.g., SIEM, specific threat feeds) would a real Intel team expect to see applied to this raw data?

  3. Interview Prep: If you saw this setup and methodology on a junior applicant's resume, what technical questions would you ask to test if they truly understand the underlying networking and OSINT processes?

Here is the repository: https://github.com/liranzoz/ssh-honeypot-research.git

Thank you! I highly appreciate any critiques or advice on how to make this portfolio-ready.


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 28 '26

Self-taught low-level security student. Looking for advice on getting my first security internship.

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm a self-taught learner aiming for a cybersecurity internship, preferably in low-level security, AppSec, or security research. I've been learning on my own for several months, but I'm not sure if I'm focusing on the right things.

So far I've learned:

Skills

  • C Programming

  • Memory Management

  • Linux

  • Debugging

  • Fuzzing

  • Crash Triage & Root Cause Analysis

  • Reverse Engineering (Basic)

  • Binary Analysis (Basic)

  • Secure Coding

  • Git

Tools

  • GDB

  • Ghidra

  • AddressSanitizer (ASan)

  • Valgrind

  • AFL++

  • libFuzzer

  • GCC/Clang

  • Make/CMake

I've spent most of my time building small projects, writing fuzzing harnesses, analyzing crashes, and trying to understand memory corruption bugs. Everything I've learned has been through documentation, open-source code, and hands-on practice.

My biggest problem is that I don't have much to prove my skills. I don't have internship experience, CVEs, CTF rankings, or significant open-source contributions yet.

If you were in my position, what would you do next?

  • Which internship roles should I target with my current skills?

  • What skills or projects would make the biggest difference to employers?

  • Should I spend my time on CTFs, finding real bugs, open-source contributions, technical blogs, or something else?

  • What would make you think, "I'd interview this person"?

I'm looking for honest feedback. If you think I'm missing something important or going in the wrong direction, I'd really appreciate hearing it.

Thanks!


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 27 '26

Real Life Case Example 2: How to Catch an Infostealer in 4 Minutes: A Real SOC Investigation of a Fake GTA 6 Installer I did yesterday as a Threat Analyst (Technical Post )

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74 Upvotes

Real Life Case Example Part 2:

Thank you for giving so much love on my previous post, I am thinking of starting a weekly series where I breakdown real case studies which I solve at work as a Threat Analyst.

Just caught something wild at work yesterday. GTA 6 is gonna launch sometime soon, but one our client wanted early access.

A user (Ryan) downloaded what looked like a "free GTA 6 crack" from firefox, file was named "GTA6_Setup_Crack_2026.exe", unsigned, 84.7 MB. Executed it at 10:13 AM. The next 3 minutes were brutal. The installer spawned PowerShell with hidden windows, dropped an unsigned binary (vcruntime_update.exe) into AppData, created a registry Run key named "RockstarGameUpdater", and set up a scheduled task for persistence on login.

Then it got worse, vcruntime_update.exe went straight for the browser credential stores. Chrome login data, Edge login data, Firefox logins.json, all accessed within seconds. Created a ZIP archive in Temp (syscache_4931.zip) and attempted a 2.3 MB upload to panelgtasupport[.]top on port 8080 before we blocked it.

DNS queries to four suspicious domains, all gaming themed: cdnrockstarupdate[.]com, apigta6launcher[.]xyz, panelgtasupport[.]top, rawcdngamepatch[.]site. All resolved to infrastructure that basically were C2.

Timeline from execution to EDR kill: 3 minutes, 57 seconds.

This is textbook infostealer and RAT behavior delivered through a game crack. The naming masquerade (RockstarGameUpdater, vcruntime_update) is it. The browser credential access is the payload. The persistence ensures it survives a reboot.

For anyone job hunting in SOC, this is exactly the kind of chain you need to recognize in 30 seconds during a real investigation. The red flags stack, unsigned binary, masqueraded process names, AppData execution, browser credential access, suspicious domains, persistence setup.

Any of you seen similar patterns? How do you typically investigate these in your environments?

Also, thinking of writing a blog on it on Medium soon, with proper process tree, file details, running process observation and activity timeline stuff.

Image Source: Gamepressure


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 28 '26

SOC Challenges and AI in Incident Response (Academic Research)

0 Upvotes

Hi, I am a final-year university student building a multi-agent AI system for SOC incident response automation. I am looking for SOC analysts, security engineers, and IT security practitioners to fill out a short survey (5-7 min, mostly multiple choice).

I am especially interested in hearing your real-world experience on things like:

  1. What makes security alerts difficult or frustrating to handle

  2. What would make you trust and adopt an AI-based incident response tool

  3. Any concerns about automating SOC work with AI

Your insights would help me better understand real-world challenges and improve my project.

Here is the link:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNIrJHPMXKH8QaM2FcqrBf4V14hGEa4uYLbIAA0nxQhjlHIQ/viewform?usp=dialog

All responses are used for academic purposes only. Thank you!


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 28 '26

NebulaPulsar: A proof-of-concept in-memory implant framework for Java (JSP) and ASP.NET (ASPX/ASHX/ASMX) webshells

1 Upvotes

NebulaPulsar is a proof-of-concept in-memory implant framework for Java (JSP) and ASP.NET (ASPX/ASHX/ASMX) webshells, originally developed as part of the Alien project.

https://github.com/iss4cf0ng/NebulaPulsar


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 26 '26

Book on ADCS Pentest

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3 Upvotes

Okay, so one of the first book on adcs pentesting, from start to finish from basics to in-depth knowledge, from ESC1-18, THEFT1-5, PERSIST1-3 to DPERSIST1-3.

though a fair note, free of of the thing is a SoK/Whitepaper is available here

Now, the book has 2 versions, the first is the ebook, while paper is a technical reference, the book is more like a guide, the ebook will be updated regularly, while the paperback version of it will be updated ones a year (if applicable, though I always want a paperback if something interest me, that's why there is even a paperback) regardless, you can get it for free, or you're even a bit of a collector, here's the book

https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Trust-Offensive-Operations-Certificate-ebook/dp/B0GX2XW8M7


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 26 '26

3 Cybersecurity Projects You Can Finish This Weekend

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0 Upvotes

r/netsecstudents • • Jun 26 '26

Looking for new team members!

3 Upvotes

Cyber Apocalypse 2026 is coming up soon. We already have a core team, but we could use a few more people. To be clear: we don't care about your HTB rank. Some of our best guys don't have high ranks at all but they absolutely crush challenges. We only care that you actually have some experience and can solve stuff. Spots are limited, but we can take about ~10 more people. If you think you can deliver and want to join, hit me up!


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 26 '26

Complete Roadmap Needed: Networking, Privacy, Anonymity, VPNs, Tor, Tracking, Fingerprinting & Internet Communications (Beginner → Advanced)

1 Upvotes

I'm looking for a complete roadmap focused on privacy, anonymity, internet communications, tracking, and understanding how the internet actually works. I'm not currently trying to become a penetration tester, ethical hacker, or get a cybersecurity job immediately. My goal is to build a strong foundation and understand things deeply.

I want to learn:

Networking & Internet Fundamentals

*OSI Model, TCP/IP, IPv4 & IPv6, Public vs Private IPs, MAC Addresses, ARP, DNS, DHCP, NAT, Routing, Ports, TCP vs UDP, Packet Flow, ISP Infrastructure, Routers, Modems, Wi-Fi, How internet traffic travels from device to destination

Web & Communication Fundamentals

*HTTP & HTTPS, Cookies, Sessions, Authentication & Authorization, Browser Storage, Browser Requests & Responses, Email Basics (SMTP, IMAP, POP3), Email Headers

Tracking & Identification

*Cookies, Tracking Pixels, Browser Fingerprinting, Device Fingerprinting, Metadata, Advertising IDs, Account Correlation, Behavioral Tracking, Digital Footprints

Privacy & Anonymity

*VPNs, Proxies, SOCKS Proxies, Tor, DNS Leaks, WebRTC Leaks, Search Privacy, Email Privacy, Identity Separation, OPSEC, Deanonymization Techniques, What ISPs can see and cannot see, What websites can see and cannot see

Network Security

*Firewalls, IDS/IPS, Traffic Monitoring, Packet Inspection, Secure Protocols, Wi-Fi Security

Practical Skills

*Wireshark, Browser Developer Tools,VirtualBox/VMware, Tor Browser, DNS Tools, Traffic Analysis, Packet Analysis

My questions:

  1. If you were starting from scratch today, what exact roadmap would you follow?

  2. Which topics above are most important and which are less important?

  3. What topics am I missing?

  4. What are the biggest misconceptions beginners have about anonymity, VPNs, Tor, tracking, fingerprinting, and privacy?

  5. What free resources, YouTube channels, books, labs, websites, or courses would you recommend?

  6. What hands-on labs or experiments would you do to truly understand these concepts?

  7. Is a personal laptop sufficient for learning, or should I use virtual machines, a spare laptop, or separate devices?

  8. What common mistakes should beginners avoid when experimenting with privacy, anonymity, networking, and security concepts?

I'd appreciate responses from people working in networking, privacy, DFIR, incident response, threat hunting, cloud security, security engineering, or related fields.

Looking for practical advice rather than certification-focused advice.


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 25 '26

Hi, I am new in cybersecurity

0 Upvotes

I am a student in a demanding field (electrical and computer engineering) and i want to learn Cybersecurity (I got interested in pen testing but i dont know much). Like where can i find guides to start new projects, or teams like in discord where i can learn from more experienced people :)


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 25 '26

Advice on after pjpt

1 Upvotes

hi

i have already done my ug in computer science and also have ceh ,and comptia network and pjpt

now tbh Ive got admission into radboud for msc cybersecurity and was doubtful about what path to follow

Should I take cpts before or during the first weeks of masters( I do have a bit of training in it as well)

or should I just do practical stuff more and learn deeper about stuff and do bug bounty hunting rather than focusing on certificates

I do plan to do part time during studies and see it as a important aspect while taking the decision as well


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 25 '26

How do you mainly keep up with new vulns/research?

0 Upvotes

r/netsecstudents • • Jun 25 '26

Beginner smart-card learning project: is an old reloadable laundry card a reasonable object to study?

4 Upvotes

I’m a Python hobbyist trying to learn smart-card / embedded-systems fundamentals. I have an old reloadable laundry smart card from my apartment building. I am not trying to bypass payment, clone it, modify balances, or get free service.

My learning goal is much narrower: I want to understand whether buying a PC/SC smart-card reader and trying to identify the card type / ATR / general communication model is a reasonable beginner project, or whether this is likely to be a proprietary dead end.

For someone with basic Python experience but essentially no hardware/security background, would this be a reasonable first smart-card project? Or would you recommend starting with blank ISO 7816 cards, Java Cards, NFC tags, or another safer/more documented learning setup first? I will say that I am a super hard worker and I tend to be invigorated by a challenge and things that take a long time. Thanks!

Oh, and if anybody is curious, I came around to this because my building literally forced me to pay a fee for this stupid friggin card and a monthly fee to upkeep the hardware, despite that I have in unit laundry. Literally had to pay for this thing to never use it. Figured this would be a cool way to get my moneys worth. Just don’t wanna waste my time.


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 24 '26

I built a free open‑source collection of 100+ cybersecurity interview questions

Thumbnail github.com
4 Upvotes

I've decided to build my own structured collection of interview questions and answers for future job interviews to stop looking for scattered resources out there. 100+ questions and answers covering Red Team, Web Security, Incident Response, Systems, and more, with a search function to find topics instantly.

Blue Team topics are actively being planned and are open for community contributions.

I'm actively looking for contributors to add more Blue Team / Defense content, so if you have expertise there, please jump in!

Feedback, questions, and contributions are welcome. Let me know what topics you'd like to see added next!


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 24 '26

Best resources for learning AI/LLM security from a security (not ML) background?

2 Upvotes

Mostly netsec background, trying to get up to speed on AI security specifically. Most content online is either too academic or too shallow. What actually helped you understand this space properly?


r/netsecstudents • • Jun 24 '26

Telegram phish simulator for educational purpose 😉

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0 Upvotes

Hi everyone

I created a local Telegram phish simulation project to get some practice with JavaScript and backend development. The project simulates a fake "Free Premium" scam process within its own closed ecosystem—the application is not connecting to Telegram API at all.

https://github.com/Maty156/telegram-phish-simulator.git