15 beginner-friendly cybersecurity projects with step-by-step instructions. No prior experience needed — just a laptop and the willingness to learn by doing.
One-time purchase • Lifetime access • Built for beginners
Each project is self-contained — complete it in an afternoon, add it to your portfolio, and move to the next.
From setting up your first home lab to scanning real networks and analyzing live traffic — each project builds on the last.
Every project includes a completion checklist, tool list, and what-you-learned summary so you know exactly when you're done.
Each project produces a tangible output — a scan report, a configured system, a write-up — that you can show to employers.
Every project runs in your own isolated lab environment. No legal risk, no live target systems — just clean, ethical practice.
Projects are aligned to entry-level SOC analyst, pen tester, and security engineer tasks — so what you build is what employers want.
Work directly in Notion (duplicate to your workspace) or download the PDF. Both included, both kept updated as tools evolve.
Ordered from foundational to intermediate. Start at #1, finish at #15.
Set up VirtualBox + Kali Linux. Your safe sandbox for every project that follows.
Discover hosts, open ports, and services on your local network. Your first real recon output.
Capture and decode live packets. Identify protocols, credentials, and suspicious activity.
Use Hashcat and John the Ripper to crack MD5 and SHA hashes. Understand why weak passwords fail.
Scan a local DVWA instance for common vulnerabilities: XSS, SQLi, misconfigured headers.
Run a full vuln scan, interpret the report, and prioritize findings by CVSS score.
Write and test Linux firewall rules to allow, block, and log traffic. Harden a live system.
Disable root login, enforce key-based auth, limit access by IP. Before vs. after comparison included.
Parse system and auth logs manually. Identify brute-force attempts, failed logins, and lateral movement.
Ingest logs, build dashboards, and write your first detection rule. See what a SOC analyst sees daily.
Set up a low-interaction honeypot and watch real (automated) attackers probe it within hours.
Build and run a controlled phishing campaign in your lab. Understand what makes people click.
Write a working port scanner from scratch in 30 lines of Python. Understand what tools like Nmap do under the hood.
Guided walkthrough of a TryHackMe beginner room. Learn the CTF format, methodology, and mindset.
Work through a simulated breach scenario: detection → containment → eradication → lessons learned.
No degree, no certs, no experience — just a desire to break into the field with real, demonstrable skills.
You've watched courses and read articles but your GitHub is empty. This fixes that.
Interviewers ask "what have you built?" — these 15 projects give you 15 honest, detailed answers.
CompTIA Security+, CySA+, CEH — these projects reinforce exactly what those exams test.
15 projects. Instant access. Portfolio-ready results.
Everything a beginner needs to go from theory to practice — today.
One-time purchase • Lifetime access • Notion + PDF included
No. Project 1 starts with setting up a home lab from zero. Every project assumes the only prerequisite is completing the one before it.
A laptop or desktop with at least 8GB of RAM and 50GB of free storage. All software used is free and open source.
No. Every project runs entirely within your own isolated virtual lab. You never scan or attack systems you don't own. Full legal and ethical guidance is included in each project.
At a pace of one project per week, you'll finish in about 4 months. Many people move faster. There's no deadline — you have lifetime access.
Yes — each project produces a tangible, describable output you can reference in interviews, add to your resume, and link from your LinkedIn profile. Employers hiring for entry-level SOC, security analyst, and IT security roles specifically look for hands-on experience.
Yes. Tools change, versions update, new best practices emerge. When the guide is updated you'll receive the new version at no extra cost.