Clearing The Cobwebs

Vic Galvan

Jul 25, 2025 — 1 min read

Has it really been two years since I last posted on here? So much has changed. I’ve explored Europe, received mental health treatment, come out as nonbinary, navigated the highs and lows of being an immigrant in a foreign country, and a bunch of other things I probably shouldn’t post on the internet 😂

There’s no question: I have grown. Yet, I have experienced growth in areas that are not traditionally related to career growth. I’ve gained resilience, self-confidence, and some technical prowess. Earlier this year, I spent a few months working alongside a friend to develop and publish a set of games designed to teach younger audiences about cybersecurity concepts. I definitely wouldn't have known how to do that two years ago. It’s hosted at https://sakerhetsalar.games, where you can check it out. (We are first-time game developers — be nice)

However, this is not the type of growth that is typically conducive to being a high-performing cybersecurity researcher. I am still working at CrowdStrike. I still love my role.

Yet, there is no doubt that my intellectual house is full of cobwebs. I see it in how I discuss topics and feel it when I'm in meetings with more senior researchers: the value I create isn't the value I want to give.

But I know a thing or two about cobwebs: they only form in places that were once full of life. So, I'm here, broom in hand, to clean my mess and once again explore cybersecurity concepts with whimsy.

The only way out is through, and I want to come out swinging.

My goals are to show up and be better than I was yesterday. I am curious, creaky, out of practice, and fucking thrilled to be back. I will explore what I'm learning, the tools I'm building, and the dreams I'm chasing. Some of this journey will be shared on my YouTube channel. Most of it will be shared here. Regardless, I'll be sharing it all.

Thanks for sticking around. Let's see what we get into this time. ✨

Optimistically,

Vic

P.S. I recently migrated to a new hosting solution, and many of the pictures on my blog were lost. Sorry, witches. Let's pretend it's a metaphor for something profound 😉

HTB Writeup: Squashed

Squashed is an easy HackTheBox machine created by polarbearer and C4rm310. It involves exploiting NFS, a webserver, and X11. Reconnaissance To start this box, let's run a Nmap scan. The Nmap scan reveals the ports for SSH (22), HTTP (80), RPC (111), and NFS (2049) are open. Note:

HTB Writeup: Lame

Lame is an easy HackTheBox machine created by ch4p. It involves some simple enumeration and the exploitation of a known Samba vulnerability. Enumeration To kick off this box, let's run a Nmap scan to see what services and ports are open. nmap -sC -sV 10.129.203.142

Digging For Gold: DNS Enumeration

DNS is the backbone of the Internet; knowing how to enumerate it is a necessary skill for anyone interested in Information Security or networking. Today, we'll be exploring my favorite ways to probe DNS. Let's get into it! What Is DNS? DNS stands for Domain Name

Malware: Basic Handling & Safety

Hi, hackers! In this post, I'll be going over some best practices you should use when handling malware. Malware has always been an interest of mine, and I've started studying it recently! Keep reading to learn about safe malware handling :) Summary Analyzing malware is an excellent

Read more

HTB Writeup: Squashed

HTB Writeup: Lame

Digging For Gold: DNS Enumeration

Malware: Basic Handling & Safety