It all started back when I was in class 9th. That’s when I first got interested in hacking and started my first YouTube channel. I used to post videos about those “script kiddie” type things — like how to hack phones, access someone’s camera, or do technical tricks. It was fun, but later YouTube deleted my channel for violating their hacking content policy 😅 (this was around 2019–2020).

After I completed class 10th (2020–2021), I finally got my first PC. But before that, I had already completed many free courses from YouTube and Udemy. I was so good at finding paid courses for free back then 😂. During that time, I learned a lot about networking — IPs, protocols, ports, MAC addresses, LAN, WAN, osi model, tcp ip model, everything!

Once I got my PC, I started practicing everything I had learned. Slowly, I moved into real hacking, mainly web penetration testing. I learned from YouTube, Google, and free resources, and practiced on vulnhub machines that I set up locally using VirtualBox. I also started learning bug bounty hunting, and platforms like TryHackMe really helped me understand black-box testing deeply.

By 2023, I had good knowledge of web pentesting, so I moved to API hacking and learned a lot there too. After finishing 12th in 2023, I took BCA (online) in 2024. During my 1-year gap, I learned more things like clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP), Python programming, and made some mini projects locally.

I’ve solved 200+ rooms on TryHackMe and 50+ HackTheBox machines so far. These platforms taught me real-world skills that no normal course can.

At first, my main goal was to go for OSCP, not CEH, because I already knew CEH is more theoretical. But still, I decided to go for CEH v13 as an entry-level cert before OSCP. I took CEH training from a private firm (₹30,000 including exam voucher). The training was too basic for me since I already knew most of it, so I started self-preparing using websites like:

• free-braindumps.com

• ceh.cagy.org

I practiced a lot from these sites, and they really helped. I also used ChatGPT for practice tests and detailed explanations of CEH topics.

Finally, I gave my CEH exam and scored 92% (115/125) 🎯 — the passing mark was 70%, so yeah, I passed easily!

Now, I’m fully focusing on OSCP preparation, cloud security (AWS & Azure pentesting), and even exploring AI security and some blue team stuff like SOC analysis.

Recently, I started a new YouTube channel called “Pentest by HP” where I’ll teach cybersecurity and share walkthroughs of machines. Also, I’ve started writing blogs and walkthroughs here on Hashnode, so stay tuned for more! 💻✨

I’m continuously learning new things and updating myself every day — because in cybersecurity, learning never stops. 🚀

Resources I used ( for learning ethical hacking )

YouTube channels

• Hackersploit

• Bitten Tech

• The cyber Expert

• The cyber mentor

• Pentest By HP - This is my Youtube channel.

Platforms & labs

• TryHackMe

• HackTheBox

• VulnHub

Thanks for reading my journey 🙌
If you’re also starting your ethical hacking journey, just keep learning, practicing, and exploring — your time will come 🔥