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Chris Bingham: My Path to Cybersecurity

Chris Bingham is a Developer on Project HARDN
For those unfamiliar with the the project, it is our free, open source cyber security software.
Git source code here: Project Public Repository

Chris Bingham: My Path to Cybersecurity

These bios are always hard—where do I even start?

My journey into Cybersecurity was anything but linear.

In university, I majored in Arabic and Persian.
I've always had a passion for foreign languages, and becoming multilingual was a personal goal I'm proud to have achieved.
Unfortunately, career opportunities in that field were limited—at least none that truly appealed to me.

I had an interest in law enforcement but wasn't sure I wanted to commit without first exploring something adjacent.
So, I became a security guard. I worked both unarmed and armed roles. It was adventurous at times—some parts I liked, others not so much.
But I have to say: it's not a sustainable career financially, and as a result, decided not to got the Police route.
So I soon found myself back at square one.

Next, I explored machining.
I thought it might be fun, but it quickly became clear it wasn't for me.
I ended up running in a metaphorical hamster wheel on a CNC machining assembly line, later operating plasma cutters
and grinding steel parts six days a week under mandatory overtime.
If you didn't show up, you were fired.

Every day, I came home covered in steel dust.
If you've never worked in that environment, imagine the engine room scene from Titanic—that's what it felt like.
Long story short: manufacturing wasn't for me. Those were some toxic work environments, and I didn't have the temperament for it.
I have deep respect for those who thrive in that field—I had great coworkers—but the grind wore me down.

I spent a few years lost, knowing I was capable of more, but unsure how to break free.
Those were demoralizing years.
Then one day, I became curious about hacking.
I asked myself, "How does that work?" That question changed everything.

I dove headfirst into the world of Cybersecurity with a level of tenacity and hunger that can only be described as obsession.
My two goals were clear: escape manufacturing and transition into Cybersecurity.

I had no prior tech experience, but the same intellectual curiosity that drove me to learn foreign languages pushed me into tech.
After a couple of years of self-study and hustle, I landed my first role as a SOC Analyst.

That job only lasted two and a half months.

I started in January 2020, and when the pandemic hit in March, my company implemented a LIFO (Last In, First Out) policy.
I was among the first to be laid off.

Since then, I've worn many hats in Cybersecurity: SOC Analyst, co-founder of BSides Triad, online Linux and Python course creator, web and network penetration tester, CI/CD pipeline security specialist, Windows enterprise network pen tester, and more.

Today, I work as a Web App Security Consultant and contributor to HARDN, an open-source project focused on hardening GNU/Linux systems—specifically Debian.

About the Author

Chris Bingham

LinkedIn Profile Click here

GitHub Click here

GitLab Click here

Chris is also an active contributor to various open source security projects and regularly shares his knowledge
through technical articles and community forums.

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