This may sound like fedposting, so feel free not to respond. I’m asking if people knowledgeable about cybersecurity, penetration testing, etc. could help me learn either through advice or more personal guidance. I’m familiar with Maia Crimew’s blog post, but as with most of this stuff it’s just vague enough to be difficult for me to push off from. I am really good with computers when using them as intended, but going off the beaten path and finding flaws or footholds is where I struggle. If you have advice or want to guide more closely, you can leave a comment here, a DM, or you can get me on Matrix @cupcake-of-spice:matrix.org
The site hackthebox dot com has battlegrounds with two teams hacking each other’s virtual machines while hardening their own. If anyone wants to start a team for that, I’d be up for joining, though at my current state I may not be so much help…
If you want a grounding in the basics of how computer exploits work, getting your hands on a copy of Hacking: The Art of Exploitation by Jon Erickson is a decent choice. It’s an old book, and things have advanced significantly since then, but the stuff it goes over is still the core of how hacking actually works.