While technology advancements continue to shape the world, hackers are finding even more ways to infiltrate cyber space and steal from businesses, corporations and everyday people.
Just ask Bastien Treptel who at just 14 years old was a self-proclaimed “hacker” using his skillset to take information from people's credit cards so he could buy himself pizza.
While he admitted it wasn't malicious work, it still got him into strife with law enforcement.
It was also a period of his life that has shaped his career today.
“At 14 years old I got in trouble with the police for hacking,” he said.
“Now, things are quite the opposite and I am using my skillset to help protect businesses from hackers.”
Bastien is the co-founder of CTRL Group, Australia’s progressive information security firm, protecting businesses from cyber risk.
On 23 June he will present at the ninth Hinkler Innovation Series breakfast and will delve into topics including cybersecurity, connectivity and his own involvement in the hacking sphere.
With operations in Singapore, Thailand and Australia, CTRL Group is on a mission to safeguard organisations from brand and reputational damage, as well as increasing public awareness about the importance of cybersecurity to their financial and personal wellbeing.
Bastien said he wanted to inspire everyone to appreciate security as it continued to become a much-needed accessory in a hyper-digital world.
Bastien talks cybersecurity methodology at Hinkler Innovation Series
As part of his work, Bastien has developed a progressive security methodology to enable CTRL Group clients to achieve a respectable level of cyber maturity, effectively helping them mitigate critical risks posed to their stakeholders and shareholders.
“I work with many big organisations where I hack into their systems to find out just how secure they really are,” he said.
“Essentially we get paid to break in and steal from large corporations so they can better understand their own cyber security and the risks involved.”
Bastien is also the host of the CyberHacker podcast series which has achieved over 100,000 subscribers and is currently in production for Season 2.
He said he was looking forward to discussing cyber security and the hacking phenomenon to participants of the Hinkler Innovation Series breakfast.
“You will find out the real face of the hacker,” he said.
“You might be surprised who hackers are, how nice they can be but also how extortionately evil they can be.”
Bastien will speak at this year's 2022 Hinkler Innovation Series breakfast at the Bundaberg Multiplex, 1 Civic Avenue, on Thursday 23 June from 6.45 am to 9 am.
Buy tickets here.
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