Christopher Jones
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Cybersecurity Student & Hands-On Lab Enthusiast
“I don’t always break things in my lab, but when I do, I spend the next six hours figuring out why.”
Welcome! This portfolio tracks my progress in ethical hacking, systems administration, and real-world penetration testing methodologies. Explore my active projects, lab write-ups, and the technical skills I’m building day by day.
Christopher Jones
About Me
As a Computer Science student at Southern New Hampshire University with a background in IT support and systems troubleshooting, I operate under a strict “learn-by-doing” philosophy. My technical journey began with hands-on workflow coordination and endpoint support, and has evolved into a dedicated focus on offensive security, penetration testing, and practical network defense.
Rather than relying solely on academic theory, I actively design and maintain an enterprise-grade home laboratory. This bare-metal and virtualized environment serves as my daily proving ground for simulating Active Directory attack chains, GPU-accelerated hash cracking, VLAN segmentation, and traffic analysis.
Security also extends beyond the operating system. I operate at the intersection of digital and physical domains, integrating dedicated hardware—from Sub-1GHz RF transceivers to wireless monitor-mode adapters—to capture handshakes, analyze protocols, and truly master the attacker’s perspective. Driven by an analytical mindset and a persistent troubleshooting approach, I aim to apply my practical lab foundation to real-world defensive and offensive security challenges
Cybersecurity Skills
My current focus lies at the intersection of Offensive Security and Network Infrastructure, where I’m building a skill set that connects real‑world vulnerability discovery with practical defensive hardening.
Specialized RF & Hardware — Hands‑on experience with Sub‑1GHz signal analysis, Bluetooth (BLE) sniffing, and HID‑based attack vectors using tools such as the Flipper Zero, LILYGO CC1101, and BLEShark Nano.
Penetration Testing — Skilled in the PTES methodology, including reconnaissance, automated scanning (Nmap, RustScan), and web application exploitation (SQLi, XSS) using Burp Suite and Caido.
Network Security — Strong understanding of the OSI model, TCP/IP, and VLAN segmentation. Experienced in traffic capture and analysis with Wireshark and in auditing wireless security (WPA2/3) through monitor mode and packet injection.
Defensive Foundations — Certified in Google IT Support & Networking, with a solid background in system administration, troubleshooting, and identity access management.
Google Helpdesk & IT Support
Earning the Google IT Support Professional Certificate gave me a strong foundation in the core skills that keep modern systems running securely and efficiently. I gained hands‑on experience with troubleshooting, operating systems, networking fundamentals, system administration, and security best practices, all through real‑world labs and scenarios. The program strengthened my ability to diagnose issues, manage users and devices, work confidently in Linux and Windows environments, and apply structured problem‑solving techniques used by IT professionals every day. This certification became a launching point for my transition into cybersecurity, reinforcing both my technical skills and my commitment to continuous learning.
Penetration Testing Certifications
Applied Hacking Credentials
My certifications from TryHackMe and HackSmarter reflect hundreds of hours in live-fire offensive labs. Rather than multiple-choice theory, these credentials validate real execution: enumerating attack surfaces, exploiting misconfigurations, escalating privileges in both Linux and Windows environments, and mapping complete attack paths.
This training reinforced a disciplined adversary mindset—learning to break down complex systems methodically and translate offensive discoveries into stronger defensive posture.
Planned Certifications
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Credentialed by EC-Council, this certification validates my abilities to identify and address security vulnerabilities ethically.
CompTIA Security+ Certified
This globally recognized certification confirms my foundational skills in cybersecurity principles and risk management.
Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
Acknowledged for rigorous hands-on penetration testing expertise, this certification underscores my practical skills operin securing networks.