The Art of Operational Security: How to Stay Invisible in a Connected World

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In a world where every action, every communication, and every step online leaves a trace, the art of operational security (OpSec) becomes not just important – it becomes survival. In a connected digital landscape, where anonymity is increasingly hard to come by, mastering OpSec isn’t just about avoiding danger; it’s about staying invisible. It’s about making sure that you leave no footprints behind, whether you’re traversing the deep web or simply logging into your bank account.

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The Importance of Using a Client-Side Firewall on Linux: A Comparison of iptables and UFW

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Linux-based systems are widely known for their security and flexibility, but no system is immune to cyber threats. A client-side firewall plays a crucial role in enhancing security by controlling inbound and outbound network traffic. While Linux offers various firewall solutions, iptables and UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) are two of the most commonly used.

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Why Everyone Should Use a Secure and Trustworthy VPN Connection

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In today’s digital age, where cyber threats are increasing in complexity and frequency, protecting one’s online privacy and security has become a necessity. Whether browsing the internet from a home network, a public Wi-Fi hotspot, or a corporate environment, using a secure and trustworthy Virtual Private Network (VPN) is critical. A VPN ensures that users can maintain confidentiality, protect their data from cyber criminals, and access the internet securely.

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How to Locate the Dashboard in OWASP Juice Shop

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The OWASP Juice Shop is a widely used platform in cyber security education and penetration testing, simulating a vulnerable web application where users can practice identifying and mitigating security flaws in a controlled environment. One core challenge in Juice Shop is finding hidden functionality, such as the admin dashboard, which often includes sensitive operations and insights into an application’s internal workings. This guide will walk you through finding the Juice Shop dashboard, highlighting techniques that improve your penetration testing skills in real-world scenarios.

Note: This article is intended for educational and authorized penetration testing purposes only. Always obtain explicit permission before testing any live system.

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Why Do Attackers Prefer Social Engineering Over Brute-Forcing?

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Imagine a would-be intruder outside a locked door. They could try every key in existence, hoping one fits (the brute force method), or simply knock and claim they’re a friend, tricking someone into letting them in (social engineering). Most attackers prefer the latter for good reason. Brute-forcing is time-consuming, suspicious, and often ineffective, while social engineering is like slipping a skeleton key into human trust. Why social engineering is the favored strategy?

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Using John the Ripper to Find Weak Passwords in Linux Systems (Penetration Testing)

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Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for educational and cyber security purposes, intended to help cyber security professionals and learners understand how passwords can be exposed and how to prevent such vulnerabilities. Unauthorized access to computer systems is illegal and unethical. Always obtain proper authorization before conducting penetration testing on any network or system.

In penetration testing, understanding potential vulnerabilities within Linux-based systems is essential for both offensive and defensive strategies. Linux systems store user account information in two files: the /etc/passwd file and the /etc/shadow file. Together, these files contain details that can help penetration testers uncover weak password policies and determine how secure a system’s authentication process is.

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OSINT for Social Media Investigations: Gathering Information about Individuals

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Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has become an essential technique in cyber security, investigation, and research due to its non-invasive, publicly accessible nature. Social media platforms, with their wealth of publicly available information, are prime OSINT resources for understanding a person’s online footprint, behavior, interests, and connections.

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Understanding Egress Costs in the Cloud

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In cloud computing, egress costs represent a significant yet often overlooked aspect of cloud expenditure. These costs arise when data is transferred out of a cloud service, whether to another cloud, on-premises infrastructure, or the public internet. Unlike data ingress, which is typically free, egress charges can accumulate rapidly, leading to unexpected financial burdens for organizations.

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How to Set Up and Host a Chat on the Dark Web

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Setting up a PHP-based chat application like Le Chat on a Linux virtual machine (VM) with MySQL and Apache, specifically configured to run over the Tor network, involves several steps. Even if you don’t want to run an entire .onion empire, it is good to know the basic rules of such systems, how to set it up and what are the limits of Tor’s privacy. After some research in the topic I found dozens of very different chats on the Onion network that run Le Chat, some are very friendly and legal, the other are dark and hostile. Let’s take a look at how can you host your own instance from the comfort of your chair!

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Understanding OpenTofu: A New Era in Infrastructure as Code

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OpenTofu is an emerging open-source tool that aims to redefine infrastructure management within the DevOps community. Born from the need for a truly open-source alternative to Terraform, OpenTofu offers a community-driven approach to infrastructure as code (IaC), providing developers and operations teams with a flexible and robust framework for managing cloud resources.

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The Strategic Advantage of Hiring External DevOps Contractors

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In the fast-evolving world of IT and DevOps, automation is critical. Teams are continually tasked with accelerating deployment processes, minimizing downtime, and ensuring scalability. While in-house teams bring invaluable knowledge of internal systems and workflows, bringing in external contractors – specifically, skilled professionals with expertise in automation – can be a powerful strategy to meet evolving business needs. Here’s a closer look at why IT and DevOps stakeholders should consider hiring external contractors for automation projects.

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