Learning Linux

The OverTheWire "Bandit" wargame

Prior to this first week in ISM, I realized that programming in languages like Java and Python were not going to be particularly helpful. It became increasingly apparent to me last year, while working on my final product, that Linux is inevitable when it comes to web and app development. Thus, this week I focused on learning Linux commands (and consequently a little bit of bashscripting) through a fun little game I found online called "Bandit". In my personal experience, passively reading tutorial articles and the W3 website is probably the worst way for me to learn these things. I've only gotten through 10 levels so far, but already I've learned more than I could've just googling things. Bandit is also infinitely more engaging. After I'm done with Bandit and learning about Secure Shell (the protocol that Bandit uses), I think I'll either move onto other mini-games provided by OverTheWire or I'll begin learning netcode. I've dipped my hands into typical exploits such as buffer overflows, slow loris, and SQL/HTML injections. I only understand the concepts of these sorts of attacks - not how to carry them out or how to prevent them. In order to take that step further into my studies, it looks like I'll need to learn both HTML and SQL (which I don't think should be too difficult). As for network infrastructure and layering methods, I believe that learning these as I go will be the most effective method.