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?

This hands-on practical course covers everything from Linux Basics to Website Hacking & Post Exploitation 🔐

✨ What You’ll Learn:

✔️ Linux Fundamentals
✔️ Network Hacking & Security
✔️ Attacks & Cracking Techniques
✔️ Gaining Access to Systems
✔️ Social Engineering
✔️ Website Hacking & Vulnerabilities
✔️ Post Exploitation
✔️ Bonus Advanced Sections

Download Link 🔗
https://drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/1if6MCeBCj8sxWwJIKhtgwU0GBuBW8uLx

🎯 Perfect for:
👨‍💻 Beginners | 🎓 Students | 🛡️ Cyber Security Enthusiasts

This little guy thinks he’s the main character. Designed a mascot for my future game/comic

#medibangillustrator

@pixeldrive

I was meant to share this a while back. It's a really nice book, easy to follow and pretty up-to-date since it's published this year.

(Only 127 pages)

the book is in the comment

Democracy Install now or later

A neighborhood near Al Sheena is known for its sea of ~1,500 identical houses.
Same layout. Same design. Same structure.
From above, it looks efficient.
From a security perspective? It’s a monoculture.
In security, uniformity is a double-edged sword.
When every system, device, or configuration looks the same:
✅ Management is easier
✅ Deployment is faster
❌ One vulnerability scales instantly
That’s why modern security focuses on:
• Segmentation over sprawl
• Diversity over uniformity
• Zero Trust over assumed safety

Resilient design looks boring from above but survives real attacks

@pixeldrive

Designed this last night looking at it in the light of day, i can see many problems

@pixeldrive

💻 Just started an intermediate course in Ethical Hacking.
​I’ll be spending the next few weeks focusing on [pick 1 or 2: Active Directory exploitation, Buffer Overflows, or Advanced Network Pivoting]. It’s a challenge, but that’s where the growth is. Stay tuned for some project updates!
Duration: 70hrs ~
Passing the exam on NetAcad

​#Pentesting #HackTheBox #CyberSkills

@pixeldrive

this is today's progress it's not finished yet there is a lot i have to add but i need to move to other stuff now

#Day5challenge #pixeldrive

@pixeldrive

So I made this using help of ai ofc 😅😅 optimized landing page for Highlights:
​Desktop-First Architecture: Tailored specifically for large-scale displays to ensure the 3D assets and typography maintain perfect visual balance.
​live model Integration: A custom-rendered 3D planet that serves as a high-impact focal point for the theme "cyber-game"
​Sleek Aesthetics: A minimalist navigation and brand-heavy layout, powered i don't think it was built for desktop screen descriptive

Link: Pixeldrive.vercel.app

@pixeldrive