Knowledge base

Security & forensics articles

In-depth technical guides on cryptography, digital forensics, network analysis, and CTF methodology — each paired with the relevant tool so you can apply concepts immediately.

CryptographyHashingPasswords

What Is a Hash Function? SHA-256, MD5, and bcrypt Explained

A deep dive into cryptographic hash functions — how they work, why MD5 and SHA-1 are broken for security, and when to use bcrypt or Argon2 for passwords.

8 min read

Read article

ForensicsNetworkingPCAP

How to Read a PCAP File — Wireshark Concepts & Browser-Based Analysis

Understand the PCAP format, TCP stream reassembly, and how to extract HTTP sessions, DNS queries, and credentials from packet captures without installing Wireshark.

10 min read

Read article

CTFForensicsMethodology

CTF Forensics Methodology — A Beginner's Checklist

A step-by-step checklist for approaching forensics challenges in Capture the Flag competitions: file identification, metadata extraction, steganography, and log analysis.

7 min read

Read article

CryptographyCiphersCTF

Classical Cipher Identification & Breaking Guide

How to identify Caesar, Vigenère, Atbash, and Rail Fence ciphers from ciphertext alone, and break them with frequency analysis and index of coincidence.

9 min read

Read article

PasswordsAuthenticationDefense

Password Cracking 101 — Hashes, Salts & Rainbow Tables

How attackers crack password hashes using dictionary attacks, rainbow tables, and GPU brute force — and why bcrypt, Argon2, and proper salting stop them.

8 min read

Read article