90-Day Cybersecurity Study Plan
Overview:
This 90-day plan covers essential cybersecurity concepts, hands-on labs, and professional development, guiding you from foundational knowledge to job-readiness. Each week features specific objectives, resources, practical exercises, and optional challenges to reinforce both theory and real-world skills.
📆 Timeline Overview
| Phase |
Topic |
Days |
| 1 |
Network+ & Security+ |
1-14 |
| 2 |
Linux & Python |
15-42 |
| 3 |
Tools & Traffic Analysis |
43-84 |
| 4 |
Career Readiness |
85-95 |
| 5 |
Daily Habits & Industry Awareness |
Ongoing |
Prerequisites: No prior cybersecurity experience required, but basic computer literacy is recommended.
Day 1-7: Network+ Certification Prep
- Objective: Gain a strong foundation in networking concepts essential for cybersecurity.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Set up a virtual network and practice subnetting, working with protocols, and the OSI model.
- Challenge: Diagram a mock corporate network using draw.io.
- Outcome:
- ✅ Understand key networking terms, OSI layers, and subnetting basics
Day 8-14: Security+ Certification Prep
- Objective: Understand core cybersecurity principles including threats, risks, and defenses.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Take quizzes on security principles and threat categories.
- Configure basic firewall rules and access control in a virtual lab.
- Challenge: Write a 500-word blog explaining 5 common attack types.
- Outcome:
- ✅ Describe threat types, risk management, and basic defense mechanisms
Day 15-28: Linux Fundamentals
- Objective: Develop practical Linux skills crucial for cybersecurity tasks.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Practice essential commands in a VM (VirtualBox or cloud instance)
- Perform lab tasks involving file permissions, navigation, and shell scripting
- Set up a basic Linux web server
- Stretch Goal: Automate user account creation with a Bash script
- Outcome:
- ✅ Confidently navigate and operate a Linux system from the command line
Day 29-42: Python for Cybersecurity
- Objective: Learn scripting for automation and security tasks.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Build a password generator and a log parser script
- Complete HackerRank exercises
- Challenge: Write a script to automate directory scanning
- Outcome:
- ✅ Use Python to solve basic cybersecurity and automation tasks
Day 43-56: Traffic Analysis and Packet Inspection
- Objective: Analyze network traffic to detect potential threats.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Capture and analyze packets using Wireshark & TCPdump
- Project: Document suspicious traffic indicators
- Challenge: Identify plaintext login credentials in captured traffic
- Outcome:
- ✅ Understand how to inspect, interpret, and extract data from network traffic
Day 57-63: Version Control with Git
- Objective: Learn Git for tracking and collaborating on code.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Practice clone, commit, branch, push, pull workflows
- Host a project on GitHub
- Challenge: Resolve a simulated merge conflict
- Outcome:
- ✅ Confidently use Git and GitHub for managing security scripts and tools
Day 64-70: ELK Stack for Log Analysis
- Objective: Use Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana to analyze logs.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Install and configure a local ELK environment
- Create dashboards in Kibana
- Challenge: Visualize brute force attempts from SSH logs
- Outcome:
- ✅ Create visualizations from logs and gain insights from raw data
Day 71-77: Cloud Security Basics
- Objective: Learn core cloud services and security practices.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Set up IAM roles and security groups
- Compare access control models across providers
- Challenge: Secure a basic cloud instance using least privilege
- Outcome:
- ✅ Understand IAM, VPC, and core cloud security mechanisms
Day 78-84: Vulnerability Scanning & Management
- Objective: Identify and remediate system vulnerabilities.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Conduct scans on a test network
- Prioritize and document vulnerabilities
- Challenge: Write a remediation report for top 5 findings
- Outcome:
- ✅ Conduct and interpret vulnerability scans responsibly
Day 85-90: Ethical Hacking Practice & Capstone Project
- Objective: Apply offensive security skills in a safe environment.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Complete 2-3 CTFs
- Capstone: Exploit a VM, document findings, and present in a 3-min video or blog
- Outcome:
- ✅ Demonstrate end-to-end attack simulation and write-ups
Day 91-95: Career Prep: Resume, Portfolio, Job Search
- Objective: Build a standout cybersecurity profile.
- Resources:
- Activities:
- Draft and refine resume & GitHub profile
- Practice interviews and elevator pitches
- Apply to 5+ jobs and track applications
- Join LinkedIn cybersecurity groups and engage
- Outcome:
- ✅ Strong portfolio, resume, and active job-hunting strategy
Ongoing Daily: Stay Updated with Industry News
- Objective: Maintain awareness of cybersecurity trends and threats.
- Resources:
- Tasks:
- Spend 10-15 minutes daily reading headlines or summaries
- Share key takeaways in a personal blog or learning journal
- Badge: Threat Tracker — consistency matters!
🔁 Next Steps: Consider enrolling in a mentor-led program, pursuing bug bounties, or continuing with certifications like eJPT, PNPT, or OSCP.
Ready to take your cybersecurity skills to the next level? Let’s hack it together 🚀