From Zero to Cyber

How I’m Building My Hacker Life (And How You Can Too)

Yo, what's up. I’m 18, based in Ghana, and I’m building my future through cybersecurity, no shortcuts, no rich uncles, just the Internet and grit.

This is my first ever blog post on Hashnode. If you're like me, trying to break into hacking, bug bounty, web security, or anything cyber-related, welcome! Let’s grow together.


🧠 Why I Chose Cybersecurity

I didn’t choose it because of Hollywood. I chose it because:

  • I love solving digital puzzles

  • I want to protect systems (and break them too 😏)

  • It’s one of the few fields where skills > degree

  • And yeah... let’s be real: The money is real if you master it😂


✍🏽 What I’m Learning Right Now

  • Web Application Hacking (XSS, IDOR, SQLi)

  • Bug Bounty strategy (I’m on HackerOne, yes)

  • HTML, JavaScript for real-world attacks

  • Using tools like:

    • Burp Suite

    • Nmap

    • Nikto

    • Hydra

    • gobuster

    • And other’s

  • Reporting vulnerabilities the right way


💡 How I Practice

  • I hunt flags on TryHackMe and PortSwigger Labs, Hackerone CTF

  • I test payloads on real applications (responsibly!)

  • I work on small freelance gigs to build skills AND cash flow

  • I take notes, write reports, and build a portfolio on GitHub


📈 My Goal?

To become “Cybernerddd” a respected red teamer, bug bounty hunter, and digital freedom fighter.

I want to:

  • Land big bounties ($1K+) fellas

  • Build tools to help other hackers

  • Run my own brand, share knowledge, and maybe teach others coming up


🔥 What You Can Expect from Me on Hashnode

  • Step-by-step writeups from the labs I complete

  • Tools I build or use (with code)

  • Bug bounty reporting tips

  • Honest talk from the trenches


🫱🏽‍🫲🏽 Let's Build Together

If you’re trying to learn, I got you.
If you’re ahead of me, drop tips in the comments.
If you’re a company, collab, or mentor, hit me up.

This is just the beginning. And I’m not folding.

Follow me if you’re down with the hacker grind.

Cybernerddd

Https://GitHub.com/cybernerddd/

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Written by

Emmanuel Agyarko Ampah
Emmanuel Agyarko Ampah