Hey, it’s Pritesh.

A boy who once dreamed of being in the defence services. Right now? Exploiting, hacking (or whatever you want to call it), just trying to live a day-to-day life.

Where It All Started

Five years back, I didn’t even know what cybersecurity meant. Security researcher, hacker — just buzzwords to me.

Then around 2019, I got introduced to something I didn’t even have a name for yet: OSINT.

I joined some random Telegram channel — an Indian OSINT community, I don’t even remember which one. That’s where it began.

Understanding intelligence. Understanding human psychology. Understanding how public information connects.

Not theory. Real-world thinking.

The OSINT Phase

I started connecting with people on Telegram and WhatsApp — people who actually knew things. They shaped me.

Eventually I joined a group investigating social media profiles spreading anti-national content, religious hate, threats. We tracked activity across platforms — mostly Twitter/X — and reported it through proper channels.

That’s when it clicked: geopolitics, intelligence, security — these aren’t abstract concepts. They’re happening constantly, in the background, all the time.

When Things Changed

Then Elon took over Twitter, turned it into X.

Rate limits. Privacy restrictions. Everything got harder.

Our work slowed down. Somewhere along the way, I paused OSINT.

Trying to Fit In

I moved to web dev — because that’s what everyone else was doing. Learned webdev, web3, the basics, all of it.

But I felt it clearly: I didn’t want to build. I wanted to break.

The Script Kiddie Era

Started watching hacking tutorials. Copy-pasting commands into a terminal. Yeah — full script kiddie phase.

Then reality hit: if you’re serious about this, fundamentals matter. No shortcuts.

Curiosity Took Me Further

Early 2022, hacktivism was everywhere. I got curious — started exploring how groups actually operate. DDoS, ransomware, SCADA attacks, dark web connections.

To understand it properly, I went deeper. Joined those spaces. Talked to people. Observed silently.

Not to become one of them. To understand.

Life Happened

Joined college for BCA. Dropped out within a year. No regrets.

Do it or don’t — you’ll regret both either way.

Then joined a cybersecurity course, the usual pitch: “get certified, get a job.”

That’s where I met Vaishnavu C.V sir — someone who actually made a difference.

Finding My Place

Through that community I got a platform. Started posting breach alerts and intel, because I had access to 80+ private groups where attacks were being discussed. Figured — why not use that access for something useful.

Around the same time I got into bug bounty. 35+ reports. Most duplicates. ~7k earned.

Skill issue, I know.

Stepping Into The Real World

Started attending events — Seasides, BSides Mumbai. Built real connections.

Even before that I’d started earning — freelancing, security contributions, web3 work. Clients from all over the world, except India, ironically.

Roles I’ve touched: Web3 Security, VAPT, CTI, OSINT.

OSINT Is Not a Hobby

People treat OSINT like a side hustle. I don’t.

It’s core to cybersecurity!

India has strong OSINT communities — Ware&Gore, OsintTV, ElitePredators, and plenty more — that have contributed real intelligence work. Some of today’s contributors are defence personnel, law enforcement, independent researchers.

Respect to that community.

Rejections & Reality

10+ interviews for security roles. All rejections. Fair, honestly.

Poor communication — introvert struggles.

No certifications — CEH is basically an HR filter in India.

No degree.

That hits. Motivation drops.

But Still…

Wake up. Upskill. Repeat.

Right now I’m working with a team on a web3 project based in Hungary, handling web3 security.

Am I good at it? Not really. But it works.

Where I Stand Today

I’m not great at many things. Maybe never was.

But I know one thing — I’m not done yet.

Once I’m financially stable, I’ll go back and finish my education. Until then, the hustle continues. Period.

Shoutouts

Sector21 Community — Vaishnavu sir, Deepu, Davy, Alexander, and everyone there.

RtxGhost — hacker buddy from Assam who prefers to stay anonymous.

Sanket Sharma, Pratham Naik, Shahid Shaikh, Ivo Pereira, Pushkaraj Dhuri — and everyone else I couldn’t fit in here.

Ending Note

This isn’t a polished blog. Call it shitposting, call it whatever you want.

This is just my story.