rui.almeidadacunha@gmail.comAfter stabilising my mid-range desktop and legacy hardware, I faced a recurring problem: how to build a lab that actually works, without getting buried under tools and logs. My goal was clear — a repeatable, verifiable environment that could support Blue Team, DFIR, and AWS security practice — lightweight, structured, and portfolio-ready. Part 1: Why … Read more
After stabilising the Toshiba laptop, I needed a scalable, repeatable lab for SOC and AWS work — lightweight, structured, and portfolio-ready. The goal was to apply SOC methodology in a cloud-ready environment and create artefacts that demonstrate practical, employable skills. Part 1: Early VM Experiments Lesson Learned: Heavy VMs hindered reproducibility and learning. A lightweight, … Read more
Introduction This Toshiba Satellite L500-13W was abandoned with Windows 7 and a failing Kali Linux install. Overheating, keyboard misconfiguration, and disk errors made it unsuitable for learning. By stabilising the hardware and installing MX Linux, I turned it into a reliable, quiet lab device — ideal for practising structured SOC methodology and preparing for AWS … Read more