In this episode, we delve into the often-overlooked yet fundamental importance of learning how to "build" systems, networks, and applications for cybersecurity professionals. Coining the philosophy "Build, Secure, Hack," we explore why hands-on experience in building provides an essential foundation for effectively securing and ultimately understanding how to hack those environments. We discuss the pitfalls of skipping these foundational IT skills, highlight the immense value of setting up a home lab for practical learning, and offer concrete examples of what to build to enhance your cybersecurity expertise and career prospects in today's job market.

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YouTube Resources

• NetworkChuck - https://www.youtube.com/c/NetworkChuck
• Techno Tim - https://www.youtube.com/c/TechnoTimLive
• LearnLinuxTV - https://www.youtube.com/c/LearnLinuxTV
• The Coding Train - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCodingTrain
• Professor Messer - https://www.youtube.com/@professormesser

Virtualization Platforms

• VirtualBox – Free and easy to use. - https://www.virtualbox.org/
• VMware Workstation Player – Personal use version of VMware.
• Proxmox VE – Advanced, self-hosted hypervisor.

Lab Design Ideas

• pfSense as your firewall/router
• Linux and Windows VMs for practice
• Add vulnerable VMs from VulnHub to practice attack/defend - https://www.vulnhub.com/
• Add Security Onion to practice detection - https://securityonionsolutions.com/

Automation / DevOps

• Ansible – Infrastructure as code for deploying and managing servers - https://www.ansible.com/
• Docker – Build and run isolated containers (great for web apps or SOC tools) - https://www.docker.com/
• HomelabOS – Build an entire lab with one command - https://homelabos.com/

Cloud Options

• AWS Free Tier - https://aws.amazon.com/free/
• Google Cloud Free Tier - https://cloud.google.com/free
• Microsoft Azure for Students - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/students/

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