How I passed OSCP on my third attempt, without 100 points

Editor’s note (2024): The OSCP exam format has changed significantly since I sat it in 2021. The buffer overflow machine is gone; Active Directory is now in. The point breakdown below reflects the old exam. The lessons about pacing, note-taking, and your start time still hold.

Black Hat MEA 2024: notes from my first big conference

I just got back from Saudi Arabia after my first-ever security conference: Black Hat Middle East & Africa, November 24-26 in Malham, north of Riyadh. North African roots and global security peers in one room, 2 birds 1 rock (yes, I know).