Post Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:55 pm

Re: What Inspired You?

I identify with xeo. I've always been interested in the subversion, trickery and arcane "forbidden" knowledge.

When I was a kid I always thought lockpicking and safe cracking were really interesting - the idea that someone with basic tools and knowledge could subvert security systems and protocols. I was also into ninjas and James Bond - so lock picking was a natural fit. I think I either read a book, or saw a webpage about it a loooong time ago, and tried to make some picks out of paperclips, but was a child, impatient, and it never really went anywhere.

Fast forward a decade or so, I find myself highly interested in computers. I feel that the way two machines can talk to eachother over a seemingly limitless distance within seconds is incredibly fascinating. I learn alot about programming, and that security systems exist in computers as well. I start to study basic concepts like how to protect a web page with a password, etc. The more I learn about computer security, the more I start to realize new, complex problems regarding different challenges. This leads to a study of how to make software do things it wasn't designed to do - among them subverting security systems.

Fast forward a bit more, my experience in software and security leads me to a job as a software developer at a medical software company, developing secure medical systems. Around this time the ATX Hackerspace is forming, and I find a local group who shares my passion for electronics, computers and security. The group has several classes instructed by members on various different topics according to that members interest, and occasionally we get guest instructors. One of the guest instructors we had at the space was Eric Michaud, Founder of Pumping Station One hackerspace in Chicago and a TOOOL evangelist - naturally he gave a class on lock picking.

The night of the class, I couldn't pick a single lock, despite hours of trying. I bought a pick set from Eric (the TOOOL beginners set) and asked if I could borrow one of the locks we were practicing with (they were little plastic master locks with 4 pins) - Eric said yes, so I took it home. No more than 30 minutes after I got home, I successfully picked the lock - I've been doing it ever since.

RAINBOW CHATS!