Viewer Discretion : You are about to see the statistics and analytics data. If you are not interested in these, you can skip images and focus on links - see if you missed some good quality publications!
Reaches
Blog
As a blogging platform, Hashnode performs really well. You don't have to manually tinker with the SEO (Search Engine Optimization), you can use your own domain, etc.
I don't have accurate statistics, but with using a bit of maths I can estimate 15k views last year. That, really, sounds amazing to me.
- 🔗 THM Upload Vulnerabilities (2049 views)
- 🔗 Tools analysis: linPEAS (1998 views)
- 🔗 How can I learn Ethical Hacking? Where should I start? (878 views)
- 🔗 How to install Kali on a Raspberry Pi (718 views)
- 🔗 HTB Starting Point: Shield (713 views)
From my Google Analytics, I should get most accurate results, but I'm pretty sure I've setup that with a delay of a month or so.
I like the rising curve, but is it a stable growth? I would be able to say more after a couple of months.
Instagram/Facebook ... Meta?
The number of unique accounts that saw any of your posts or stories at least once. Reach is different from impressions, which may include multiple views of your posts by the same account. This metric is estimated. (🔗 Instagram)
I won't be lying that I never considered Facebook as a main channel for my publications. I believe that that platform has still too many noise to get through there with a quality content. This is reflected in the statistics - far more engagements on Instagram.
You can also see clearly when I put a little break on publishing content to focus more on myself and the family. My wife and I have got a puppy from the shelter - Kluska (Dumpling) is still changing our life for the better :).
Instagram (reach)
- 🔗 IG: Kali Linux on Amazon EC2
- 🔗 IG: linPEAS analysis
- 🔗 IG: Year of the Jellyfish - write-up
- 🔗 IG: My Hacking Lab Setup
- 🔗 IG: Google CTF Filestore - write-up
Instagram (reactions)
- 🔗 IG: Kali Linux on Raspberry Pi
- 🔗 IG: Linux PrivEsc - write-up
- 🔗 IG: Knife Box Pwned
- 🔗 IG: Kali Linux on Virtual Machine
- 🔗 IG: Road So Far
Overall
🔔 Facebook: 28 likes / 33 follows
🔔 Instagram: 70 followers
As you can see, I can't say much about my audience because I haven't reached 100 likes/followers on any platform. But I think 70 followers on Instagram is pretty good, taking into consideration I haven't done any aggressive marketing.
Oh yeah, there is also a Twitter, that I was never sure what should go there. Later on 2021 I discovered that quick, impulsive tweets gets the best attention. I'm watching some live content and see some clever command - tweet about it. I'm participating in the CTF and just got the flag - be proud of it on Twitter.
As for the statistics, this platform allows only 3 months span, so there was a little more of work to collect data, but here there are:
🔔 Followers: 105
Most attention got Tweet that was boosted by Hack The Box during their Cyber Santa 2021 CTF. Second one was the clever command which I spot during HTB Battlegrounds from ippsec.
Patreon
Well, I was having particularly high hopes that creating Patreon will awake the community and I would be able to create more targeted content, for the topics you would like to see. Unfortunately, not a single person showed the interest. Yet.
I've also launched a one-time support option. Of couse this doesn't include the Patreon benefits.
Discord Server
I wish we have more discussions there, even when I start some topic I get close to none response, so apart from few of members I assume these are mostly dead numbers. Server is really useful when, as a group, we are participating in the CTF.
🔗 Join CyberEthical.Me community on the Discord
Participation & media presence
I have learned that it is very hard to both focus on taking notes that will be usable later when doing write-ups while going through CTF challenges. I really liked these events that grant at least 24h after competition to go through all tasks and fill the blanks in the reports.
HackTheBox Cyber Apocalypse CTF 2021
Read more:
🔗 CTF: Cyber Apocalypse 2021
Datadog x HackTheBox at RSA CTF
Read more:
🔗 Instagram post
I've won there the Raspberry Pi 4B - on which I am currently running my headless Kali box (accessible over the Internet).
HackTheBox Business CTF 2021
Read more:
🔗 HTB Business CTF 2021
SecuRing CTF: Różdżka Chaosu (Wand of Chaos)
Read more:
🔗 Award-winning write-up: Most interesting write-up
HackThe Box Cyber Santa 2021 CTF
Read more:
🔗 HTB Cyber Santa CTF 2021: Toy Workshop write-up
Media Presence
I've been appreciated a couple of times, which gave me the boost to confidence.
Community Content of the May 2021 by HackTheBox
Read more:
🔗 LinkedIn post
1 year VIP+ HTB Giveaway Win
Read more:
🔗 Winning Comment
🔗 LinkedIn
Hashnode TOP100 Most Viewed Blog
Read more:
🔗 Sponsor feature earned
🔗 LinkedIn
Courses
Pluralsight CEH Prep 2018
That thing is huge. Almost 80hs of materials that gave me very impressing and wide knowledge about Ethical Hacking; I have picked up some projects to do or things to discover by myself. Strongly recommend if you have access to Pluralsight subscription (you can find few months here and there for free, like on the Visual Studio Dev Essentials).
🔗Pluralsight: Ethical Hacking (CEH Prep 2018)
LinkedIn Learning Path: Become an Ethical Hacker
When you have the opportunity - give it a try. It is lengthy, but worthy.
🔗 LinkedIn Learning Path: Become an Ethical Hacker
TryHackMe Advent of Cyber 2021
Really solid track of 24 challenges - some composed by well-know personas in cybersecurity.
HackTheBox Academy
I was enjoying each module I've completed so far, and I have plans for the 2022 to do more of them.
Challenges
TryHackMe
HackTheBox
I have neglected this site and I want to do more of it in 2022 to use my premium access as much as possible. I got my focus mostly on the Starting Point Path and few of the boxes.
Wrap-up
Overall, I am proud of my achievements from the last year. I understand concepts of ethical hacking, pentesting and security hardening in a way I feel comfortable talking about it. And this year, my main goal is to get into the bug bounty and make my first submission.
Follow and subscribe to be up-to-date with ethical hacking in the upcoming 2022!