SecurityStories - 52 Weeks, 52 Stories

Story - 12: Featuring Himanshu Giri

Through the SecurityStories series, Today, we are excited to bring forward the story of Himanshu Giri, a full-time bug bounty hunter and pentester from India. So let’s jump straight into learning more about Himanshu’s experience.

Question: Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Himanshu: I am working as a full time lead pentester at Cobalt and part time pentester at Synack. I have 4+ years of experience in Information Security & Penetration Testing with expertise in Web, Network, Thick Client, and Mobile Application Security. As per the 2020-21 and 2021-22 assessment I was recognized as an Olympian and Hero rank (https://acropolis.synack.com/inductees/himanshugiri/) by Synack Red Team.

Question: How did you get started in Cyber Security?

Himanshu: I started my security career when my father bought a new laptop back in 2011 and my laptop automatically got connected with a open wifi network and after that I researched about the wifi hacking etc. that’s how I got the initial kickoff.

Question: What were the initial challenges and blockers you faced?

Himanshu: During my initial days there were no mind-maps, courses and active community.

Question: What learning methodology did you follow or still follow?

Himanshu: Hack The Box Walkthroughs (IppSec - YouTube videos) and Twitter and community blog-posts.

Question: What all certifications do you hold, and what certificates would you recommend to the readers?

Himanshu: I currently don’t hold any certifications. However, OSCP and PNPT are good choices.

Question: What is your favourite thing to hack on?

Himanshu: External Networks and Web Application

Question: What does your tool arsenal look like - Could you share some?

Himanshu: ProjectDiscovery, Tomnomnom all tools,Burp-suite and some custom made one-liner scripts.

Question: How do you cope with Burn Outs?

Himanshu: Weekends car rides and bike ride.

Question: What would you advise the newcomers in Cyber Security?

Himanshu: Understanding of Networking Concepts and Web application development idea from front-end to backed will help in a long run.

Question: How do you keep up with the latest trends in Cyber Security - Could you share your go-to resources?

Himanshu: I mostly use Twitter to be updated.

Question: What’s your life outside hacking?

Himanshu: Outside hacking I love to play computer games, car driving, bike riding etc.

Social Profiles

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/himanshu-giri-6b7131ba
• Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/h0i0m0a0n0s0h0u

Did you find Himanshu’s story interesting and inspiring? Please share it with your friends and colleagues to spread the word.

We will be coming up with more exciting and inspiring stories Weekly.

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