Hi, it’s Erich from Decoded Security!
August was a big month for us, and since you’re part of it, I wanted to share where things stand and say thank you.
What I published this month
In case you missed any of them, here’s what went out in August:
📄 A Port Is Just a Door. Here’s Why Everyone Keeps Knocking
📄 This Is How I Explain SIEM To a Beginner
📄 CISSP Identity Lifecycle Management: The Account You Forgot Is the One That Gets You
📄 Everyone in Cybersecurity Talks About the OWASP Top 10. Almost Nobody Can Tell You Why It Matters.
📄 [Guest post] You cannot make a game unhackable. Here is what “good enough” security actually means.
The numbers
📬 Newsletter subscribers: 1,536 (+75)
🧵 Threads followers: 2,912 (+1,312)
📸 Instagram followers: 196 (+1)
👍 Facebook followers: 458 (+1)
Threads absolutely took off this month, more than doubling.
Some platforms grew faster than others, but every one of those numbers is a real person who decided this was worth their time.
Thank you for being one of them.
New tools this month
The interactive platform at quiz.decodedsecurity.com continued to grow. If you haven’t played with these yet, they’re all free and run right in your browser:
🔧 Port scanner: See exactly what an attacker sees when they scan a target, live in your browser. No install, no setup.
🔧 Linux Sandbox: Practice real Linux commands in a safe, throwaway environment. Break things, undo them, and build muscle memory.
🔧 DNS simulator: Watch what really happens when you type a URL, every hop from your browser to the server, step by step.
The whole idea is to stop reading about cybersecurity concepts and actually try them. Browse them all here!
Collaborations
August also brought a collaboration I really enjoyed: I teamed up with Tim from GuardingPearSoftware on a piece about why no tool alone will save you from bad habits.
Working with people who care about the human side of security as much as I do is easily one of my favorite parts of this.
If you missed it, it’s worth a read: First rule of cybersecurity: no tool alone will save you from bad habits
And there’s more coming!
Now I want to hear from you
I plan what to write and build based on what you actually want to learn. So hit reply and tell me: what topic, concept, or tool would help you most right now?
Networking? A specific certification? Something that keeps confusing you? Tell me. I read every reply, and the most-requested ideas go straight to the top of my list.
A gift to close out the month
If you’ve been curious about Decoded Security Premium, now’s the moment: I’m opening a 14-day free trial.
Premium gives you 50% discount on all Decoded Security products and premium content! Try it free for 14 days, and if it’s not for you, cancel before it ends and pay nothing.
Thanks for being here through August. September’s going to be even better.
Let’s learn and grow together!
Erich
Let’s Connect
If you want to collaborate, discuss, or just geek out over networking and cybersecurity, reach out:
Email: erich.winkler@decodedsecurity.com
LinkedIn: Erich Winkler
Gumroad community: Decoded Security
Start Here: Decoded Security Roadmap
Enjoyed this article? Like it or drop a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions!
Let’s learn and grow together!