This is a difficult question because the answer looks different for everyone.
Some people come from networking. Some from development. Some from pure curiosity. But there are common foundations you need before attempting real-world bug bounty hunting.
Before anything else, understand this: hacking is not entry-level.
You don’t need to be an expert — but you do need fundamentals.
1. Linux Basics
You need to be comfortable in a terminal.
That doesn’t mean memorizing every command, but you should be able to:
- Navigate directories
- Install tools
- Edit configuration files
- Understand basic networking commands
I personally started by using Ubuntu as a daily driver for a while. I installed it, broke it, and fixed it. I set up a Pi-hole server and later a media server. That hands-on experience mattered more than watching tutorials.
2. Networking Fundamentals
If you don’t understand how data moves, bug bounty will feel confusing.
You need to understand:
- IP addresses
- DNS
- How a client communicates with a server
- Basic HTTP/HTTPS flow
3. Web Fundamentals (If You’re Focusing on Web Hacking)
In my case, I’m focusing on web application security.
That means understanding:
- How websites function
- Basic HTML
- Basic JavaScript
- How forms and requests work
You don’t need to be a developer. But if you don’t understand what you’re looking at, finding vulnerabilities becomes guesswork.
Filling Your Gaps
Once you understand the fundamentals, you can identify where your gaps are.
If you already know networking (like I did), focus on web fundamentals or Linux.
If you’re strong in Linux, focus on networking and HTTP.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s balance.
