DEV Community

Cover image for From Android Developer to Cybersecurity Beginner: A Public Journey, Not a Hero Story
Mohammad Shams
Mohammad Shams

Posted on

From Android Developer to Cybersecurity Beginner: A Public Journey, Not a Hero Story

πŸ‘‹ Hey there, fellow devs!

So... I'm one of those developers who spent years in Android and backend development (mostly Java/Kotlin, PHP, WordPress). And now β€” surprise β€” I’m walking straight into cybersecurity. 🎯

No, it’s not because of a hack in a Hollywood movie (though I might have seen Mr. Robot more than twice πŸ˜…). It’s more like: I wanted a challenge again. Something deeper. Something that feels closer to the system, and honestly? Something that makes me nervous in a good way.


πŸ’» Where I’m coming from

I've been coding professionally for 7–8 years, mainly working on Android apps, WordPress sites, and backend integrations. I’ve dealt with messy APIs, debugging nightmares, and way too many coffee-driven bug hunts.

But one thing I’ve alwayss avoided? Security. I just assumed the tools β€œtake care of it” β€” which now I know is a terrible assumption. πŸ˜…


πŸ” Where I’m heading

A few months ago, I started reading up on basic infosec topics: Bash scripting, Linux permissions, vulnerabilities in WordPress (yeah, ironic), and even how malware hides in plain sight.

I'm not here pretending to be an expert. I’m just trying to learn in public, build tiny tools (even if they’re a bit ugly), and maybe help other devs who are also curious abuot security but don't know where to begin.


πŸ› οΈ What I'm doing now

  • Rewriting my GitHub to show simple but real projects
  • Publishing notes as I learn (even the dumb mistakes β€” I’ve made a few!)
  • Writing here on Dev.to to track my journey and stay accountable

I’m also building a few tools like:

  • a batch script that logs suspicious processes in Windows
  • a basic log parser to track weird activity
  • and my favorite so far: breaking my own WordPress installs just to see what happens 🧨

🀝 Let's connect

If you're in the same boat β€” transitioning into security, doing self-study, or just into weird litle experiments β€” I'd love to connect.

Also, if you’re a hiring manager or migration officer reading this (hey πŸ‘€), this is my honest attempt to share publicly what I’m learning as I go. This stuff is not easy, but it’s exciting.

Thanks for reading β€” I’ll post something real and code-y next time.

Cheers,

Mohammad πŸ‘¨β€πŸ’»

Top comments (0)