Mastering Cybersecurity: Part 3 - Hack to Defend: Why Offensive Knowledge Matters | S3 E7

In Part 3 of our Mastering Cybersecurity series, we explore why learning how to hack isn’t just for red teamers — it’s a critical skill for defenders, too. Understanding offensive tactics can sharpen your defensive abilities, improve threat detection, and help you shift from reactive to proactive security.

Plus, having both offensive and defensive skills makes you more marketable in today’s cybersecurity job market, especially for roles that value versatility and hands-on experience.

We’ll also share practical ways to start learning these skills safely using your own home lab — no red team experience required.

Episode Resources:

Recommended Certifications:
PEH – Practical Ethical Hacking | Why recommend it:
Covers the full pentesting pipeline—network scanning, exploitation, privilege escalation, and more—with hands-on tools and labs.
Enroll here: https://certifications.tcm-sec.com/pr...

PNPT – Practical Network Penetration Tester | Why recommend it:
TCM’s flagship certification simulates a real-world pentest engagement—from external recon to internal exploitation—and includes a full report and video walkthrough.
Enroll here: https://certifications.tcm-sec.com/pn...

Hands-On Practice Platforms:
TryHackMe
Offensive Path | Learn offensive security with guided, hands-on labs.
Link: https://tryhackme.com

Hack The Box
Pentesting labs and real-world CTF challenges for all skill levels.
Link: https://www.hackthebox.com/

Tools to Explore:
Kali Linux - A Linux distro made for penetration testing.
Link: https://www.kali.org

Metasploit Framework
A powerful framework for exploitation and post-exploitation.
Link: https://docs.rapid7.com/metasploit

Nmap
Powerful network scanning tool
Link: https://nmap.org

=========================

Connect with us and leave us feedback:

Cybersecurity Mentors Podcast Swag: https://the-cybersecurity-mentors-pod...

Mentorship - Sign up for a FREE session: https://www.cyberprofessionalservices...

Sign up for our Newsletter: https://sendfox.com/lp/m2vx85

Join us on Discord:   / discord  

Follow our LinkedIn page:   / cybersecurity-mentors-podcast  

Check out our YouTube channel for more content:    / @cybersecuritymentorspodcast   ‪@CybersecurityMentorsPodcast‬

TCM Affiliate Link: https://certifications.tcm-sec.com/?r...

=========================

Cybersecurity Mentors Podcast is presented by Simply Cyber Media Group.

All the ways to connect with ‪@SimplyCyber‬ https://SimplyCyber.io/Socials