Week starting: 30th March 2026
A packed week with a mix of learning, certification grinding, and research.
What I worked on
Learning:
- Continued Azure security study with steady progress
Community & HTB:
- Attended a HTB session organized by HTB KCA University
- One of the top HTB players globally walked through a live easy machine
- Absorbed methodology, thought process, and approach - so much to learn from watching someone at that level work
- Session provided access to HTB Enterprise, which includes:
- Select VIP Labs
- Select HTB Academy content
Certifications:
- Took full advantage of the HTB Enterprise access
- Completed study paths (course content) for two certifications: CJCA and CDSA
- Didn’t sleep much; grinded through the modules like a psycho to maximize the limited access window
- Will sit the actual exams later in the year
Research:
- Working on research for an upcoming presentation on Identity Security
- Progress is going nicely
Key takeaways
Watching a top-tier HTB player solve a machine live was worth the session alone. The way they approached enumeration, made decisions with all the rabbit holes and knew exactly when to pivot, that’s the kind of learning you can’t get from writeups. It’s one thing to see the polished final path. It’s another to watch someone navigate in real-time.
The HTB Enterprise access was a gift and a challenge. Limited time window, unlimited content. I made the choice to go hard on the cert study paths and knocked out CJCA and CDSA course materials back-to-back. Sleep took a backseat, but the access was too valuable to waste.
The Identity Security research is shaping up. Building a presentation forces you to structure your knowledge in a way that passive learning doesn’t.
Challenges and friction
Sleep deprivation from the cert grind was real. But it was a calculated trade-off given the temporary access.
Looking ahead
Week 13:
- Continue Azure study
- Finalize Identity Security presentation research
- Possibly catch up on sleep
Sometimes you sprint. This was a sprint week.