The Hacking Games

The hacking mindset is human creativity. We often overcomplicate hacking. But as Fergus Hay explains on the Group-IB "Masked Actors" podcast, the fundamental skill has nothing to do with code. It's about human curiosity and problem-solving. Fergus references Jeff Man, the founder of the National Security Agency's Red Team: "Jeff said, 'I’m not technical at all. I’m a puzzle solver.' " The hacking mindset is simple: take a thing, break it down, and reconstitute it for an alternative use.

"The MoD is investigating claims Russian hackers stole and published hundreds of sensitive military documents on the dark web." - Nadeem Badshah , The Times There is a misconception that our island hasn't been invaded since 1066. In fact, it is invaded every day through cyber. This is the definition of Hybrid Warfare. The attacks hitting the UK Ministry of Defence, JLR, Co-op, and SMEs are all linked because they destabilise the nation. The resilience required to fight this modern, persistent invasion cannot come from the government and armed forces alone. It requires a unified approach with the private sector and citizens. We are going to transition into a new era where civic resilience and national security are combined.   The only way to win this defence is to build a generation of ethical hackers. These are the individuals who possess the unconventional skills to protect the government, enterprise, and the nation. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ewJE9mcG

#RISK Europe expo is coming up on November 12th and Fergus Hay will be speaking. Every day, the next generation of highly capable hackers is choosing a side. We are facing a massive problem where incredible, unconventional talent is being lost to cybercrime. Fergus will discuss: ⚡ The societal and technological forces driving young people into cybercrime. ⚡ How we can inspire, educate, and empower this generation to become defenders instead of attackers. ⚡ The path to transforming this talent into essential cybersecurity assets. Join us for the keynote on Day 1 of #RISK Europe (12 Nov). Complimentary passes are limited! Get yours here: https://lnkd.in/e7gUGqQn 

Bianca Lewis started working in cybersecurity at just 11 years old. On Thursday, October 30 at 6PM UK, she'll share her story as a hacker, speaker, and founder of Girls Who Hack on what it really means to be “work-ready” in cybersecurity. We’ll be diving deeper into this conversation in our upcoming AMA: “Getting Work Ready in Cybersecurity” 💬 How to build experience before landing your first job 💬 How to stand out (even if you’re self-taught) 💬 What makes a strong cyber candidate in 2025 📅 Thursday, October 30 | 🕖 6PM UK      Save the link here: https://lnkd.in/eJNAd2r3

Purpose, learning, and teamwork. Lt Gen Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE (Tom C-S) summed it up perfectly in our latest podcast - these are the attitudes that define the most effective defenders of our societies and organisations. - Purpose drives us to protect, defend, and make the world safer. - Learning keeps us moving forward and finding better ways to make an impact. - Teamwork is how we make it all happen. When you bring those three pillars together, you build something powerful - a culture where people don’t just clock in, but fight for a mission that really matters. And that’s what cybersecurity is all about. Listen to the full episode with Lt Gen Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE here: https://lnkd.in/eFcuE5-c

"Simple to recruit, cheap to deploy, and easy to abandon if they were caught." These chilling words describe two Dutch teenagers recently arrested on suspicion of aiding pro-Russian hackers. Security expert Graham Cluley describes them as "disposable agents." It’s the perfect, tragic analogy for the young cyber talent being groomed and weaponised off chat rooms and game servers. This isn’t a recent phenomenon; it has been happening for decades. Back in 2011, aged just 17, Marcus Hutchins was approached off of a chatroom and commissioned to make the UPAS rootkit, the predecessor to the malware that would eventually lead to his arrest. Marcus has since not only stopped major cyber attacks, but now dedicates his time advocating for young hackers. He is living proof that these kids aren't always malicious, but often just "curious, thrill-seeking, or simply looking for validation." The tragedy is their actions as teens are final, often resulting in life-altering punishments. What if these unconventional minds had been offered guidance or shown a pathway to channel their skills? Just like Marcus, their skills could be used to create and inform a whole new workforce in cybersecurity. Perhaps the answer lies in a more reformative judicial system where prison time isn't always the first port of call. The one thing that is clear is that we must intervene before we lose a generation of young cyber talent to criminal activity. Read more in the article here: https://lnkd.in/dyRuHZar

Earlier this week, the National Cyber Security Centre released its annual review, showing just how fast cyber threats are evolving in the UK, and the real financial and reputational risks they bring. The report features a letter from Co-op, with whom we've partnered earlier this year. Co-op CEO, Shirine Khoury-Haq, shared what it’s really like when a major cyber attack hits: "The attack has had a significant impact on me, my colleagues and on our members. I will never forget the strain it put on those people making it right, or the concern it has given our members, to whom I answer." This is a timely reminder that cybercrime isn’t abstract - it has real consequences for people and organisations. We’re proud to work with Shirine and the Co-op team to help prevent cybercrime and support the next generation of cybersecurity talent through opportunities, guidance, and meaningful change. You can read the full National Cyber Security Centre Annual Review here: https://lnkd.in/gsPDRdSD

The Hacking Games Virtue Member Glenn Wilkinson breaks into banks, government systems and critical infrastructure for a living, and he openly speaks about it on BBC Radio 5 Live with Nicky Campbell. Glenn runs Agger Labs, a red team consultancy hired to test the defences of organisations by thinking like the people trying to break them. His work sits on the right side of a thin and increasingly blurred line - the same skills used to breach systems for malicious gain can be applied to defend them This ethical career path isn’t new. Red teaming dates back to the Cold War, when militaries employed “opposition forces” to simulate enemy attacks. In cyber, the concept gained traction in the early 2000s, but until recently it remained niche. Now, demand is soaring. The irony is that in a young industry, many of those people are teenagers. Cybercriminal crews like Scattered Spider have made headlines for high-profile breaches, with members as young as 17. Over the last decade, the tools, tutorials and networks needed to start hacking have become widely accessible. What used to require technical expertise now only needs a Discord login. The recruitment pipelines into cybercrime are fast and well-funded. The recruitment pipelines into cybersecurity aren’t. That’s the problem Glenn has been working with us to fix. With the right intervention, the same skills can be redirected into meaningful work.

Warm welcome to Nick Palmer as he joins our Virtue Community. Nick joined Group-IB 9 years ago from a small town in Eastern Canada. Driven by a mission to fight against cybercrime, Nick leads Group-IB's Global Sales Outreach, connecting with many of the world's top financial and retail institutions to share fraud and threat intelligence about adversaries targeting these organisations and come up with unique and novel strategies to combat them. Welcome aboard, Nick.

"Take something that was designed to do one thing, puts it together with something else and makes it do something completely different." This is Hacking. As Chester Wisniewski from Sophos explains, the core skill of a great hacker is the ability to take components and use them for an unintended purpose. It's about taking a problem and solving it sideways, not straightforward. This is the unconventional talent that companies desperately need on the side of defence. It's time to start hiring people who can truly think around a problem. 🔗Catch the full podcast here: https://lnkd.in/eX54hatS