John Hammond (YouTube channel)

What the channel covers

John Hammond's channel describes itself simply as free cybersecurity education and ethical hacking. It is best known for capture the flag (CTF) walkthroughs, where he works through challenges in web exploitation, reverse engineering, forensics, cryptography and binary exploitation, explaining each step as he goes. He also covers malware analysis, Active Directory, cybercrime investigations, the dark web and certifications.

The value is in watching the process: reading a challenge, forming a guess, trying tools, hitting dead ends and recovering. That is much closer to real security work than a polished lecture. The channel also hosts interviews and past livestreams, so you can find longer, unedited sessions when you want to see a full investigation from start to finish.

Playlists to start with

• PicoCTF 2022 and its category playlists (PicoCTF 2022 Web, PicoCTF 2022 Forensics, PicoCTF 2022 Cryptography, PicoCTF 2022 Reverse Engineering, PicoCTF 2022 Binary Exploitation): beginner friendly challenges, explained.
• TryHackMe: walkthroughs of guided rooms.
• Active Directory: how Windows domain environments are attacked and defended.
• Malware: analysis of real samples, for when you have the basics.
• Cybercrime Investigations: the investigative side of security.
• Certifications and OSCP: if you are working towards a certification.

Who it suits

Students who have some Linux and programming basics and want to move into security, CTF players, and developers curious about how attacks work. Complete beginners may find early videos fast; start with Linux fundamentals first.

How to learn without getting stuck in tutorial loops

Watching someone else capture a flag teaches very little unless you try first.

1. Attempt the challenge before watching. Give yourself 30 to 60 minutes, then watch only until you are unstuck.
2. Keep a notes file of commands, tools and techniques. Over time it becomes your own playbook.
3. Write your own short write-ups for solved challenges. Explaining a solution shows you whether you really understood it.
4. Only practise on systems you are allowed to test, such as CTFs and lab platforms.

Pair it with on Sefism

• The Cybersecurity roadmap and its cheat sheet give your practice a structure.
• Practice platforms in the library: CyLab Security Academy (formerly picoCTF), TryHackMe, Hack The Box Academy, OverTheWire: Bandit and CTFtime for live competitions.
• Starting out: Where do I start if I want a career in cybersecurity or IT operations? and the blog post Getting Into Cybersecurity as a Fresh Graduate.

Best for: security learners who want to see how practitioners think through CTFs and real investigations.