Basic Principles
I have been on a bit of a run saying that anyone can jump into CTFs, but that isn't necessarily true. There are a few requirements in order for it to be a fun and positive experience, which is what we go for around here.
Pre-Requisites:
- Have a Linux Virtual Machine
- Be comfortable working from the command line
- Be comfortable learning new things on the fly
- Understand the basics of Linux
- Understand basic encoding, encryption, networking, scripti...
- Nah, forget about scripting. I have an entire section of this course dedicated to sneakily teaching you just enough programming to solve challenges.
Okay that is a lot. If you don't have any of those, check out https://www.roppers.org/courses/computing-fundamentals
How do I know if I know enough?
There is a huge range of experience someone can have with Linux and VMs, so I don't make any attempt at pre-scribing what skills you should have.
If you are not sure if you should validate this, in my opinion the best way to see if you are ready is to play the Bandit CTF challenges up to level 14. http://overthewire.org/wargames/bandit/
If you can roll through those without too much trouble, you should be fine. If not, I recommend you check out the Computing Fundamentals Course prior to trying to work your way through Bandit again.