Fueling Cybersecurity Innovation: Vivek Ramachandran Takes on Black Hat Arsenal Review Board Role with a Mission to Mentor and Motivate the Next Generation

SINGAPORE, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In the field of cybersecurity, very few events command the respect that BlackHat does. Known for its Briefings, Trainings and Arsenal, the conference series has become a cornerstone for the security community, fostering unparalleled growth and collaboration among the brightest minds in industry. BlackHat Arsenal has specially emerged as a premier platform where authors from across the globe present their innovative tools, engaging directly with the community. This interaction not only enriches the tools but also nurtures a culture of collaboration and advancement within the cybersecurity community.

Vivek Ramachandran, known for his pioneering work in offensive cybersecurity, has been at the forefront of this evolving landscape. His career, marked by the discovery of attacks such as the Caffe Latte attack and the development of proof-of-concept scripts, has contributed significantly to the field. His research attitude prompted him to create unique training platforms like Securitytube.net and Pentester Academy (acquired by INE, backed by Provident Fund Equity in 2021). Through Pentester Academy, Ramachandran has trained and educated thousands of cybersecurity professionals from Fortune 500 companies, government entities, and educational institutions. His teaching style, reflected in the cutting-edge lab platform of Pentester Academy, was based on the principle that "Attack is the best form of defense" and was widely appreciated by professionals around the world. 

After the acquisition of Pentester Academy, Vivek has been looking for ways to give back to the community primarily via mentorship, which lead to the creation of comic book series "Hackers: Superheroes of the Digital Age" written and published by him. This initiative was Vivek's response to the mainstream media's negative portrayal of hackers, often depicted as villains in a digital world. By introducing a series that showcases the diversity and ingenuity of hackers, Vivek aimed to demystify hacking, presenting it as a creative science. The series highlights hacker vigilantes from various backgrounds tackling global issues with knowledge as their weapon, though not always with success. This creative endeavor reflects Vivek's mission to inspire curiosity and a deeper understanding of cybersecurity even by the general audience. His recent invitation to join the Black Hat Arsenal review board aligns with this mission, providing him with another platform to mentor emerging talent in the field and influence the future direction of cybersecurity.

Currently, Vivek Ramachandran, along with his team at SquareX, is geared to tackle last-mile browser-based attacks and continues to make significant strides in the cybersecurity landscape under his leadership as founder and CEO. SquareX, under his guidance, has not only secured seed funding from Sequoia Capital Southeast Asia but also earned the "featured" tag from the Chrome Store, with over 100,000 users in less than a year since the company's inception. The company aims to serve both individuals and enterprises through its easy-to-use browser extension, giving them access to tools to protect against malicious websites, files, content, and networks.

About SquareX:
SquareX is a browser-security startup founded by the seasoned cybersecurity expert and serial entrepreneur, Vivek Ramachandran. At the core of SquareX's mission is the commitment to empower users and enterprises with the confidence to navigate the online world without fear.

With its innovative browser-native security solutions and unique isolation technology, SquareX aims to safeguard both individuals and enterprises from a broad spectrum of browser-based threats, encompassing malicious files, websites, scripts, and compromised networks.

About the Founder:
Vivek Ramachandran, founder and CEO of SquareX, is revolutionizing cybersecurity with his focus on browser-native security solutions to counter last-mile attacks. Prior to SquareX, Vivek launched Pentester Academy, which became a global platform for cybersecurity education, serving individuals from government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and businesses across 90 countries, and was later acquired by INE in 2021.

Vivek has been researching Wi-Fi security for over a decade. He discovered the Caffe Latte attack, broke WEP Cloaking, conceptualised enterprise Wi-Fi Backdoors, created Chellam (Wi-Fi Firewall), WiMonitor Enterprise (802.11ac monitoring), Chigula (Wi-Fi traffic analysis via SQL), Deceptacon (IoT Honeypots) and others. He is the author of multiple five star rated books on Wi-Fi security which have together sold over 40,000+ copies worldwide and have been translated to multiple languages.

He has also been a regular speaker/trainer at top security conferences such as Blackhat USA, Europe and Abu Dhabi, DEFCON, Brucon, HITB, Hacktivity and others. Vivek's work on wireless security (Caffe Latte attack) has been quoted in BBC online, InfoWorld, MacWorld, The Register, IT World Canada and others.

In a past life, he was one of the programmers of the 802.1x protocol and Port Security in Cisco's 6500 Catalyst series of switches. He was also one of the winners of the Microsoft Security Shootout contest held in India among a reported 65,000 participants. He has also published multiple research papers in the field of DDoS, ARP Spoofing Detection and Anomaly based Intrusion Detection Systems.

About Black Hat
Founded in 1997, Black Hat is a leading cybersecurity event series, offering the latest in security research, trends, and technological developments through its Briefings and Trainings. The series fosters collaboration and growth among the security community, with events in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

SOURCE SquareX