During lockdown I decided to start this blog and I have to say, my interest in writing these posts waxes and wanes, but every now and then I add in new concept or have these sparks of energy and my enthusiasm is renewed. Last year was quite a bit of work for me, starting with creating a new blog, all the posts – nearly 2 a month – and the new walkthroughs section. There were a large number of drafts that did not make it, some of which will be completed this year, but I also had a busy year last year in addition to writing posts for this blog.
Looking Back
On a more personal note, 2020 did not go the way I (nor I guess the entire world) expected, and there were a few things that added considerable stress to my life. I know everyone is probably sick and tired of hearing people complain about Covid, but I think that everyone has a right to. Last year was supposed to go completely differently for me, I was meant to emigrate to Canada and join my other half, but instead I’m stuck in South Africa with no idea on when immigration will actually be possible again. Heck, I don’t even know when I can visit her again – at the time of writing this post, it has been more than a year since I last saw her in person.
Now that I’ve done my complaining, I know that it’s not all bad. There have been a bunch of positive experiences for me during this pandemic:
- From a work perspective, I managed to gain experience in a variety of different security related roles through my company.
- From a health perspective, I lost weight, created some new gym plans, started yoga, and this past week I created a eating plan for the coming few months.
- From a self-improvement perspective, I started this blog which also got me back into HackTheBox, I read almost 20 books (which might not sound like a lot but I’m happy with that number on top of everything else), and I also managed to complete a bunch of personal admin that I’ve been putting off.
If anyone is at all interested in chatting about anything health related, please reach out to me. I’m not an expert in any regard, but I do have some thoughts on what has and what has not worked for me in the past.
All in all, 2020 was a pretty decent year for me even though it did not go the way that I hoped it would. I think the entire population is dealing with some type of covid fatigue, and with the new year starting and new strains appearing across the globe, it is important to remember the reason for the lockdowns and to stay vigilant. It is important to stay positive if you can and reach out to others if you are going through a rough patch. Last year I wrote a post on mental wellbeing which I honestly believe contains some useful information and since it’s the start of a new year, it might be helpful to read the post (even if you have read it before).
Looking Forward
Alright, enough with last year. This year I plan to bring you more of the same: technical and non-technical writing, more challenge VM walkthroughs, the final part of the automation series, as well as a new and improved interface (eventually). Additionally, I have an idea for a soft skills and critical thinking series which I believe will benefit most people within pentesting if they are not comfortable with those areas.
If there’s something you’d specifically like me to take a look at and write a blog post on, you are welcome to message me. I hope you all have a fantastic year ahead!