Cyber Member Spotlight — Kirtan Shah
Learn more about ACM Cyber member Kirtan Shah!
What’s your major? What drew you to this field?
Math / CS. I’ve been programming and tinkering since 7th grade when my friend introduced me to Arduino. The programming aspect of Arduino drew me into the field of computer science, and tinkering with hardware and electronics has stuck with me as a hobby.
How did you become interested in cybersecurity?
I first became interested in cybersecurity when I participated in picoCTF with some friends. The gamified setting was really effective in motivating me to learn more about the field. It was really satisfying to see a flag magically pop up after trying to manipulate seemingly random data. As a side note, there is also the thrilling feeling like you’re doing something you’re not supposed to be doing or defying the system. In high school, the classroom projectors were connected to the LAN and I *stumbled* upon this fact. Unfortunately the control dashboards were password protected by *definitely* not the manufacturer default password. :)
What are some cool cybersecurity related/other projects you’ve undertaken? Or have there been any fun CTFs you’ve participated in recently?
I hacked my garage door opener and put an ESP8266 in there so I could open/close it with an app on my phone. Since it was open to the internet, I made a security algorithm that combines rolling codes with a salted-hash password system to make sure I was the only one that could open it.
What are your long term goals (if any) ?
I want to upload more than one video to my YouTube channel (The DIY Gizmo Guy) and start a side-business where I can sell some of the things I create.
What’s a fun fact about you :D
I like art but only when I’m good at it.
What are your hobbies / what do you like to do in your free time?
I like going on bike rides, 3D printing / making things, Arduino projects, and playing games with my friends.
And finally, do you have any advice/something to say to the readers?
I used to struggle a lot to finish my projects (and I still do) but one of the most valuable things I’ve learned is to save at least some of the “fun stuff” for last. It makes it easy to carry your project to the finish line and gives you the momentum you need to get through the mundane, boring tasks.
