Cybersecurity Portfolio

Adhithyan
Sijo

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CTF Platforms

Projects

20+

Skills

∞

Curiosity

About Me

I'm Adhithyan Sijo, a driven and self-motivated cybersecurity enthusiast from Kerala, India 🇮🇳. I'm currently a Plus 2 (Class 12) student with a Bio-Computer stream — studying Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, and English. Most students my age are figuring things out. I already know exactly where I'm headed.

My cybersecurity journey began right from Class 9 — fuelled by deep curiosity about how digital systems actually work beneath the surface. I practice consistently on TryHackMe and Hack The Box, building real hands-on skills through labs that mirror genuine attack scenarios.

I'm particularly passionate about Security Operations and Threat Detection. I'm actively learning how SOC teams operate — studying SIEM platforms like Splunk and ELK Stack, practising log analysis, alert triage, and building the analyst mindset needed to detect threats before they cause damage.

My plan after Plus 2 is to pursue a BCA in Cybersecurity at Marian College Autonomous, Kuttikanam — while continuing to build skills, earn certifications, and take on internships in between.

🌍Kerala, India

🎓Plus 2 — Bio-Computer Stream

🏫BCA Cybersecurity — Marian College

🎯SOC / Cybersecurity Analyst

🐧Kali Linux Daily Driver

🛡️Blue Team Focus

📚Self-Taught & Lab-Driven

✅Open to Internships & Mentorship

profile.json

$ cat profile.json

{

"name": "Adhithyan Sijo",

"grade": "Plus 2 — Class 12",

"stream": "Bio-Computer (CS, Bio, Phy, Chem)",

"location": "Kerala, India 🇮🇳",

"planned_degree": "BCA Cybersecurity — Marian College",

"goal": "SOC Analyst → Google Security Eng.",

"os": "Kali Linux",

"dream": "🎯 Join Google Security Engineering",

"mindset": "Think like attacker, defend like pro",

"status": "Open to internships ✅"

}

$ _

Skills

📋

Hard Skill

Log Analysis & Triage (SIEM, EDR)

Reading and investigating security logs, correlating events across SIEM platforms like Splunk and ELK Stack, triaging alerts from high to low severity.

🔍

Hard Skill

Threat Intelligence & OSINT

Gathering and applying threat intelligence, IOC analysis, OSINT techniques for identifying attacker infrastructure and threat actor profiles.

🚨

Hard Skill

Alert & Event Management

SOC alert triage workflow — identify, investigate, escalate, document, close. False positive analysis and incident prioritisation using case management.

📡

Hard Skill

Network Security Monitoring

Analysing network traffic, identifying anomalies, understanding protocol behaviour using Wireshark, tcpdump, and Zeek for threat detection.

🦠

Hard Skill

Malware Triage & Preliminary Analysis

Basic malware behaviour analysis, sandbox environments, understanding IOCs from malware samples, and recognising common malware families.

🔒

Hard Skill

Cryptography & Network Encryption

Understanding encryption algorithms, PKI, TLS/SSL, hashing, and how cryptography underpins network security and authentication.

⚡

Hard Skill

Incident Response & Containment

IR lifecycle: preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, post-incident reporting. NIST IR framework and documentation practices.

☁️

Hard Skill

Cloud Security Monitoring

AWS CloudTrail, Azure Sentinel, GuardDuty, IAM permission analysis, and cloud-native log monitoring for threat detection in modern environments.

📜

Hard Skill

Compliance & Policy Review

Understanding NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, and how policies translate to technical controls and detections.

🎯

Security

Ethical Hacking

Practicing attack methodologies, vulnerability scanning, and exploitation techniques in controlled lab environments using HTB and TryHackMe.

🛡️

Security

Cybersecurity Fundamentals

CIA triad, threat landscapes, attack vectors, security frameworks (NIST, MITRE ATT&CK), and core defence strategies.

🌍

Security

Web Security (OWASP Top 10)

SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, IDOR, broken authentication — hands-on exploitation and defence in PortSwigger Web Academy and TryHackMe rooms.

🔎

Security

TCP/IP Protocols & Packet Analysis

Deep understanding of protocol behaviour, packet-level analysis with Wireshark, anomaly detection in network captures, and C2 traffic identification.

🖥️

Security

OS & Endpoint Security

Windows Event IDs, Sysmon, PowerShell logging, Linux auth.log analysis, file permissions auditing, and endpoint hardening practices.

🐧

Technical

Linux & Operating Systems

Command-line operations, file permissions, process management, system administration on Kali Linux & Ubuntu. Daily driver for all security work.

🌐

Technical

Networking

TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S, subnetting, routing protocols, firewalls, VPNs, NAT — the backbone of all cybersecurity work.

🐍

Technical

Python Scripting

Security-focused scripts, automation tools, recon utilities using socket, subprocess, requests, pandas, and regex for log parsing.

🧠

Soft Skill

Critical Thinking & Pattern Recognition

Approaching security problems methodically — thinking like an attacker, identifying patterns in data, and making evidence-based decisions under pressure.

📢

Soft Skill

Clear & Timely Communication

Explaining technical findings to both technical and non-technical audiences — essential for incident reporting, escalation, and team collaboration.

⚖️

Soft Skill

Prioritisation & Case Management

Triaging multiple alerts simultaneously, balancing severity and urgency, managing workload efficiently during high-alert SOC operations.

🧩

Soft Skill

Logical Reasoning & Problem Solving

Thriving on challenges — from debugging scripts to cracking CTF puzzles. Persistent, structured approach to finding solutions under pressure.

✅

Soft Skill

Attention to Detail & Stakeholder Trust

Meticulous in documentation, log review, and reporting — building trust through accuracy and consistency in every piece of security work.

📖

Soft Skill

Continuous Learning & Mentorship

Self-directed learner who actively seeks out new knowledge, documents progress, and contributes to the community. Open to mentorship and growth.

🤝

Soft Skill

Teamwork & Peer Review

Collaborating on CTF teams, community forums, and peer learning groups. Understanding the importance of purple team culture and shared knowledge.

🌱

Soft Skill

Adaptation & Growth Mindset

Cybersecurity changes fast. I thrive in dynamic environments, adapt to new tools and threats quickly, and stay current through active daily learning.

⚖️

Soft Skill

Ethical Conduct & Data Integrity

Practising exclusively in authorised lab environments. Committed to responsible disclosure, legal boundaries, and ethical standards in all security work.

Projects

CTF Platform

Hack The Box — Beginner Labs

Solving beginner-to-intermediate CTF challenges on HTB. Practicing enumeration, privilege escalation, and exploit development in sandboxed machines.

EnumerationPriv EscalationLinux

Visit Platform →

Learning Platform

TryHackMe — Learning Paths

Completing Pre-Security, Jr Penetration Tester, and SOC Level 1 paths with hands-on labs covering web hacking, OSINT, Splunk, and defensive security.

Web HackingOSINTSOC Level 1

Visit Platform →

Practice Lab

Linux Security Home Lab

Setting up and hardening a personal Linux environment with VirtualBox. Practising user management, permission audits, firewall rules, and log analysis on Kali Linux.

Kali LinuxHardeningLog Analysis

Free Project FREE

PortSwigger Web Security Academy

Working through the free Web Security Academy by the Burp Suite creators. Hands-on labs covering every OWASP Top 10 vulnerability with real exploit practice.

SQL InjectionXSSBurp SuiteCSRF

Visit Academy →

Free Project FREE

Blue Team Labs Online

Practising defensive security challenges on BTLO — covering log analysis, incident response, threat hunting, digital forensics, and SIEM investigations.

SIEMForensicsIRLog Analysis

Visit Platform →

Free Project FREE

Python Network Scanner

Built a custom network recon tool from scratch using socket programming — port scanning, banner grabbing, and host discovery tested on home lab networks.

PythonSocketReconNetworking

Free Project FREE

Cybersecurity Knowledge Base

Personal documentation hub on Notion — CTF writeups, lab notes, tool cheat sheets, MITRE ATT&CK summaries, and command references. A growing second brain.

DocumentationCTF WriteupsMITRE ATT&CK

Certifications

📎Earned certificates will appear here once uploaded — marked with EARNED status.

CompTIA

🔒

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA

Upcoming

📡

CompTIA Network+

CompTIA

Planned

🔴

CompTIA PenTest+

CompTIA

Planned

🔵

CompTIA CySA+

CompTIA — Cybersecurity Analyst

Planned

Cloud & Tech Giants

☁️

AWS Cloud Practitioner

Amazon Web Services

Planned

🔷

Microsoft SC-900

Microsoft — Security Fundamentals

Planned

🔷

Microsoft AZ-900

Microsoft — Azure Fundamentals

Planned

🤖

IBM Cybersecurity Analyst

IBM / Coursera Professional Certificate

Planned

Security Vendors

🏆

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

EC-Council

Planned

🟡

Splunk Core Certified User

Splunk

Planned

🔎

Google Cybersecurity Certificate

Google / Coursera

Planned

Platforms & Free

🎖️

TryHackMe Path Certificates

TryHackMe

In Progress

🟠

Hack The Box Academy Badges

Hack The Box

In Progress

🌐

Cisco Intro to Cybersecurity

Cisco Networking Academy (Free)

Planned

🔵

Fortinet NSE 1 & NSE 2

Fortinet (Free)

Planned

🧪

BTLO: Security Analyst Fundamentals

Blue Team Labs Online (Free)

Planned

📘

ISC2 CC — Certified in Cybersecurity

ISC2 (Free)

Planned

🔒

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA

Upcoming

📡

CompTIA Network+

CompTIA

Planned

🔴

CompTIA PenTest+

CompTIA

Planned

🔵

CompTIA CySA+

CompTIA — Cybersecurity Analyst

Planned

☁️

AWS Cloud Practitioner

Amazon Web Services

Planned

🔷

Microsoft SC-900

Microsoft — Security Fundamentals

Planned

🔷

Microsoft AZ-900

Microsoft — Azure Fundamentals

Planned

🤖

IBM Cybersecurity Analyst

IBM / Coursera

Planned

🏆

CEH

EC-Council

Planned

🟡

Splunk Core Certified User

Splunk

Planned

🔎

Google Cybersecurity Certificate

Google / Coursera

Planned

🎖️

TryHackMe Path Certificates

TryHackMe

In Progress

🟠

HTB Academy Badges

Hack The Box

In Progress

🌐

Cisco Intro to Cybersecurity

Cisco (Free)

Planned

🔵

Fortinet NSE 1 & NSE 2

Fortinet (Free)

Planned

🧪

BTLO: Security Analyst Fundamentals

Blue Team Labs Online (Free)

Planned

📘

ISC2 CC

ISC2 (Free)

Planned

Roadmaps

Phase 1 — ActiveMonth 1–2 · 2026

Computer Fundamentals

Before cybersecurity, understand computers properly. SOC analysts investigate systems deeply during incidents — you must know what you're looking at.

CPU, RAM, SSD/HDD basics — how hardware affects incident investigation
Windows installation, settings, processes, and memory management
Linux installation, terminal, file system, and permissions
VirtualBox setup — Ubuntu and Kali Linux installation
Linux commands: ls, cd, pwd, chmod, grep, ps, top, netstat, find

🎯 Kali Linux Home Lab🎯 Ubuntu Server Setup

💡 Foundation: Investigators must deeply understand the systems they defend

Phase 2 — ActiveMonth 2–4 · 2026

Networking Fundamentals

Networking is one of the most important skills in cybersecurity — attacks move through networks. Learn how systems communicate and how attackers abuse protocols.

OSI Model, TCP/IP, ports and protocols — the language of networks
DNS, DHCP, HTTP, HTTPS — how web traffic flows and where it can go wrong
VPNs, firewalls, subnetting, NAT and routing fundamentals
Packet analysis with Wireshark — reading packet captures, writing filters
Traceroute, ping, nslookup, netstat for network diagnostics

Tool	Purpose	Link
Wireshark	Packet Analysis	wireshark.org
Cisco Packet Tracer	Network Simulation	netacad.com
tcpdump	CLI Packet Capture	tcpdump.org

🎯 Cisco Intro to Cybersecurity (Free)🎯 Fortinet NSE 1 & NSE 2 (Free)

💡 Network knowledge separates average analysts from great ones

Phase 3 — ActiveMonth 4–5 · 2026

Cybersecurity Fundamentals

This phase builds your security mindset. Learn how attackers think and how defenders stop them. The conceptual framework everything else hangs on.

CIA Triad, threats, vulnerabilities, risk management and security controls
Malware types: ransomware, trojans, RATs, rootkits, fileless malware
Phishing attacks and social engineering — the #1 initial access vector
Authentication, authorization, firewalls, IDS/IPS fundamentals
MITRE ATT&CK Framework — mapping adversary TTPs to detection

🎯 TryHackMe Pre-Security Path🎯 ISC2 CC (Free)

💡 Security mindset is built here — this phase changes how you see everything

Phase 4 — ActiveMonth 5–7 · 2026

Windows, Linux & Active Directory

Most companies use Windows Active Directory environments. SOC analysts investigate Windows logs and Linux systems daily — this is the core of real analyst work.

Windows Event Viewer — Event IDs 4624 (logon), 4625 (failed logon), 4688, 4697
PowerShell logging, Sysmon configuration, Windows Defender logs
Linux auth.log, syslog, bash history, cron logs for threat hunting
Active Directory basics — users, groups, OUs, GPOs, Kerberos authentication
Common AD attack paths: Pass-the-Hash, Kerberoasting, Golden Ticket

🎯 TryHackMe SOC Level 1 Path🎯 BTLO Security Analyst Fundamentals

💡 Windows/AD knowledge is essential — nearly every enterprise runs it

Phase 5 — UpcomingMonth 7–10 · 2026–2027

SOC Operations & SIEM

Now the real SOC work begins — monitoring alerts, reading logs, investigating incidents, triaging false positives, and responding to real threats.

Log analysis and alert triage — the daily workflow of a Tier 1 SOC analyst
Splunk — SPL queries, dashboards, correlation searches, detection rules
Wazuh and ELK Stack — open-source SIEM in home lab with real log data
Threat intelligence, IOC analysis, and false positive identification
Incident response basics — containment, eradication, post-incident reporting
Threat hunting — hypothesis-based hunting across log sources

Tool	Purpose	Link
Splunk	Enterprise SIEM	splunk.com
Wazuh	Open-source SIEM	wazuh.com
Microsoft Sentinel	Cloud SIEM	learn.microsoft.com
Elastic Stack	Log Analysis	elastic.co
Suricata	IDS/IPS	suricata.io
Zeek	Network Monitoring	zeek.org

📌 CompTIA Security+📌 Splunk Core Certified User📌 Google Cybersecurity Certificate📌 CompTIA CySA+

💡 This is where job-ready SOC analyst skills are built and validated

Phase 6 — FutureMonth 10–12 · 2027

Cloud Security & AI-Powered SOC

Modern SOC analysts monitor cloud infrastructure and use AI-powered detection systems. Cloud is where organisations live — and where attackers go.

AWS basics — CloudTrail, IAM permissions, GuardDuty, Security Hub
Azure basics — Microsoft Sentinel SIEM, Defender for Cloud, Conditional Access
Container security — Docker, Kubernetes, Falco for runtime security
Cloud misconfiguration hunting with Prowler
AI-assisted detection — Microsoft Security Copilot, Splunk AI Assistant
SOAR automation — automating repetitive SOC tasks with Python playbooks

📌 AWS Cloud Practitioner📌 Microsoft SC-900📌 Microsoft AZ-900📌 IBM Cybersecurity Analyst

💡 Cloud security is the #1 skill gap in SOC teams today — massive demand

Phase 7 — Stretch Goal2028–2030+

Elite SOC Analyst → Threat Hunter → Google

The ultimate destination. Tier 3 threat hunting, detection engineering, and joining Google's world-class security team. Every phase above builds to this.

Advanced threat hunting — Sigma rules, YARA, behavioural analytics
Detection engineering — custom detection logic aligned to MITRE ATT&CK
Digital forensics — Volatility memory analysis, disk imaging, timeline reconstruction
Preparing for Google's security engineering hiring — systems design, scale

🚀 GCIH — Incident Handler🚀 GCIA — Intrusion Analyst🚀 CISSP🎯 Join Google Security Engineering

💡 Dream: Google Security Engineer. CISSP is the leadership cert. Google is the destination.

Resources

Best YouTube Channels for SOC

NetworkChuck

TCM Security

Professor Messer

John Hammond

David Bombal

IppSec

Black Hills InfoSec

HackerSploit

Practice Platforms: TryHackMe · LetsDefend · Blue Team Labs Online · Hack The Box · OverTheWire

Phase 1 — ActiveMonth 1–2 · 2026

Fundamentals

Before hacking, learn computers, Linux, networking, and Python properly. No shortcuts — every great pentester has rock-solid fundamentals.

Linux fundamentals — terminal, file system, permissions, bash scripting
Networking basics — TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, ports, and protocol behaviour
Python scripting — loops, functions, socket programming, HTTP requests
VirtualBox setup — Kali Linux installation and configuration
File permissions, process management, and system internals

🎯 TryHackMe Pre-Security Path🎯 Kali Linux Lab Setup

💡 Fundamentals first — attackers who skip this make critical mistakes

Phase 2 — ActiveMonth 2–4 · 2026

Reconnaissance & OSINT

Reconnaissance means gathering information before testing systems. Great recon is what separates methodical testers from button-clickers.

Google dorking — advanced search operators for finding exposed data
Subdomain enumeration, DNS enumeration, and attack surface mapping
OSINT workflows — email gathering, metadata analysis, social profiling
Passive vs active recon — knowing when to stay quiet
Shodan for discovering internet-exposed services and devices

Tool	Purpose	Link
Nmap	Network Scanning	nmap.org
Amass	Subdomain Enumeration	owasp.org
Shodan	Internet Device Search	shodan.io
Maltego	Relationship Mapping	maltego.com
theHarvester	Email/Domain OSINT	GitHub

🎯 TryHackMe OSINT Rooms

💡 "Recon is 80% of the work" — experienced pentesters know this

Phase 3 — ActiveMonth 4–7 · 2026

Web Application Security

Web security is one of the most important pentesting skills. Almost every company has web apps — and most have vulnerabilities waiting to be found.

OWASP Top 10 — SQL Injection, XSS, CSRF, IDOR, Command Injection, File Upload
Authentication flaws — broken auth, session fixation, JWT attacks
Burp Suite intercept, repeater, intruder, scanner — the web pentester's toolbox
Manual testing methodology — not just running scanners blindly
PortSwigger Web Security Academy — best free web hacking resource

Tool	Purpose	Link
Burp Suite	Web Testing Proxy	portswigger.net
OWASP ZAP	Web Scanner	owasp.org
SQLMap	SQL Injection Testing	sqlmap.org
Nikto	Web Scanner	cirt.net
Dirsearch	Directory Enumeration	GitHub

🎯 PortSwigger Web Academy🎯 TryHackMe Jr PenTest Path

💡 Web app pentesting is the most in-demand offensive skill today

Phase 4 — UpcomingMonth 7–10 · 2027

Exploitation & Privilege Escalation

This phase teaches how attackers exploit vulnerabilities, gain initial access, and move inside systems to achieve their objectives.

Metasploit Framework — modules, payloads, post-exploitation
Linux privilege escalation — SUID, sudo misconfigs, cron jobs, kernel exploits
Windows privilege escalation — token impersonation, DLL hijacking, unquoted paths
Post-exploitation — persistence, lateral movement, data exfiltration concepts
Active Directory awareness — attack paths from a standard user to domain admin

📌 HTB Starting Point Machines📌 TryHackMe Privilege Escalation Rooms

💡 Real pentesting starts here — this is where machines get owned

Phase 5 — FutureMonth 10–12 · 2027–2028

Cloud & Container Security

Modern pentesters also assess cloud and container environments. Companies have moved their infrastructure to the cloud — pentesters must follow.

AWS IAM misconfiguration — privilege escalation via IAM policies
S3 bucket security — finding and exploiting exposed buckets
Docker and Kubernetes security — container escapes, misconfigured pods
Cloud misconfiguration assessment with Prowler and ScoutSuite
Container scanning and runtime security monitoring

📌 AWS Cloud Practitioner📌 CompTIA PenTest+

💡 Cloud pentesting skills command 30–50% salary premium

Phase 6 — Stretch Goal2029–2030+

Advanced Red Team & OSCP

The elite level — operating as a professional red teamer, simulating nation-state attackers to pressure-test enterprise defences at the highest level.

Advanced Active Directory attacks — Kerberoasting, DCSync, BloodHound enumeration
C2 Framework concepts — Cobalt Strike, lateral movement, persistence, exfiltration
Custom exploit development — buffer overflows, shellcode, bypassing ASLR/DEP
Physical security assessments and social engineering at the enterprise level
Purple team — collaborating with blue team to validate detection coverage

🚀 CEH — Certified Ethical Hacker🚀 OSCP — OffSec Certified Professional🚀 OSEP — Advanced Offensive Security🚀 GXPN — Exploit Development

💡 OSCP is the gold standard. Achieving it puts you in the top 5% of offensive security professionals.

Programming

Programming for Pentesters

Programming improves automation and technical understanding — essential for advanced pentesting and custom exploit development.

Python — scripting, HTTP requests, automation, socket programming
Bash scripting — automating recon and post-exploitation tasks
PowerShell — Windows environment automation and offensive use
JavaScript basics — understanding client-side vulnerabilities and XSS
Regex — pattern matching for log parsing and data extraction

Resources

Best YouTube Channels for Pentesting

TCM Security

NetworkChuck

John Hammond

IppSec

LiveOverflow

NahamSec

STÖK

HackerSploit

Practice Platforms: TryHackMe · Hack The Box · PortSwigger Academy · OWASP Juice Shop · PicoCTF

Contact

I'm actively looking for internship opportunities, collaborations, and mentorship. Feel free to reach out!

adhithyansijo@gmail.com

AdhithyanSijo

About Me

Skills

Projects

Certifications

Roadmaps

Contact

Adhithyan
Sijo