Practical learning Cybersecurity
I have a strong foundation in computer science and networking, and I'm interested in learning cybersecurity from a practical, offensive-security perspective (purely for educational purposes and in authorized lab environments).
Most courses I've found focus on theory or beginner-level content. I'm looking for resources that teach how attacks actually work under the hood—things like phishing infrastructure, payload delivery, lateral movement, social engineering, OSINT, C2 frameworks, and realistic red-team tradecraft—along with how defenders detect and mitigate them.
Are there any advanced courses, labs, communities, or learning resources you'd recommend? I'm not looking for script-kiddie content or illegal activities—I want to understand the real techniques used by professionals so I can build and break things in a controlled environment.
I've heard people mention private communities or even resources on the dark web , discords, telegram . Are any of those actually worth exploring, or are there better legitimate alternatives for learning the same material?
Any recommendations would be appreciated.