Standoff 365 ambassadors
Timur Moldaliev
BadBlackHat
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Timur Moldaliev

CISO at NefteChemService, Standoff 365 achievement: team captain of the only six-time champion team at Standoff. Main areas of work: managing information security at an industrial enterprise. Outside of work: leading a red team and a pentest team, Standoff, red teaming, pentesting

Q&A with the ambassador

When and why did you first become interested in hacking? 
Even before I transitioned to information security in 2008, I was always fascinated by understanding how different systems work from the inside. 

What tools and programs do you use in your work? 
For my primary job, I use a variety of security tools, mainly developed by Positive Technologies. For my hobbies, I mostly rely on custom tools, but some popular ones I use include BloodHound, Rubeus, and Cobalt Strike.

What skills are essential for a successful career in cybersecurity? 
As a team lead, strong communication skills are crucial for organizing processes effectively. For beginners, persistence, determination, and a solid foundation in IT and information security are the most important.

How do you keep your skills up to date? 
By staying actively involved in processes at all levels.

What qualities are most important for a successful ethical hacker? 
Patience, focus, and strong foundation of knowledge.
 

Advice for beginners in cybersecurity

Don't jump straight into reading advanced literature or forums—start by building a strong foundation of knowledge. Once you have that, choose a specific area to focus on (Paul Jerimy's roadmap is a good guide). After that, practice is key, and there are plenty of great platforms available to help you.

What to watch about hacking and red teaming

What to read about hacking and red teaming

Start by deciding on your area of focus, then take specialized courses or read books related to that field. For infrastructure pentesting, I recommend courses like RTO and CRTO, as well as training platforms like HackTheBox and TryHackMe.
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