So, speed is already in Ethiopia and is being scammed live from merchants.

Post-1 FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE

Databases Are Not Storage Systems (And Never Were)

Most people, including experienced developers, are subconsciously convinced that a database is “a place where data lives.
This is a fundamentally flawed belief, and one which the book sorts out in a way that most modern tutorials never do.
A database system exists to deal with states of reality over time.
Elmasri doesn’t define a database as “data.”
He defines it as a model of a miniworld an intentionally restricted, conventionally delineated piece of the real world.
Why this matters:
- Your system is not storing users
It's caching assumptions about identity
- Not orders, but contracts
Legal and temporal rather than transaction commitments
This is why:
Changing business rules breaks databases
-“Just add a column” is never just a column

Schema changes are organizational decisions, not technical ones.

What realworld fact does your current database fail to represent even though the business depends on it?

#DatabaseTheory #SoftwareArchitecture #Backend
@pixeldrive

Post-2 Series FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE
Why File Systems Failed (The Semantic Coupling Crisis)

​The usual explanation is "redundancy". The real explanation is Semantic Coupling.
​​Elmasri
In the file system era, the semantics of the data being worked with remained deeply embedded in the code of the applications. If you modified the format of the data, you had to break all the programs that worked with that data.
​The Industry Insight:
All of these problems are being repeated today in the area of Microservices.
"When services share data through JSON but don't have a schema, the 'meaning' of a field such as status is repeated across 10 different code bases."
​The Result: You have successfully implemented a file system that would have been found in the 1970s

The DBMS is to Enforce Meaning independent of programs. Without knowledge of what your data means, you can't have a DBMS; what you'll have is an expensive bit bucket.

​#Microservices #DataEngineering #LegacySystems #ComputerScience
@pixeldrive

Reminder: The human species won’t go extinct in your lifetime.

#unsolicitedadvice
@pixeldrive

PyHTools:

Features:
=> For Networks
1. Network Scanner
2. Mac changer
3. ARP Spoofing
4. DNS spoofing
5. Downloads Replacer
6. Network Jammer
7. Pkt Sniffer
8. Code Injector
=> For Websites
1. Login Guesser (Login Bruteforcer)
2. Web Spider
3. Web crawler (detects dirs | subdomains)
4. Web Vulnerablity Scanner
=> Detectors
1. ARP Spoof Detector
=> Malwares/Trojans/Payloads
1. Email Sender (reporter)
2. Downloader
3. Wireless Password Harvester
4. Credential Harvester
5. Keylogger (dlogs)
6. Reverse TCP Backdoor
7. Download and Execute

Download Link
https://github.com/dmdhrumilmistry/pyhtools

⚠️ Educational use only.
Do not use on networks or systems without permission.
Misuse may be illegal. I am not responsible for any damage or consequences.

@pixeldrive

He went from graphics to… warehouse life. Thanks, AI 🫠

#ruthlessalgoritm

@pixeldrive

Are you ready to join today and tomorrow's cybersecurity foot soldiers?

picoCTF-Africa 2026 is back! Bigger, better and upto 80 students to be awarded!

Join our picoCTF-Africa prep info session
📅 24 January
⏰ 11 am Rwanda time ( convert time to your own country )
⛓️‍💥  bit.ly/picoCTF2026

Registration for the CTF opens on 1 February 2026, so get ready.
Competition runs 9 - 19 March 2026

stay alert. protect your accounts. share this with a friend

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTxI73ZDAS2/?igsh=MWlzYWgwbTZ1c3UyMA==

🚨 Two popular VS Code AI assistant extensions were caught spying on developers.

They looked normal but quietly sent opened files and code edits to servers in 🇨🇳 China.

Koi Security says 1.5M installs were exposed without consent.

🔗Read → https://thehackernews.com/2026/01/malicious-vs-code-ai-extensions-with-15.html

Whether you’re celebrating Manchester United’s win or feeling the sting of Arsenal’s loss… we’ve got the perfect distraction.

Yared, Founder of Yoyo Sports, is dropping the blueprint for the future of Social Sports in Africa this week at Coffee Time. 🌍📈

Don't just watch the game - learn how to build the industry

Save your spot here: https://luma.com/rqlem55k

Registrations for all our programmes are now open! alxethiopia.com

#ALXEthiopia #LifeAtALX #ALXAfrica #DoHardThings #CoffeeTime

💉 Penetration Testing 💉🖥

Penetration tester is an ethical hacker

💠 What is Penetration Testing and Why is it Important?

Penetration testing, or pen testing, is a simulated cyberattack that checks your systems for exploitable vulnerabilities. Given how no two businesses are the same, the scope of penetration testing varies with each organization.

Without the right scope accurately determined, the effectiveness of the pen test and your business value from the assessment will suffer.

The main reason why pen tests are important for improving security is that they quickly identify the vulnerabilities that could be exploited to harm your business. By identifying and fixing system exploits, you can take a proactive approach with your IT security and better protect your business from cyber threats.

One of the biggest threats US companies are facing right now is phishing attacks. For instance, 74% of US companies in 2020 experienced successful phishing attacks.

Several types of penetration tests are able to identify all areas of your network that are vulnerable to phishing scams, including your employees.


💠 Defining the Scope of a Penetration Test !

A penetration testing scope takes into account all the items being tested for an engagement within a specific set of boundaries.

When a certain software, system, network, or activity is not allowed within the limitations, they are qualified as “out of scope.”Additionally, every pen test has limitations on what should, and should not, be tested.

So what determines an effective pen test?


💠 Effective penetration testing scope is characterized by being:

Granular – Pen testing scope should be deep enough to identify root issues from single or logical business function groupings.
Focused – Many organizations make the mistake of over-scoping in a penetration test, thereby leaving inadequate personnel, time, and resources for an effective pen test.
Cost-Effective – Maximizing your pen test ROI requires your penetration testing scope not to be under or over scoped, meaning granular limitations must be intentional and enforced.
Generally, pen tests are tailored around answering specific questions, such as:

💠 Is this web application secure?
Are we in compliance with “X” regulation?
Is our team adequately trained to identify and avoid phishing attacks?

💠 How to Assess Penetration Testing Scope
As an organization, you can take steps to define the penetration test scope that best suits your budget and needs.



💠 Pinpoint Business and Data Concerns
Take time to reflect on the most important data and business concerns you may have (as your findings will serve as the foundation for the penetration test scope). From there, allow our assessment team to test your system’s defenses where afterward we’ll share strategic insights into how to improve security and mitigate future risk.


💠 Breakdown System Architecture
Collaborate with your consulting team to identify security boundaries for each pen test. Remember, you don’t want to be under or over scoped. Make sure to clearly define the assessment goals and the pen testing scope for each engagement.



💠 Prioritize Risk Assessments and Weaknesses
Web applications are frequent targets of cyberattacks because of their vast attack surface.

As a result, it’s best to determine early on which weaknesses will be addressed through in-house or outsourced IT. A good rule of thumb is to define the scope according to specific business risks. For instance, network security or cloud security.

💠 Learn everything you need to know about penetration tests right here

Source: The hacker playbook and the pentester blueprint

#sharinginsights #pixeldrive #defnpentest

@pixeldrive

Interesting, I didn’t really get the meaning of this photo..... why

Post - 4 Series of elmasiri's book:
Tuning as a Life Cycle

File systems have no a One-Time Fix

​Many teams launch a database and only "tune" it when it crashes. Elmasri argues that Database Tuning (Phase 6 of the design process) must be a continuous loop.

​The Concept: Tuning involves adjusting the Internal Schema (indexes, record placement, and buffering) based on real-world transaction frequencies.
​Real-World Project Impact:
An index that speeds up a SELECT query will inevitably slow down every INSERT and UPDATE.
As your app grows from 100 users to 100,000, the "correct" index today becomes a "bottleneck" tomorrow.
​The Pro Move: Use Database Profiling to identify which queries are "heavy" and adjust your physical design (Phase 5) dynamically as user behavior changes.
As of your project u need to pay attention on what is most friction right now. is it performance, data accuracy or scale

#Dataenginering #Backend #systemdesign #dataintegrity

@pixeldrive

🚀 Want to step into the world of Cyber Security & Ethical Hacking?

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✔️ Linux Fundamentals
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✔️ Attacks & Cracking Techniques
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✔️ Social Engineering
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✔️ Post Exploitation
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