Hacker Community Columnist: How I Came Out of the Closet and Stayed in Cybersecurity

Some platforms are afraid of me; others are convinced I’m a scammer and that it’s all just advertising. For example, Yandex refused to publish my ads. Some large platforms demanded a “triple rate,” justifying it by the alleged illegality of the topic. Of course, it annoys me—but I’m not offended. Why be offended by ignorance?!

In reality, it’s simpler than that—I’m a person of non-traditional sexual orientation. I once came out of the closet and stated who I am. And I stayed true to myself: curious, straightforward, stubborn, with a constant urge to get to the bottom of things. This stance isn’t about scandals; it’s about honesty. If I do something, I say it as it is.

For more than ten years I’ve been giving interviews about cybersecurity—from everyday account compromises to complex social-engineering schemes. Over that time I’ve been called many things, but the most accurate description came from my friend, writer Mark Kotlyarsky: “a hacker community columnist.” I like how it sounds. I don’t just “break” or “fix”; I observe the ecosystem, explain its rules, and teach people how not to step on the same rakes.

How It Started: 2003, Curiosity, and the First Social Network

My “track record” begins in 2003. A friend came to me, eyes shining, and said: “I forged a police ID.” Not for profit—pure curiosity. The police and his father quickly explained why that was a bad idea, but what hooked me wasn’t the prank; it was the desire to understand “how things work.” I decided to one-up him and take apart the first local social network down to its “atoms.” Turned out HTML wasn’t that scary. Within a day I got access to his account—and couldn’t resist calling him: “That’s it, you’ve got a date!” I really did arrange a meeting on his behalf with the “biggest” girl on the platform. Today it sounds like a harmless prank, but that’s how my path began: from jokes to dissecting increasingly complex systems.

Years passed. My friend now owns a chain of coffee machines across Germany, and once a year, out of old friendship, I give him a “security lesson”—I hack his account and then put everything back. He still doesn’t like 2FA and keeps downloading unnecessary stuff from the internet. We laugh, but the moral is simple: habits are stronger than passwords.

The First Serious Milestone: Responsibility Instead of Hooliganism

Soon I encountered a system of a completely different scale—a portal of a large government institution. For a young and cocky me, it was a challenge. I spent nights digging through code, looking for logic flaws and validation errors, correlating server responses. I got access—and along with the adrenaline came the key realization: knowledge can be used in different ways. I chose responsibility. I prepared a detailed vulnerability report, attached proof, documented step-by-step reproduction, and sent it to the developers. At first they didn’t believe me; then they thanked me, fixed the issues, and предложили продолжить диалог. Curiosity turned into a profession, and “hacking for laughs” turned into responsible disclosure.

From the Underground to the Spotlight: The First On-Air Invitation

The first person to say “enough hiding” was the same Mark Kotlyarsky. He invited me to Eaton TV. Cameras, lights, live broadcast—a completely different world for someone used to terminals and logs. Mark introduced me as a “hacker community columnist,” and the name stuck. I explained complex things simply: how people open doors to attackers themselves, why “free” apps are dangerous, and why two-factor authentication isn’t a fad but hygiene. After the broadcast, viewers wrote to me, asked questions, shared stories. That’s when I realized: my job isn’t only to find vulnerabilities, but to explain how to avoid them.

Why People Trust Me—and Why Some Are Afraid

Those who hide dirt under the rug fear me—it’s uncomfortable when someone calmly dissects the mechanics of their schemes. Those who want to understand and protect themselves appreciate me. I don’t sell “magic pills,” don’t make promises, and don’t use “gray” methods. I show where it’s thin and suggest how to reinforce it. Sometimes it’s unpleasant—like a dentist visit—but that’s how you keep things healthy.

About Me, Honestly

I came out of the closet—both in life and in my profession. I don’t hide behind pseudonyms or play the “shadow genius.” I work openly, explain my steps, and admit mistakes. Curiosity is still with me: it pushes me to learn new things, test hypotheses, and never settle. And yes, I still love “taking things apart into atoms”—technologies, processes, myths. Only now it’s not for pranks, but for people.

Why I Continue

Because behind every incident there’s a real person: a business owner losing clients, a family losing photos, an activist fearing surveillance. They don’t need magic—they need a clear plan. And a voice that says: “Here’s how it works. Here’s what you can do. And here’s what you shouldn’t do.”

In short: I stay because the digital world has too much noise and too little honest conversation. And I know how to speak honestly.