Three Black Hat talks at just 18! My interview with Bandana Kaur.

In this episode, I’m joined by Bandana Kaur — a cybersecurity researcher, speaker, and all-round superstar who somehow managed to do in her teens what most people are still figuring out in their thirties. 🤔

Bandana is just 18 years old, entirely self-taught in cybersecurity, already working in the field, and recently gave three talks at Black Hat. Yes, three! 😱

We talk about how she taught herself cybersecurity as a teenager, how she broke into the industry without a traditional pathway, and what it’s actually like being young (and very competent) in a field that still struggles with gatekeeping. Bandana shares what she focused on while learning, how she approached opportunities like conference speaking, and what she thinks matters most for people trying to get into security today.

This conversation is part career advice, and part reminder that you don’t need permission — or a perfectly linear path — to do meaningful work in cybersecurity.

Follow Bandana: @hackwithher