Pre-requisite Knowledge for Cyber Security — TryHackMe Learning Path

Ashutosh Verma
6 min readJul 7, 2021
Pre Security Learning Pathway

In this post I will be reviewing a new learning path released by TryHackMe on their platform which is Pre Security. This learning path is designed keeping beginners in mind and I must say they did it very well.

If you ask or observe best hackers then you will find one thing common in all of them which is also a pre requisite to get started in cyber security and that is strong grip on FUNDAMENTALS. But when you want to start learning about them the problem arises that is from where to learn all those fundamentals because it is difficult to find them in one place but TryHackMe tried their best to solve this problem by releasing this learning path which teaches you the pre-requisite technical knowledge in a fun way to get started in cyber security.

Pre Security consist of five modules which covers all the must have basics to be good in cyber security.

Pre Security Learning Path Modules

Lets go through these modules one by one.

Module-1: Cyber Security Introduction

Room-1: Learning Cyber Security

This room introduces you with importance of most basic pillars of security which are Web Application Security and Network Security. This room also has interactive lab which helps you to understand things in more clear manner.

Interactive Lab in Split Screen

Module-2: Network Fundamentals

Room-1: What is Networking ?

This room helps you to find out answers for very basic networking questions such as What is Networking, What is the Internet , How devices are identified on a network, working and use of ping command. This room also has interesting split screen labs.

Room-2: LAN

This room introduces you with Local Area Network Topologies, concept of subnetting, Address Resolution Protocol(ARP) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol(DHCP). One thing I like most about this room is that it has animated interactive labs which helps you to learn in a fun as well as interactive way.

Animated Lab to Understand Ring Topology Failure

Room-3: OSI Model

OSI Model always seems boring to me but it is also inevitable to learn. This is the first time I liked learning about OSI Model as this room has a tiny game to learn the sequence of OSI Model layer. You can easily win that game if you know the “Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizzas Away” mantra.

OSI Dungeon Game

Room-4: Packets & Frames

This room tells you about the difference between packets and frames, what is TCP/IP Three-way Handshake, what are ports and why are they needed.

Room-5: Extending Your Network

After doing all the rooms given above you are now capable to understand how networks can be made secure using firewall (animated lab given) and what are it’s types. Then it tells you about Virtual Private Network(VPN) and working of important network devices such as router and switches.

Module-3: How The Web Works

Room-1: DNS in Detail

DNS helps humans to get rid of remembering the Internet addresses of a websites and allows you to use easy to remember names like google.com. Therefore, it is important to understand how this resolving is performed behind the scenes to find out if there is any flaw in this whole process. This room helps you learn about the working of DNS system in detail.

Room-2: HTTP in Detail

To exploit website vulnerabilities we need to have good understanding of HTTP and request-response model. This room explains everything important to learn about HTTP(s), HTTP status codes, it’s methods, what are headers and cookies in a HTTP request.

Room-3: How Websites Work

After understanding request-response model and HTTP the next level in the sequence of learning is how websites work. This room introduces you with web technologies which are used to create websites and how to perform injection attacks on them. To make you understand better this room has some good split screen labs which asks you to perform some tasks for better understanding.

Room-4: Putting It All Together

After learning so many concepts things might be fragmented inside your brain. I think keeping this in mind this room is designed, it concludes all the rooms you covered in this module.

Module-4: Linux Fundamentals

Room-1: Linux Fundamentals Part 1

This room introduces you with Linux OS which is widely used for servers, that is why it is important to have knowledge of Linux. This room starts from very basic things about Linux such as running you first few commands, how can you interact with Linux filesystem, what are shell operators etc.

Room-2: Linux Fundamentals Part 2

After learning about very basic things this room levels up and tells you about SSH, what are flags and switches of a command and how can you help yourself to learn about different commands using their manual pages. Then it introduces you about Linux permission model which is very important to learn from security point of view.

Room-3: Linux Fundamentals Part 3

This the last room of this module which might be intimidating for some beginners but don’t worry because your Linux skills will get better with time. This room consist of topics such as how to work with text editors, what are useful utilities available in Linux to fetch pages/scripts hosted on a server, explains about running processes how they start how to manage them etc. Then another important thing to learn comes in the next sequence which are maintaining system using automation using crons, package management and Logs.

Module-5: Windows Fundamentals

Room-1: Windows Fundamentals 1

Windows OS is a complex product with many system files, utilities, settings, features, etc. Windows OS is widely used in corporate environments that is why is also a tempting target for hackers.

To make systems having this OS secure you need to have a good knowledge about it. This room explains about some basic features of OS such as Desktop, Filesystem, System32 folders, User accounts, profile and permissions, what is User Account Control, how to change settings using control panel and what is task manager.

Room-2: Windows Fundamentals 2

This is the last room of this module which is not easy as first room of this module. Things explained in this room are the most important to learn as it tells you about how to do system configurations using msconfig. Then another important thing to learn is UAC settings. Then it introduces you with another important utility which is compmgmt to perform computer management task. Knowledge of windows registry and resource monitoring is also very important to learn from security point of view which is covered in this room nicely.

I strongly encourage all the beginners to have strong grasp over all the basics explained in this path because after some years of starting your career you will realize that all these concepts make you stand unique in this field.

I would really like to thank TryHackMe for always making things easier to learn specially for beginners because it could be daunting for them to get started with something new in this field, but your platform always help us to learn new things.

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Ashutosh Verma

An avid learner in the field of information security. A self learner and a ctf player sometimes.