As a Trainee Systems Engineer (1st line), I am deeply interested in cybersecurity and am actively growing my expertise in IT support and offensive security techniques. My experience includes working with tools such as Office 365, Active Directory, VMs and Windows administration for various clients, ensuring systems are secure, reliable, and optimised. In addition to providing 1st line support, I am passionate about deepening my knowledge in systems hardening.In addition to training as a systems engineer, I am advancing through the Penetration Tester Pathway on Hack the Box. This is a hands-on learning path to prepare me for the HTB-certified Penetration Testing Specialist (CPTS) exam. The pathway is focused on providing real-world scenarios and covers key modules such as;OSINT - Developing OSINT skills to gather information from public sources such as websites and public databases, helping to build an effective attack strategy.Enumeration - Understanding and mastering techniques to identify open services, user accounts, and system details for effective recon.Privilege Escalation - Learning to exploit misconfigurations and vulnerabilities to gain elevated permissions on Windows and Linux systems.Exploitation Fundamentals - Developing skills in exploiting system vulnerabilities, for example, buffer overflows and web application attacks.Post-Exploitation - Focusing on how to maintain access, persistence and lateral movement after initial compromise as well as data exfiltration and system manipulation.Network Security and Exploitation - Understanding network-level attacks such as man-in-the-middle, ARP spoofing and DNS hijacking.These modules, alongside other resources such as vulnerable VMs, will help me enhance my skills in my journey to become a penetration tester.I've also earned the Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) certification from ISC2, providing me with a foundation in critical cybersecurity principles such as;Security Principles - CIA triad, risk management techniques to protect organisational assets.Access Control and Identity Management - Methodologies in securing access to systems, authentication and authorisation and user roles.Incident Response and Recovery - Understanding incident response plans and post-incident strategies.I look forward to deepening my IT knowledge and skills alongside building a foundation in PenTesting and furthering my career.