If you're a hacker: Have you ever wondered how your journey into hacking began? For some, it was a moment of chance, stumbling upon a website or a puzzle that sparked their curiosity. For me, it was a website with missions that challenged me to hack my way through. Here's how it all began:

The Early Days of the Internet

Back in the 2000s, the internet was a beautiful place, with MySpace and Geocities pages dominating the web. The bar was much lower than it is nowadays, and I found myself curious about IT and websites. I had done some website courses in elementary school, and the internet was just coming into its own.

The Discovery of Hacking

One day, as I was browsing the web, I stumbled upon a website that talked about hacking. I was intrigued and curious, and I dove in. The website had missions that challenged me to hack my way through rudimentary puzzles, such as reading JavaScript code to find passwords.

The Challenge of Hacking

The more puzzles I solved, the harder they became. There were JavaScript puzzles and more, and after each puzzle, there was a guest book to sign, showing off that I had succeeded in breaking the challenge. I spent months on the last level, trying to figure out how to break it, but in the end, I succeeded.

The Feeling of Accomplishment

As a 14-year-old kid who had no knowledge of how any of this stuff worked, I was impressed with myself. I had cracked the puzzle and gained control of a system that wasn't intended to be used in that way. It felt beautiful to have that kind of power, even though it felt wrong to do something that was "illegal." Nonetheless, that experience sparked my curiosity and gave me the spark to look into hacking more.

Conclusion

Looking back on my journey into hacking, I am reminded of the power of curiosity and the beauty of the early days of the internet. While my first hack may have been a simple website puzzle, it opened up a world of possibilities and sparked my interest in all things tech.