Over The Wires

What is OverTheWire?

OverTheWire is one of the oldest and most respected wargame platforms in the security community. Wargames are a series of increasingly difficult security challenges — each level requires you to find a password or flag that unlocks the next level. No accounts required, no GUI, no guided instructions. Just SSH into a remote server and figure out how to progress.

Founded by the security community and maintained for decades, OverTheWire hosts multiple wargame series targeting different skill areas. The Bandit series — the starting point — is widely recognized as the single best way to build Linux command line skills for security purposes. It’s what many practitioners recommend before TryHackMe, before picoCTF, before anything else.

Is This Right for You?

This is for you if...

You’re brand new to Linux and want to build command line confidence through hands-on challenges
You want completely free wargame challenges with no account required — just SSH and start
You learn by doing and struggling — OverTheWire gives you no hand-holding whatsoever
You want to build the Linux fundamentals that every other security platform assumes you already have
You’re a student or self-learner who wants structured challenge progression without paying anything

This is NOT for you if...

You’re already comfortable with Linux — Bandit will feel too simple; jump straight to TryHackMe or HTB
You want a visual interface — OverTheWire is entirely terminal-based
You want guided tutorials and hint systems — OverTheWire provides minimal help by design

Wargame Series Overview

Wargame	Levels	Focus	Skill Level	Entry Point
Bandit	34 levels	Linux fundamentals — files, permissions, SSH, bash, networking basics	Absolute beginner	SSH: bandit.labs.overthewire.org port 2220
Natas	34 levels	Web security — PHP source code, SQL injection, XSS, file inclusion	Beginner–Intermediate	Browser-based (no SSH)
Leviathan	7 levels	Linux exploitation — SUID binaries, ltrace, basic binary exploitation	Beginner–Intermediate	SSH: leviathan.labs.overthewire.org
Krypton	7 levels	Cryptography — classical ciphers, frequency analysis	Beginner	SSH: krypton.labs.overthewire.org
Narnia	9 levels	Binary exploitation — buffer overflows, C source code analysis	Intermediate	SSH: narnia.labs.overthewire.org
Behemoth	8 levels	Binary exploitation — advanced SUID exploitation	Intermediate–Advanced	SSH: behemoth.labs.overthewire.org
Utumno	8 levels	Binary exploitation — advanced techniques, shellcode	Advanced	SSH: utumno.labs.overthewire.org
Maze	9 levels	Advanced binary and code analysis	Advanced	SSH: maze.labs.overthewire.org

Bandit — Where Everyone Starts

Bandit is the mandatory starting point. It has 34 levels, each requiring you to find a password hidden somewhere on a Linux system. To get the password, you need to use Linux commands, understand file permissions, read man pages, work with SSH keys, decode encoded data, and eventually redirect network traffic.

By the time you complete Bandit Level 34, you will have used: ls, cat, find, grep, sort, uniq, strings, base64, tr, gzip, bzip2, tar, xxd, ssh, nc, openssl, git, cron, and more. Not in a tutorial — in practice, solving real problems.

What Bandit Teaches by Level Range

Level Range	Core Skills Introduced
0–10	Basic file navigation, reading files, finding hidden files, file permissions
11–20	Encoding/decoding (base64, ROT13), SSH keys, port connections, SUID files
21–25	Cron jobs, bash scripting, process analysis, setuid exploitation
26–34	Advanced SSH, git repositories, vim escaping, shell access via limited environments

Platform Features

Feature	Details
Cost	Completely free — no account, no registration required
Access method	SSH directly from any terminal — Linux, Mac, Windows (using PuTTY or WSL)
Availability	24/7 — servers are always up, no time limits, no session expiry
Hint system	No official hints — community walkthroughs available online for when you’re truly stuck
Account required	None — just SSH with the provided credentials for Level 0
Active development	Community-maintained — new levels and fixes added periodically

Certification Prep — What OverTheWire Helps With

Certification / Path	How OverTheWire Helps
CompTIA Linux+	Bandit directly teaches the Linux command line skills Linux+ tests
CompTIA Security+	Linux fundamentals from Bandit underpin many Security+ practical concepts
OSCP	Bandit is frequently recommended as OSCP prerequisite preparation — Linux comfort is essential
TryHackMe Pre-Security / Beginner paths	Bandit gives you the Linux command line confidence to breeze through THM’s foundational rooms
picoCTF General Skills category	Bandit teaches the same Linux skills picoCTF’s General Skills challenges test

Recommended Resources

overthewire.org/wargames — official OverTheWire wargames page, SSH credentials for every level
OverTheWire Bandit walkthrough (community) — search ‘OverTheWire Bandit walkthrough’ — many exist for when you’re completely stuck after genuine effort
Linux man pages (man <command>) — your primary reference while playing — get comfortable reading them
explainshell — paste any Linux command and get every part explained
TryHackMe Pre-Security path — the natural next step after completing Bandit

── SecVerse Marketplace — Resources ──

Which Platform is Right for You?

OverTheWire is the right choice when you are an absolute beginner who needs Linux command line confidence before anything else. Here is how it compares:

If you want...	Best Choice
You want guided learning paths with in-browser machines	TryHackMe — structured paths, no terminal setup needed
You want free CTF challenges with educational design	picoCTF — Carnegie Mellon’s student-focused CTF platform
You want competitive unguided machines for intermediate practitioners	Hack The Box — the next destination after OverTheWire
You want free wargames that build Linux fundamentals from zero	OverTheWire — this is the right choice

How to Get Started

SSH into Bandit Level 0 right now. Open a terminal (or PuTTY on Windows). Type: ssh [email protected] -p 2220. Password: bandit0. You’re in. The instructions for Level 0 are on the OverTheWire website. Go find the password for Level 1.
Struggle before you look up answers. Spend at least 20–30 minutes on each level before looking for help. The frustration of not knowing a command, searching the man page, trying different options, and finally figuring it out — that’s the learning. Community walkthroughs exist for when you’re genuinely stuck after real effort.
Complete Bandit before moving to any other security platform. When you finish Bandit Level 34, you will be genuinely comfortable with the Linux command line. That comfort is the prerequisite for TryHackMe, picoCTF, HTB Starting Point, and virtually every other security practice platform. Don’t skip it.

📌 Note: The information on this page — including certification details, exam codes, pricing, and salary ranges — is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the latest data from official sources. Always verify current details directly with the relevant certification body or platform before making any decisions.

Community & Support

── OverTheWire Communities ──

The 6 Learning Paths Every Cybersecurity Beginner Should Know

May 8, 2026 No Comments

Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links. This means if you click a link and make a purchase, SecVerse may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we genuinely believe in and that we consider useful for your cybersecurity learning journey. Our editorial opinions are never influenced by affiliate relationships. Introduction: **In our first guide**, we covered how to start learning cybersecurity without feeling overwhelmed. If you haven’t read it yet, start there. Now, let’s talk about which path to take once you’re ready. When I decided to get into cybersecurity 20 years ago after I graduated from school of engineering as computer engineer, I had no idea which path to take. I bought a CEH course first. Then I bought a Security+ book. Then I tried to learn networking. I was all over the place. Don’t be me.

How to Start Learning Cybersecurity Without Feeling Overwhelmed

May 1, 2026 No Comments

Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links. This means if you click a link and make a purchase, SecVerse may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we genuinely believe in and that we consider useful for your cybersecurity learning journey. Our editorial opinions are never influenced by affiliate relationships. Introduction: The Overwhelm is Real (But Avoidable) Let’s be honest with ourselves to avoid the shock and be realistic. Cyber security is huge, branching, and massive field. When I decided to get and start in this field 20 years ago. I made every mistake imaginable: Bought expensive courses I never finished. Tried to learn everything at once – pentesting, malware analysis, cloud security, forensics. All in short time. Got trapped in “tutorial”- watching videos for hours but never actually doing anything because of not practicing them and being confused.