cyber
TRENDS
From state-sponsored attacks to human error, Raed Ahsan, a leading ethical hacker based in Saudi Arabia, shares insights into the evolving cybersecurity landscape, the critical vulnerabilities organisations face and the ever-expanding role of those dedicated to making our digital world safer.
Unmasking cyberthreats: An ethical hacker’ s view from the frontline
he battle against cyberthreats
T is constant and complex. As organisations accelerate their digital transformations, they inadvertently expand their attack surfaces, becoming more appealing targets for a diverse range of malicious actors.
Intelligent CISO caught up with Raed Ahsan, an accomplished ethical hacker with extensive Middle East and global experience.
How did it all start? Did you purposely pursue ethical hacking as a career?
My journey into ethical hacking started when I was just a teenager. I’ ve always had a curious mindset; instead of just using technology, I was more interested in how it worked and, more importantly, how it could be broken or exploited.
We used to play games on our PlayStation consoles and one game that really piqued my interest was“ Watch Dogs.” It was all about hacking, from cars and vehicles to signals. I was curious:“ Does this happen in the real world as well? Can I do these steps?”
That’ s when I started learning about cybersecurity and ethical hacking. By the age of 15, I began diving into hacking through online labs, opensource platforms and even real-world simulations. Over time, I moved beyond theory and started conducting genuine penetration testing for clients. Later, I began building tools that discovered vulnerabilities. I’ m also into exploit development; for example, I developed one for the WordPress CMS which uncovered high-severity security issues globally.
Throughout this journey, my passion has been driven by a desire to make systems safer. I constantly studied vulnerabilities, reverse engineering and network forensics. I’ ve also been fortunate to speak at global cybersecurity events like Black Hat Middle East and Africa, GISEC Dubai, ISACA USA and even some government congresses, where I’ ve shared both my research and live demonstrations.
So what does a typical day look like for you as an ethical hacker?
There’ s rarely a typical day, and that’ s what makes this field so exciting. One day I might be reverse
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