Posts

The Challenge: Running x86 on Apple Silicon Building a proper Security Operations Centre (SOC) homelab is critical for getting hands-on experience with threat detection, identity management, and network defence. However, doing this on a modern Mac with an M1 chip presents a major hurdle: enterprise Microsoft environments natively require x86_64 architecture, not ARM. To get around this, I set up a virtualisation pipeline using the UTM hypervisor, which allowed me to successfully emulate a complete x86_64 infrastructure on my Mac without crashing the host system. This post breaks down exactly how I planned the architecture, the specific errors I encountered (and how I fixed them), and how I established central governance over the network. ...

Passing the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) exam was a critical milestone in my transition into the Information Security sector. Coming from a highly regulated compliance environment, I pursued this certification to formalise my understanding of global security standards and bridge my operational discipline with technical risk management. Objective and Strategy My primary objective was not just to pass an exam, but to build a rigorous, foundational mental model of defensive security. I architected a structured learning approach focused on long-term retention and real-world applicability: ...

When recruiters look at my CV, they always snag on the same line. They scan past the Master’s in Networking and Computer Science degree, and they stop at “Extended Care Assistant” as work experience. They look up, usually with a polite, confused smile. “That’s a bit of a pivot,” they say. “From looking after the elderly to looking after servers.” They are wrong. It wasn’t a pivot. It was a lateral move. ...