My Cybersecurity Knowledge Mind Map: A Journey Through Security Fundamentals

Why I Created This Mind Map

As a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University studying Information Security, I found myself drowning in a sea of cybersecurity concepts, protocols, and attack vectors. From web vulnerabilities to cryptographic protocols, from malware analysis to network security - the field is vast and interconnected.

What’s Inside: A Comprehensive Security Overview

This mind map covers six major domains of cybersecurity knowledge:

🌐 Web Security

The foundation starts with web vulnerabilities that every security professional should understand:

  • SQL Injection: The classic attack exploiting unsanitized database queries
  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Malicious script injection affecting user browsers
  • Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): Exploiting user authentication for unauthorized actions
  • Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF): Making servers access unintended internal resources

I also documented the complete penetration testing methodology for unknown websites:

  1. Information Gathering: WHOIS data, social engineering, subdomain enumeration
  2. Vulnerability Scanning: Automated discovery of security weaknesses
  3. Exploitation: Converting vulnerabilities into actual access
  4. Privilege Escalation: Moving from limited to administrative access
  5. Log Cleaning & Reporting: Professional documentation and cleanup

πŸ’° Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Security

Understanding the security implications of decentralized systems:

  • Bitcoin Fundamentals: How blockchain prevents double-spending through consensus
  • Mining & Proof-of-Work: The cryptographic puzzle-solving that secures networks
  • Smart Contracts: Ethereum’s programmable transaction system
  • Anonymity Challenges: Why Bitcoin isn’t truly anonymous
  • 51% Attacks: The fundamental vulnerability of consensus mechanisms

πŸ” Security Protocols & Cryptography

Deep dive into the protocols that secure our digital communications:

  • Protocol Design Principles: The 8 fundamental rules for secure protocol design
  • Famous Protocol Attacks: Real-world case studies including Denning-Sacco and Needham-Schroeder
  • SSL/TLS Handshake: How secure connections are established
  • Authentication vs. Key Establishment: Different approaches to securing communications

πŸ›οΈ Security Economics & Human Factors

The often-overlooked business and psychological aspects of security:

  • Network Effects: How security benefits scale with adoption
  • Human-in-the-Loop: Why users are often the weakest link
  • Password Security: The fundamental challenge of authentication
  • Phishing Psychology: How attackers exploit human cognitive biases

πŸ’» Software Security

Low-level technical defenses and attacks:

  • Common Attacks: Stack overflows, heap exploitation, format string bugs
  • Defense Mechanisms: Stack canaries, ASLR, DEP/NX bit protection
  • Malware Analysis: My methodology for analyzing unknown software safely
  • Control Flow Integrity: Modern protection against code-reuse attacks

🌍 Network Security & Anonymity

Protecting communications and identity online:

  • Anonymity Networks: From simple proxies to sophisticated mix-nets
  • Tor Architecture: How onion routing provides anonymous communication
  • VPN vs. Proxy: Understanding the trade-offs in privacy tools
  • Network Traffic Analysis: How attackers can still track anonymous users