Starting my Cyber Security journey at the age of 13, the development of a lifelong passion for offensive security begun. Eventually, earning a scholarship for the Cyber Security & Computer Networks BSc at Northumbria University. Along the way, I’ve achieved podium finishes in international hacking competitions, developed my own penetration testing tools, and delved deep into various areas of the field, the likes of reverse engineering, binary exploitation being a great obsession this past year, but my favourites—WebApp penetration testing and privilege escalation methodologies, still remain my highest expertise.Currently, I’m a Cyber Threat Intelligence Researcher at Flare Systems. Within this role, monitoring and analysing emerging threats, developing Proof of Concept (PoC) exploits, and providing actionable intelligence to enhance our clients' security postures is just a daily task. Not only being great fun, but allowing me to apply my offensive security expertise in an otherwise blue team oriented role. Previously, I led Cyber Clinic workshops at Northumbria University, where I delivered weekly sessions covering a wide range of topics, from the basics of HTTP responses to advanced binary exploitation and zero-day recognition. This role was incredibly gratifying and allowed me to share my knowledge and passion with others and see them progress as the year went on. A huge achievement to see most people having never opened a terminal, to being real competition in hacking competitions!I’m also working on releasing a comprehensive reconnaissance framework that integrates AI into offensive security. A conference paper detailing this work is in progress and updates will be shared here soon. Additionally, I am pursuing my Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification. My future is driven by my obsession, passion, and inspiration for Cyber Security. The journey is just starting. Thank you for reading.Stuart