2025-12-13 –, Rookie Track 1
The fog doesn't clear before you start. It clears because you start.
My talk explores what it is like to be a junior penetration tester thrown into the deep end - feeling, at times, totally lost - only to realise that the tools you need aren't always technical, but human.
I've been indescribably lucky to be surrounded by mentors, who not only pushed me to try, but to fail, and to document everything.
I’ll talk about the danger of skipping the fundamentals, why documentation is your lifeline and how learning the why behind what you’re doing matters more than just completing the task.
Not everyone has these mentors, so I want to share all the wisdom I have been given. Lessons, mindset shifts and advice. My talk is my way of paying it forward, contrasting the adivce with real scenarios I have faced while testing.
Like plenty of other talks, I will begin by getting you to picture the start of your pentesting journey. You're excited, right up until the fog starts to roll in. Tools that once had a definitive purpose, and everything you thought you understood starts to blur. Sounds familiar?
I will not talk about the feeling of being thrown in the deep end, but the continuation of it. And will build upon my belief that confidence in testing doesn't come from knowing everything, but where to go when you don't. All of which is drawn from real tests I have experienced!
I will touch on the importance of building a solid foundation, and why skipping the fundamentals will come back to bite you - paralleling that with the invaluable advice I was lucky enough to be given, and how finding the people who push, challenge and take the time to help you will shape you into something better.
If you're still in the fog, or haven't had anyone to guide you through it, I am here to share what I was given and to remind you that you aren't meant to have it all figured out.
I am a Penetration Tester currently working at KPMG. Originally from South Wales, I travelled to university in 2021 and upon completing my masters at the University of York, Decided to stay in the North to start my career.
Previously I competed within CS:GO then CS2, only recently hanging up the mouse to focus my attention fully on cyber security.