I’m building a cybersecurity portfolio by doing the boring-but-important work: setting up systems, breaking them safely, and writing down what I learned.

This post is a snapshot of my lab right now and where it’s going next.

Current setup

  • Ubuntu server (home mini-PC)
  • Basic hardening (SSH + firewall)
  • Simple monitoring + alerts to Discord
  • A repo that stores configs safely (no secrets committed)

Why I’m starting here

Before running vulnerable machines or CTF platforms, I want:

  1. A stable base server I can trust
  2. Repeatable deployment steps
  3. Visibility when something breaks

Next steps

  • Add a reverse proxy and organize multiple services cleanly
  • Publish small, repeatable labs (writeups first)
  • Move more “ops knowledge” into scripts and documented checklists
  • Connect server to a discord bot for easier access

If you’re also learning: start small, document everything, and make your setup observable.