1. Offensive Security (Red Team / Attacking)
  2. Defensive Security (Blue Team / Defending)
  3. Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR / Investigating)

These three together form the complete security lifecycle.

1. Offensive Security (Red Team / Ethical Hacking)

Goal:

Find and exploit vulnerabilities before real attackers do.

You think like a hacker to break into systems legally and with permission.

What you do:

  • Penetration testing (web, network, mobile)
  • Vulnerability exploitation
  • Social engineering simulations
  • Wireless attacks
  • Red team operations (advanced attacks)

Typical activities:

  • Reconnaissance (OSINT, scanning)
  • Vulnerability discovery
  • Exploitation
  • Privilege escalation
  • Lateral movement
  • Reporting & remediation advice

Skills needed:

  • Linux & networking
  • Web technologies (HTTP, APIs)
  • OWASP Top 10
  • Scripting (Python, Bash)
  • Exploit development basics

Tools:

  • Kali Linux
  • Burp Suite
  • Metasploit
  • Nmap
  • Hydra
  • Bloodhound

Roles:

  • Penetration Tester
  • Red Team Operator
  • Ethical Hacker
  • Bug Bounty Hunter

2. Defensive Security (Blue Team / Cyber Defense)

Goal:

Detect, prevent, and stop cyber attacks in real time.

You focus on protecting systems and monitoring threats.

What you do:

  • Monitor security alerts
  • Configure firewalls & EDR
  • Detect intrusions
  • Patch systems
  • Harden servers & networks
  • Implement security controls

Typical activities:

  • Log analysis
  • SIEM monitoring
  • Threat detection
  • Vulnerability management
  • Security hardening
  • Incident containment

Skills needed:

  • Windows & Linux admin
  • Networking
  • SIEM tools
  • Endpoint security
  • Cloud security basics
  • Security frameworks

Tools:

  • Splunk
  • Microsoft Sentinel
  • CrowdStrike
  • Palo Alto
  • Defender for Endpoint

Roles:

  • SOC Analyst
  • Blue Team Engineer
  • Cyber Defense Analyst
  • Security Engineer

3. Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR)

Goal:

Investigate attacks and collect digital evidence.

You act like a cyber detective.

What you do:

  • Analyze compromised systems
  • Find how the attack happened
  • Collect digital evidence
  • Malware analysis
  • Support legal & compliance teams

Typical activities:

  • Disk forensics
  • Memory forensics
  • Timeline analysis
  • Log correlation
  • Root cause analysis
  • Legal reporting

Skills needed:

  • Operating systems internals
  • File systems
  • Memory analysis
  • Evidence handling
  • Malware basics
  • Report writing

Tools:

  • Autopsy
  • FTK
  • EnCase
  • Volatility
  • Wireshark

Roles:

  • Digital Forensics Analyst
  • Incident Responder
  • Malware Analyst
  • Cyber Crime Investigator

How They Work Together (Simple Flow)

Offensive → Finds weaknesses
Defensive → Protects & detects attacks
Forensics → Investigates & learns from incidents

Which One Is Best For You?

Based on your background (Bandit, Tryhackme, bug bounty interest, BCA):

Best starting path for you:

Offensive Security + Blue Team basics

Why?

  • Helps in bug bounty
  • Strong technical foundation
  • Better understanding of real-world attacks
  • Makes you versatile