Build Cybersecurity Skills You Need and Experience Employers Want

Close Your Cybersecurity Experience Gap With Achievable Weekend Projects. Show, Don't Tell, With a Cyberbuilder.io Portfolio That Gets You to the Interview

Struggling to gain real-world cybersecurity experience that impresses employers or clients?
Do you lack a professional portfolio that showcases your skills through practical, completed projects?
Want to learn how to build and break systems and prove your value in the real world?
Tired of getting stuck learning on your own?

Build and showcase real-world cybersecurity skills through hands-on projects that help you land jobs, pivot careers, or explore new domains.Whether you’re a beginner, career switcher, or seasoned pro, Cyberbuilder.io helps you grow confidence, gain experience, and stand out with tangible achievements.Join a supportive community, tackle practical challenges, and sharpen your skills at your own pace - solo or with peers.

Welcome, I'm Craig

I’ve spent my career building and breaking systems to uncover their strengths and weaknesses. I founded and led the GE Red Team for 3 years, tackling real-world cyber challenges as part of my 17 years at GE. Before going independent, I served as Group Head of Cyber Risk and then Group Security CTO for a global bank, where I worked on securing complex systems at scale and navigating cybersecurity across industries.Now, I’m helping individuals like you bridge the gap between theory and real-world experience, so you can build the skills, confidence, and portfolio needed to stand out in cybersecurity.

Why Cyber Builder?

Cyberbuilder.io is my response to a recurring problem...

I keep hearing: "I can’t get cyber roles because I lack experience". Despite qualifications and certifications, employers want proof you can apply what you’ve learned.
Beginners often ask: “Where do I start?” With limited time between work, studies, or family, you need high-yield, concrete projects to build skills.
Career switchers struggle to pivot. Whether you’re a developer, cloud admin, or transitioning from a military role, your current experience limits your exposure to practical cybersecurity tasks needed for the jobs you want.
Even pros can feel stuck. Whether craving new challenges or trying to deepen your cyber skills, my projects are designed to provide you a fast route to growth and satisfaction.

I’ve hired, mentored, and coached countless cyber professionals. I’ve also felt the frustration of wanting to scratch a technical itch but finding solo efforts too exhausting after a long week.

Cyberbuilder.io makes it easy to build and break together - short, practical projects designed to help you develop skills and showcase what you can do. Whether you’re testing the waters or diving deeper into cyber, this is your space to grow, build, and prove it.

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Benefits of Full Membership

Become a lifetime member of Cyberbuilder.io and grow your cyber skills alongside peers in a supportive, private community.

🛠️

Hands-On Projects

Build real skills through weekly challenges.

Practical projects released every Friday, taking 4-10 hours to complete.

How it helps: Gain experience by applying what you learn, not just reading about it.

🌟

Showcase Your Work

Create a portfolio that proves your skills.

Build a professional, shareable portfolio page featuring your completed projects.

How it helps: Impress hiring managers with real, hands-on achievements.

📢

Communicate Like a Pro

Summarize your work with video reports.

Record short videos covering problem-solving, analysis, design, and implementation.

How it helps: Develop the ability to explain your work clearly and confidently in interviews.

✅

Community Support

Connect and collaborate with fellow cyber builders.

Ask questions, share ideas, and avoid getting stuck through chat and peer interaction.

How it helps: Stay motivated and progress faster with support from a like-minded community.

✅

Accountability Tools

Stay on track and celebrate your progress.

Use dashboards, peer groups, and streak badges to keep yourself accountable.

How it helps: Build momentum, stay consistent, finish projects and celebrate small wins.

🤖

Yodabot AI Guide

Get hints, insights, and project support.

Yodabot helps you when you’re stuck, offering guidance tailored to each challenge.

How it helps: Move forward with confidence and overcome obstacles as you learn.

📅

Monthly Office Hours

Live video sessions for feedback and advice.

Join monthly calls to discuss projects, ask questions, and improve your performance.

How it helps: Get personalized support to stay on track and refine your skills.

🚀

Grow Your Skills

Explore a range of cyber topics.

From building secure systems to finding and exploiting vulnerabilities, every project challenges you to learn something new.

How it helps: Discover what you love in cyber while deepening your expertise.

What Projects Will You Build?

The focus is on practical online projects you can complete in 4-10 hours.
These are just a few examples...

Secure and Exploit a Misconfigured Web Server: Build a web server, secure it, and intentionally misconfigure it to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
Build a Secure API and Test for Vulnerabilities: Develop a basic API, implement security controls (rate limiting, authentication), and use tools like Postman or Burp Suite to find weaknesses.
Analyze and Secure Sensitive Data in a Dataset: Identify sensitive information (e.g., PII) in a provided dataset, then demonstrate proper encryption, masking, or redaction techniques.
Build and Attack a Simple AI Model: Train a basic machine learning model (e.g., image classifier) and explore adversarial attacks to manipulate its predictions.
Set Up a Personal Threat Detection Lab: Use open-source tools (e.g., Suricata, Wazuh) to monitor traffic or logs for malicious activity in a small test environment.
Perform a Threat Model of a Simple Application: Analyze a basic software application, identify potential threats, and document mitigation strategies using threat modeling framework.
Create a Password Cracking Lab: Use tools like Hashcat or John the Ripper to crack password hashes and demonstrate the importance of strong password policies.
Deploy and Audit a Small Cloud Environment: Set up a cloud environment (e.g., AWS Free Tier) and perform a security audit to identify misconfigurations or exposed resources.
Build a Secure Chatbot with AI Controls: Develop a simple chatbot and implement protections against prompt injection attacks and other adversarial manipulations.
Capture and Analyze Network Traffic for Security Insights: Use tools like Wireshark to capture and analyze network packets, identifying signs of unauthorized access or suspicious activity.

Don't worry if you feel out of your depth - we'll keep you moving forward.

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What You Get

The free tier

Access to sample past project descriptions.
Create and share your portfolio with up to 3 Cyber Builder projects.
Showcase live project links and write-ups to demonstrate your skills.

Personal Lifetime Plan
Join Now – Early Joiner Pricing
$99 | €99 | £79

Get in early and lock in lifetime access.
Once all features hit version 1.0, the price will go up. Join now to learn, build, and break at the reduced early joiner price.

Access to all projects including new weekly releases every Friday.
Community chat to ask questions, share ideas, and collaborate with like-minded cyber builders.
Cyber Yodabot, your AI-powered project guide offering hints, insights, and support.
Professional portfolio page to showcase your projects to impress hiring managers and stand out.
Accountability tools to track progress, set goals, and connect with small peer groups.
Work solo or form an adhoc team to complete projects at your pace.
Constructive feedback. Submit your projects and “report-out” videos for tailored feedback from Craig.
Influence upcoming projects help shape future project ideas and challenges.

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What You Don't Get

To avoid potential disappointment, here's what's not included!

No Build Environment: You bring your own tools (e.g., Replit, AWS Free Tier, Vercel, etc.). Don't worry, we'll guide you to free, accessible solutions. For breaking, use your own VM (we can help get you set up).Not a Certification Platform: the projects you do can help earn CPE credits for certs like CISSP, but Cyberbuilder.io is not a certification provider.Not Step-by-Step Tutorials: Projects are practical and hands-on, with enough guidance and resources to get you started and keep you moving, but designed to challenge you to think and learn by doing.This isn’t a personal coaching program (but if you ask, I’ll happily provide feedback on your projects).

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Testimonials

Before launching Cyberbuilder.io, I’ve helped professionals and teams develop cybersecurity skills through leadership, mentorship, and hands-on workshops. Here’s what they say:

Join Cyberbuilder.io to get the same clear, practical guidance and hands-on learning that others have experienced firsthand.

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FAQ

1. Who is Cyberbuilder.io for?• Beginners: If you’re new to cyber and don’t know where to start, our projects give you concrete, high-yield tasks to build real skills.
• Career Switchers: If you have technical experience (admin, cloud, dev) but need hands-on cyber projects to pivot your career.
• Cyber Pros: If you’re looking to deepen your skills, tackle new challenges, or expand your portfolio to stand out.2. What kinds of projects will I work on?Each Friday, we release two weekend projects:
• Builder Projects: Focus on creating and securing systems.
• Breaker Projects: Practice finding and exploiting vulnerabilities.
Projects are small enough to complete over a weekend but impactful enough to grow your skills and showcase real results.3. What makes Cyberbuilder.io different?• Practical, not theoretical: You’ll work on real, hands-on projects – not just watch videos or read tutorials.
• Portfolio-first: You’ll create a shareable portfolio (e.g., cyberbuilder.io/yourname) to showcase your work.
• Balanced Challenges: Projects come with clear guidance to help you start but are designed to challenge you to learn.4. Do I need prior experience in cybersecurity?Cyberbuilder.io is designed for all skill levels:
• Beginners get clear guidance and resources to complete projects.
• Intermediate and advanced users can deepen their skills and challenge themselves further.5. Do I need special tools, a powerful laptop or commercial software?No, and we’ll guide you to use free tools and tiers like Replit, AWS, or Vercel to keep costs low. You bring the tools, and we bring the projects.6. Does the “breaking” part mean hacking live systems like AWS or Vercel?No, absolutely not. The “breaking” part of our projects is about safely finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in controlled, isolated environments that you set up yourself (this is much easier these days!). These exercises teach you valuable skills without violating terms of service or breaking the law.7. What happens if I get stuck on a project and don't know what to do next?This is where the double benefit of the Lifetime membership comes to the rescue:
• you get 24x7 access to Cyber Yoda bot, who knows a thing or two about the project you're working on
• ask your fellow builders in the chatroom (I'm there regularly, too!)8. Can I use my portfolio to help with certifications or job applications?Your portfolio serves as evidence of your hands-on work:
• Use it to get on hiring shortlists and stand out in job interviews.
• Earn CPE credits for certifications like CISSP.9. What if I’m not satisfied?We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee on the Personal Lifetime Plan. If Cyberbuilder.io isn’t for you, let us know within 14 days for a full refund.10. Can't I just do this on my own? What's the value?If you’re already landing top cyber jobs, you probably don’t need this - unless you miss the buzz of building and breaking alongside like-minded peers.11. Is this a Bug Bounty program or Capture the Flag?No, it’s neither—but the skills you build are similar. Cyberbuilder.io focuses on real-world projects that help you develop and showcase practical cybersecurity skills, like building, breaking, and understanding systems. Unlike Bug Bounties or CTFs, the emphasis here is on completing achievable projects you can add to your portfolio to demonstrate your value to employers.12. Can I get an invoice if paying the Lifetime Plan?The Personal Lifetime Plan is for private individuals paying personally. This includes 1 person companies ("solopreneurs"). A receipt will be provided for all payments, but invoices are only provided to solopreneurs and those on Business Plans.If your employer sponsors your membership, please take out a Business plan.13. Are there plans available for businesses, teams, universities, or enterprises?
Yes! We offer customizable Business Plans designed to meet your organization’s unique needs. Options include:
- Private chat rooms on chat.cyberbuilder.io to foster focused collaboration.
- Mission-specific cyber projects to develop and enhance your team’s targeted skills.
- Dedicated chat servers (we can host one for you or integrate with your existing setup).If you have specific requirements, I’d be happy to tailor a solution that works for you. Please contact me to explore your needs and the possibilities available.14. How do I get started?• Sign up for the Free Tier to explore past projects.
• Upgrade to Lifetime Membership to unlock weekly challenges, chat, and feedback.15. Can membership be terminated?Yes, membership can be terminated in cases of bad behavior or actions that disrupt the community or violate our guidelines. Generally, we will issue a warning to address the behavior. However, in extreme cases, we reserve the right to immediately terminate membership at our discretion to ensure a safe and positive environment for all participants.16. How do I contact you?Here

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Confirm Subscription

Hey, it’s Craig…I’m delighted you’ve chosen to subscribe to Cyber Builder 🎉But before I can add you, I need to make sure I’ve got your correct email...The system has just fired off a one-time message to your inbox.Once you find it, click the link inside and you'll be the first to know about the launch 🚀.Can’t find it? No worries…Check your spam folder or, if you’re a Gmail user, your Promotions Inbox (then drag the email to your Primary Inbox).Thanks for joining me on this adventure. I can’t wait to give you a sneak peak of what I've got cooking...Cheers,
Craig

Contact Craig

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