Chapter 01 — The beginning
My journey into cybersecurity began in the sixth standard — with a mobile phone, later a tablet, Linux tools and Termux.
No sophisticated computers, no expensive equipment, no professional lab. What began as curiosity about hacking became an obsession with understanding how technology works, how systems fail and how vulnerabilities are discovered. I explored Linux, security tools, phishing concepts, spoofing and the fundamentals of offensive security — through experimentation, research, and a lot of trial and error.
Chapter 02 — The corona batch
From 10th standard to +2, I was part of the COVID batch — and I turned the lockdown into my lab.
While the world paused, I invested that time in building myself. I installed Kali Linux, went deep into hacking techniques and new technologies, and practiced everything hands-on until theory turned into real, practical skill.
Chapter 03 — Teaching while learning
When I joined my BSc Computer Science degree, I started teaching.
I took cybersecurity sessions for students and faculty, ran practical workshops for everyone from juniors to seniors, attended events, and led cyber-awareness sessions grounded in real cyberbullying cases I had worked on.
Chapter 04 — Taking the risk
At 18, I was already working in security.
Alongside my degree, I joined Thothsparkz LLP as a Junior Security Engineer — building application solutions and working as the company's cybersecurity consultant for a year. In my second year, I won the Red Team Hacker Academy scholarship exam in Calicut district, earned my penetration testing certification and was placed at Red Team Cyber Security Labs.
Offers followed. At 19 I joined Gritstone Technologies at Calicut Cyberpark — choosing real-world experience over an outdated syllabus. I stopped attending college to work full time, and with the support of my HOD and friends, I still completed my degree. By graduation, I already had three years of industry experience.
Chapter 05 — Security meets AI
At 21 I stepped back. At 22 I joined EY.
I resigned without another offer in hand to rest and reset. Then I joined EY as an AI Security Engineer, where I work today. Hacking, development and security consulting brought me here; now I'm moving into the place where cybersecurity and AI meet. Understanding how a system is designed helps me see how it might fail, and understanding how it fails helps me build better systems.
“The journey began with a phone and a desire to learn. The tools have changed, the systems have grown more complex — but the curiosity remains.”
