First, congrats to Alex Chapman being inducted into H1-Elite! There’s nobody more deserving of this spot– and your comic book adaptation looks killer!

Who is Alex Chapman?

• Experience: Alex has been in professional security for over 16 years. He started his interest in hacking around the age of 12 or 13, dabbling in programming and trying to understand how to break things.

• Education: Alex pursued a computer science degree at the university level. Although he found it challenging and at times unenjoyable, a guest lecture from a pen tester at one of the Big Four accounting firms sparked his realization that he could make a career out of his passion for hacking.

• Professional Journey: Immediately after university, Alex joined Deloitte, one of the Big Four, specifically working in their security team. He spent about a decade in pen testing, initially with Deloitte for three years and later moved to a smaller consultancy. It was during this period he got acquainted with red teaming and security research. Around 2016-2017, Alex transitioned to Yahoo, which seems to have been a significant step in his career.

• Key Attributes: Alex is evidently a self-learner, having explored hacking from a young age by looking at war games and even diving into reverse engineering on platforms like crackmes.

Coding and Education for Hackers 🏫

Is college relevant for someone interested in bug bounty? Should a hacker know how to code? These questions are consistently revisited as time goes on. Here are the critical takes from how our conversation about such topics went down.

• Traditional Degrees vs. Self-taught Routes: Alex firmly believes that traditional Computer Science degrees aren't necessarily the best route in 2023. Instead, aspiring hackers should be self-driven, explore programming, and build their expertise. Blogging about their journey and findings can not only document growth but also impress potential employers. He mentions that, as a hiring manager, a blog is something he hunts for first in a candidate.

• The Importance of Programming: A point of contention in some circles, Alex asserts that hackers should have foundational programming knowledge. Not only does it aid in understanding bugs but it also gives hackers an edge when investigating potential vulnerabilities. It's about seeing beneath the surface, knowing how things were implemented, and truly understanding the backend mechanics.

• Learning in the Digital Age: Joel's experience mirrored Alex's sentiment. Traditional structures and explanations might not always cater to the rapidly evolving tech world. Instead, understanding systems and their potential vulnerabilities, even without an in-depth background explanation, becomes more crucial.