Security Research with Samy Kamkar

Every digital system has vulnerabilities. Cars can be hacked, locked computers can be exploited, and credit cards can be spoofed. Security researchers make a career out of finding these types of vulnerabilities.

Samy Kamkar’s approach to security research is not just about dissection–it’s also about creativity. For many of the technologies he hacks on, Samy open-sources code that summarily describes the vulnerability he has been working on. For example, in his project PoisonTap, Samy open-sourced code that you can run on a $5 Raspberry Pi, and plug into a locked computer to exploit it.

Our conversation covered the art of deconstructing technologies for vulnerabilities and Samy’s goals as a security researcher. We also touched on some of the broader issues of modern security.