Where I am Now

I'm an Application Security Engineer at Bugcrowd, where I triage and validate around 200 vulnerability reports a week across web, mobile, API, and hardware targets. I joined the Security Operations Triage team in May 2020 as an associate Application Security Engineer, and in March 2021, less than a year later, I was promoted to Application Security Engineer. I also use AI in my work, such as to check for duplicates and summarize long AI-generated reports, and I'm continuing to develop those skills to help me with both triage and hacking.

Hardware hacking had been on my list of things to learn for years, and thanks to Bugcrowd, it became a reality. In 2023, I began learning through online classes and a mentorship with a colleague who specialized in both hardware triage and hardware hacking. In 2024, I also completed the self-paced We Hack in Disguise hardware hacking course at home, where I practiced soldering and desoldering, hardware reconnaissance, accessing debug ports, and reverse engineering firmware. When my mentor left Bugcrowd, I stepped up to take over, and by June 2024, I was handling all hardware triage. Today, I own validation for all hardware reports, including every remote hardware program, which covers IoT devices, medical equipment, and routers, with more being added all the time!

Since 2023, I have helped triage eight in-person Hardware Bug Bashes around the world for multiple customers. In the future, I hope to attend as a hacker, testing hardware alongside the researchers I've been supporting. At these events, we've tested a wide range of hardware, including hotel kiosks, 5G networks, SCADA-based operational technology, and routers. A key part of my role is triaging the reports that come out of these events and making sure hackers have everything they need to identify potential vulnerabilities. I also facilitate collaboration between customers and hackers, helping to strengthen their cybersecurity resilience. One customer even recognized my work at a bash with a certificate of appreciation.

One of the most rewarding aspects of these events has been working alongside some of the best hardware hackers in the world. Their expertise and welcoming nature have been invaluable to my growth.

While I won't be at Bugcrowd forever, it has been an amazing place to learn and grow as a hacker. I'm currently looking for new roles that build on my triage and validation experience, such as vulnerability management, product security (PSIRT), or security analysis, with room to grow toward hands-on penetration testing. I'm working toward becoming a certified hardware hacker, and I'd love to hear from you if you think I'd be a good fit for your team. You can read more about how I got here in my About section.

Outside of cybersecurity, I train in self-defense-based martial arts, and in October 2026, I earned my brown belt in Kenpo BJJ.

Now, it's time to keep learning, hacking, jabbing, and throwing. TTFN!