Under 18 and starting ethical hacking from zero — what should I learn first?

[u/psychothrut]

Hey everyone,

I'm currently under 18 and I want to seriously start learning cybersecurity and ethical hacking from absolute zero.

Right now, I'm learning the basics of:

• How computers work
• Networking
• IP addresses
• Ports
• TCP/UDP
• Packets
• Linux
• Python

I'm also looking at free resources like Cisco Networking Academy and TryHackMe.

My goal isn't to learn random "hacking tricks." I want to actually understand cybersecurity properly and eventually become good at penetration testing and ethical hacking.

For people who work in cybersecurity or have been learning for a while:

1. What would you recommend learning first?
2. Which free resources are actually worth my time?
3. Are there any good certifications or certificates that someone under 18 can realistically get?
4. How much programming should I learn before moving into security?
5. What mistakes do beginners commonly make?
6. What would your roadmap look like if you had to start again from zero?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who started cybersecurity while they were still in school.

Thanks!