We think we know what it takes to build hacking tools

Stay tuned as we explore how tools like Nmap and sqlmap have shaped penetration testing over the last two decades, and stick around to discover which aspects make pentesting predominantly a craft - and which parts have become standardized (and what that means for your work).

Unpack this conversation to discover:

• The depth of the work involved in crafting offensive security tools [04:45]
• What you can learn only by developing and maintaining tools [08:03]
• How Villain evolved and key learnings from building it [17:00]
• The challenges of finding balance in deep offensive security work [21:30]
• How Panagiotis uses automation to make his work smoother [25:35]
• How building his own tools shaped his thinking [32:00]
• What makes penetration testing a craft (with hands-on examples) [38:12]
• Why (and how) he finds the motivation to do meaningful work [48:16]
• What kind of projects keep him energized [50:55]

Venture with us into the evolution of hacking tools, as T3l3machus shares his journey from admiring early toolmakers to becoming a pioneer, creating tools like BabelStrike and Villain.

Resources from this episode:

• Panagiotis on LinkedIn
• Panagiotis on GitHub
• His YouTube channel
• How to create your own GitHub projects
• John Hammond about hacking using Villain
• Villain
• Toxssin
• Hoaxshell
• BabelStrike
• Kerberos