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When Cloudflare Sneezes, the Internet Catches a Cold

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November, 2025 was one of those times that reminded me just how fragile the internet really is. Cloudflare, one of the biggest internet infrastructure companies had a major outage, and for a moment, it felt like half the web just… stood still. Websites wouldn’t load. Apps were timing out. And I just sat there thinking: “Wow. So one company’s hiccup can freeze thousands of websites at once.” But let me break it down properly. What happened with Cloudflare? Cloudflare, for anyone new to the name, basically acts as a protective middle layer between websites and the internet. They handle security, speed, and protection from attacks. So when Cloudflare went down, websites that rely on it didn’t just slow down, many became completely unreachable. The internet looked fine… until you tried visiting any site using Cloudflare. Then suddenly, everything broke. For example: Websites wouldn’t load. Some apps wouldn’t connect to their backend servers. API-heavy services stopped resp...
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Packets, Clues, and Coffee: A Wireshark Investigation Story

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Sometimes the best way to learn is to get your hands dirty. That’s exactly what I did when I tackled a Malware Traffic Analysis exercise. It wasn’t just another packet capture, it was a crime scene, and my job was to figure out who did what, when, and how. Setting the Scene The packet capture (PCAP) was buzzing with background noise from routers, smart devices, and other chatter. My mission? Find the infected Windows machine, figure out who used it, identify any fake websites it reached out to, and uncover the command-and-control (C2) servers that kept the infection alive. Step 1: Finding the Infected IP My first move was to clean up the view in Wireshark. I didn’t want to see every little broadcast or IoT heartbeat. I only cared about web traffic, both HTTP and HTTPS. So I used this filter: (http.request or tls.handshake.type eq 1) and !(ssdp) This simple line told Wireshark, “Show me only the good stuff.” And just like that, the infected client revealed itself:...
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Certified and Confident: My ISC² Cybersecurity Win

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  I’m so happy to share that I finally earned the Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) certificate by ISC² ! This one really means a lot to me. Cybersecurity has always been something I am curious about. The idea of keeping people and organizations safe in a digital world is both exciting and challenging. When I started, I knew I needed to learn, practice, and push myself to understand the field properly. The journey was not easy. It was not just about reading or memorizing stuff. I had to really think like a cybersecurity professional. I learned how to spot threats, manage risks, and respond when things go wrong. From network security basics to risk management, every step tested me and made me better. Getting this certification is more than a personal achievement. It is a step closer to my dream of becoming a SOC analyst and growing in the cybersecurity world. It shows that hard work, consistency, and patience pay off. For anyone thinking of starting in cybersecurity, my advice is...
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The Art of Holding On

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 There are moments when learning feels like climbing a steep hill with no end in sight. Every step feels heavier than the last, and the temptation to turn back grows louder with each misstep. For me, subnetting was one of those hills. It wasn’t just about understanding networks, masks, and addresses. It was about staring at something that looked impossible, trying, failing, and choosing to try again. Patience was not optional. Resilience was not a motivational quote. They became survival tools. We often celebrate speed, the quick learner, the fast results, the overnight success story. But the truth is, speed can only take you so far. Real growth happens in the slow, sometimes frustrating process of sticking with a challenge long enough for it to unfold. Patience gives you the ability to endure the waiting. Resilience gives you the strength to get back up after each fall. Together, they build the quiet confidence that nothing is truly out of reach. The beauty of patience and resi...
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Cybersecurity Is a Team Sport

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  When most people think about cybersecurity, they picture someone working alone, typing away in a dark room, breaking down complex codes or tracing an attack. While there is some truth to the solitary focus required in technical work, the reality is that cybersecurity thrives on collaboration. During my training, I was reminded of this truth when my team and I were grouped together to solve tasks on TryHackMe. Each challenge felt like a puzzle, and while any one of us could have tried to work through it individually, the experience became far more engaging and productive when we combined our efforts. What struck me most was how differently each person approached the same problem. One teammate would notice small details that others overlooked. Another would take the time to explain why a certain step mattered, which made it easier for the rest of us to connect the dots. Instead of slowing us down, these different perspectives sped us up. We were not just completing tasks, we were...
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My First Dance with Bash and Virtualization

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  This week was one of those weeks where I felt like I wasn’t just learning concepts, but actually living them. Every day opened a new door, and by the end of it, I could see how the little things were slowly piecing together into something bigger. We started with virtualization and dual booting . On paper, they sounded like technical jargon, but the deeper I went, the clearer the picture became. I realized that virtualization is like renting a space within your own house. You’re still in your house, but you’ve set up another mini-room inside it where you can do something entirely different without disturbing your main space. Dual booting, on the other hand, is more like building two separate houses and choosing which one to live in at a time. Understanding the differences made me appreciate why virtualization is often the go-to for cybersecurity learners like me. It’s flexible, safe, and doesn’t mess with your main operating system. Then came Kali Linux . At first, it felt inti...
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Cyberwarfare in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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When we think of war, most of us picture soldiers, bombs, and tanks. But in today’s world, there’s another battlefield that we often forget. The cyberspace. And the Russia-Ukraine conflict has shown us just how real and powerful cyberwarfare can be. Even before the physical war escalated, Ukraine was already being hit by cyberattacks. These weren’t random hacks. They were deliberate, organized, and meant to weaken the country. One example that still stands out is the NotPetya malware attack in 2017. It started in Ukraine but quickly spread around the world, crippling companies and governments, and causing damages of over 10 billion dollars. That was a clear sign that a cyberattack in one country could shake the entire globe. Fast forward to 2022, when the conflict reached new heights. Ukraine faced DDoS attacks on government websites, data-wiping malware targeting critical systems, and even attempts to shut down its energy grid and financial institutions. The goal was clear: disru...
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