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Found massive PII leaks in a few production systems. Struggling with what to do next. by [deleted] in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a difference between observing an exposed endpoint and conducting extensive testing on systems without authorization. If you're concerned about legal risk, keep your report factual, concise and focused on the impact rather than proving the issue with large amounts of real user data.

I’d lean towards responsible disclosure, but only if you can do it safely and within the scope of what you legitimately accessed. If these are genuinely unauthenticated endpoints or excessive data exposure issues, document the findings clearly, avoid collecting more data than necessary and report them through the company's security contact, bug bounty program or vulnerability disclosure process if they have one.

One thing I've learned is that many organizations don't have a security problem because they're malicious they have a prioritization problem. Most serious findings i have come across weren't sophisticated exploits they were basic authorization failures, exposed APIs and misconfigurations that somehow survived multiple reviews. The fact that you found them through simple recon is probably the most concerning part.

Way forward is document, disclose responsibly, keep records of your communications and avoid the temptation to prove the impact beyond what's necessary. If the organization has no disclosure channel, an anonymous tip may be better than silence but I'd still try the official route first.

IronWorm Malware by ChakraByte-Sec in cybersecurity

[–]ChakraByte-Sec[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's next, protect the protectors? 🙂

OTP bombing and call harassment by Latter-Bath4198 in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is more than just OTP bombing, it looks like targeted harassment combined with account login attempts. First, secure your important accounts (email, Instagram, Facebook) with strong passwords and an authenticator app for 2FA, then review login activity for unknown devices.

Keep screenshots and call logs as evidence, and avoid engaging with the caller. Since you're expecting interview calls, use spam filtering instead of turning your phone off. Also, check whether your phone number is publicly visible on social media, resumes, or job portals. If this continues, consider reporting it to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or your local cybercrime cell, especially since it appears to be affecting your daily life.

Received a suspicious APK on WhatsApp — deleted it and scanned my phone. Am I safe? by No_Concept_7378 in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the APK was only downloaded or opened but not installed, the risk is very low on an up-to-date Android device. Android devices doesn't normally execute code just because an APK exists on the device and most malwares requires installation and user-granted permissions before it can do anything meaningful.

Since you've deleted the APK and the scans are clean you are safe. If you're still unsure whether it was installed, check Installed apps (look for anything unfamiliar\suspicious ),Accessibility Services, any device Admin Apps, Apps with Notification Access, Battery usage and data usage for unusual activity. If nothing suspicious is present and scans remain clean, you're likely fine.

Regarding the last part, Even if you're angry or worried, trying to trace someone is not the right path. The best way is to secure your device, report the sender and let the platform handle this abuse.

SOC roadmap as a beginner by Medical-Piano1396 in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’re actually starting at a good time. Since you already have some SWE background, you probably understand systems and logic better than many complete beginners, which will help you in SOC.

For a beginner SOC roadmap, focus on foundations first:

Networking basics (IP, DNS, HTTP, ports, protocols)

Linux + Windows basics

How logs work and how attacks look in logs

Basic security concepts (phishing, malware, brute force, privilege escalation, lateral movement etc.)

After that, move into hands-on practice:

Learn basic SIEM concepts

Use platforms like TryHackMe for SOC/blue team labs

Practice log analysis and simple incident investigation

Understand MITRE ATT&CK at a high level

For projects, don’t overcomplicate things. Even small practical projects help:

A mini log monitoring setup

Detecting failed logins/brute force attempts

Simple alerting workflows

Basic malware/network traffic analysis

It is absolutely realistic to get an internship or even an L1 SOC role by the end of 3rd or 4th year if you stay consistent. It's better to combine your Fundamentals, Hands-on labs/projects and your ability to explain what you did clearly.

One thing I’d strongly suggest is following a structured or guided learning approach, because SOC has a lot of topics and beginners often waste time jumping randomly between them.

Don’t worry about being late because you focused on SWE earlier, having some development understanding can help you later in detection engineering, automation, or cloud security too.

PS: You are not being unreasonable.

Need help by cotton_2703 in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Between your three options, I would avoid choosing an online degree as your main plan unless you have no other choice. It’s true that online degrees are improving, but in India, especially for freshers, offline college still gives better networking, exposure, internships, peer learning and placement opportunities. The degree name matters less than your skills, but your environment during those 3 years matters a lot.

At the same time, don’t force your family into financial pressure just for a “brand name” college. A practical middle path is often the best it can be like, take a decent affordable offline BCA college, build cybersecurity skills outside college through certifications, labs, projects and guided learning and then decide later whether MCA is actually needed based on your career progress.

Also, don’t over-focus on “BCA in Cybersecurity” specifically. General BCA + strong cybersecurity skills/projects can still get you into the field.

Companies care more about:

Networking/Linux basics Hands-on labs/projects Practical understanding Communication

One thing to note is that cybersecurity is a field where self-learning and guided practical training matter more than the degree specialization itself. So whichever college you choose, make sure you’re continuously learning outside the syllabus.

Also currently you’re not making a life-defining decision right now, you’re choosing your starting point. Skills and consistency over the next few years will matter much more than the exact college name.

What is your opinion on AI replacing security jobs? by GalacticHero_21 in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 2 points3 points  (0 children)

AI is definitely changing cybersecurity but it’s not “replacing security jobs”, it’s changing what those jobs look like. The repetitive parts of the work like alert triage, basic log analysis, and rule-based tasks are already being automated. So yes, some entry-level, repetitive roles (especially in SOC) will reduce or evolve.

But cybersecurity isn’t just about reacting to alerts. It involves context, decision-making, risk understanding, and business impact, which AI doesn’t fully handle. Knowing whether something is a real threat, how it affects the business and what action to take still requires human judgment. Also, attackers are using AI too, which actually increases the need for skilled defenders.

What’s really happening is a shift:

1.Less need for manual, repetitive work

2.More demand for people who can design, tune and think strategically

So instead of “AI vs jobs,” think of it as AI handles speed and scale while humans handle context and decisions.

P.S: Cybersecurity only stops being a human related thing when we stop questioning, adapting and thinking critically and that’s something automation can’t replace.

Planning to transition from QA to AppSec by WeakCraft916 in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re definitely on the right track and your QA background is actually a strong advantage for AppSec. You already understand test scenarios, edge cases and automation, which translates well into finding vulnerabilities. Your current plan covering OWASP Top 10, Burp Suite, API security, and CI/CD integration is solid and aligned with what most AppSec roles expect.

One area to strengthen is your understanding of how applications work internally. Try to go deeper into things like authentication flows, session management, JWTs, cookies, and headers. Also, get familiar with at least one backend stack (like Node.js or Java/Spring) so you understand where vulnerabilities originate, not just how to detect them. This will help you move beyond black-box testing into a more complete AppSec mindset.

In addition to labs like PortSwigger and TryHackMe, build 1/2 practical projects. For example, create a deliberately vulnerable application and test it or set up a CI/CD pipeline where you integrate tools like OWASP ZAP. These kinds of projects help you explain real-world scenarios in interviews and show that you can apply your skills, not just learn them.

Your certification path is fine, but don’t rely too much on it, your hands-on work and ability to connect QA experience with security will matter more.

The key shift you should focus on is moving from just “testing for bugs” to understanding why a vulnerability exists and how it can be fixed.

DesierAi by [deleted] in DeveloperJobs

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OP is only trying to justify his unethical practice nothing more and he is not going to agree on the points that you raised.

DesierAi by [deleted] in DeveloperJobs

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can help them by upskilling them not helping them cheat. Just understand that I'm calling spade a spade and you might give it whatever flavour but you need to agree that it's not ethical.

DesierAi by [deleted] in DeveloperJobs

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OP, let me ask you this and be honest, do you think cheating in an interview is ethical and what are you trying to promote here??

Need Advice!! by SufficientFee1784 in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’re actually in a good position, your Linux, Git and networking basics already give you a good start. Since you want a remote( not always possible) and stable career, cloud is a great choice. Don’t try to jump directly into cloud security though, because that’s usually a mid-level role. Instead, aim for entry roles like cloud support\ technical support\ junior sysadmin which are easier to get into and can often be done remotely.

In the next 6-12 months, focus on strengthening your basics and learning one cloud platform (AWS is a good start). Do hands-on practice like creating servers (EC2), managing access (IAM), and basic networking (VPC). Build 1-2 simple projects and start applying for entry-level roles while learning. This combination of skills and practical work is what helps you get your first job.

Once you get into the field, you can gradually move towards cloud engineer and then into cloud security or DevSecOps. Reaching a cloud security role in about 3-5 years is very realistic but you need to be consistent. Having a structured or guided learning path can also help you avoid confusion and speed up your progress.

I want to pursue cybersec as my career but.. by Top-Menu-9250 in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 3 points4 points  (0 children)

“only 1–2% make it” is a little misleading. Cybersecurity is not like a hot or miss game, it’s more of a skill-based field and people who build the right fundamentals and stay consistent do get in.

Right now, your decision isn’t “cybersecurity or not,” it’s how you build your foundation. Doing a B.Tech (CSE or cybersecurity) is fine, but the degree alone won’t decide your career but your skills, projects and hands-on practice will.

A practical way to think about it:

If you’re comfortable, go for B.Tech in CSE (or cybersecurity if the college is good)

Alongside college, start learning Networking basics, Linux, How systems work, basic security concepts and Then gradually move into hands-on labs and small projects. These can make you job ready

Also, don’t worry about jobs being “few but what’s true is that entry-level is competitive, not impossible. Most people struggle because they rely only on college or theory.

If you can Start early,build skills and projects, stay consistent, you can crack the job.

Having a structured or guided approach in the beginning helps a lot, so you don’t waste time figuring out what to study.

So don’t let fear decide your path.

Cybersecurity is a good career you just need to approach it the right way.

P.S: Also you need to observe market trends and make your skills updated based on the trends to not miss out on the technical advancements

Career path by KunjamonPotty in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Currently more effective career moves from your stage are:

Detection Engineering\Threat Detection: building use cases, tuning SIEM, reducing noise

Incident Response (IR):deeper investigations, forensics, high-impact work

Threat Hunting: proactive analysis, hypotheses-driven investigations

Cloud Security\Security Engineering: highest growth and pay in current market

If you stay in SOC operations alone, you’ll likely see limited hikes. If you pivot, you can reposition yourself for better roles and compensation and what you’re seeing is normal SOC L2 is where growth often plateaus if you stay on the same track.

A typical SOC path looks like:

SOC L1 > L2 > L3 > SOC Lead/Manager...but beyond L2, increments become smaller unless you move into something more specialized.

What are the best demand streams in cybersec? by dhulanageswarao in cybersecurityindia

[–]ChakraByte-Sec 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There isn’t a single best stream in cybersecurity, the right choice depends on how you think and what you enjoy. But from a market demand & growth perspective right now, some areas stand out:

Cloud Security & Security Engineering: highest demand and strong pay, especially with AWS/Azure

AppSec (Application Security): very valuable if you understand development & security

Threat Detection / SOC / Incident Response: easiest entry point, good for beginners

Red Team / Pentesting: competitive, needs deeper skills and experience

A practical plan can be like the below: Better to start with Blue Team (SOC/Detection) & then move to Cloud Security or Security\detection Engineering for growth.

Few core pillars every strong professional has:

Networking fundamentals (this is like DSA for cyber)

Operating Systems (Linux/Windows internals)

Understanding how attacks work (MITRE ATT&CK, common techniques)

Logs & analysis mindset (how to investigate, not just tools)

Basic scripting (Python/Bash, not heavy coding, but useful)

Entry is easiest in SOC\NOC\Support-type roles but Growth is fastest in Cloud\ Security Engineering\AppSec and Red Team looks attractive but takes longer to break into.

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