Tal Kollander's Journey: From Black Hat to White Hat
Tal Kollander's history can be divided into two distinct halves: her early days as an active hacker and her later career as a cybersecurity defender. Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, Kollander has always had the mindset of a hacker, believing that hackers use creative skills to access computers through non-legitimate means.
A hacker, to Kollander, is anyone who accesses a computer without proper authorization. Hackers can be subdivided into three categories: white hat hackers, who report their findings to the computer owner; black hat hackers, who access computers for personal gain; and grey hat hackers, who play both sides.
The Early Days: Curiosity and Hacking
Kollander's curiosity and passion for computer security began at a young age. She started gaming online and was fascinated by how others could cheat and hack into the system. This curiosity drove her to learn more about computer hardware and software, and she soon became skilled in programming languages such as HTML, Pascal, C, and C#.
As she delved deeper into the world of hacking, Kollander began to build her own tools and software to help her win games and earn prizes. She even sold some of her creations to companies, earning her first million dollars. However, it was during her time in the Israeli Army that her mindset began to shift.
The Army Factor: A Change in Mindset
Kollander joined the Israeli Army and was assigned to the computer units, where she worked on protecting the country's critical infrastructure and networks from hackers. This experience changed her perspective, and she began to see the value in using her skills for good.
Instead of breaking into computer systems, Kollander started to focus on protecting them. She worked on numerous projects, hacking into her own country's systems to identify vulnerabilities and learn how to stop them from being exploited by enemy hackers.
Becoming a Cybersecurity Defender
After leaving the Army, Kollander began her career in defensive cybersecurity. She worked as a deputy CISO at MalamTeam Ltd and later became the security architect and CISO at the Israeli subsidiary of Avnet. In 2013, she moved to EMC and became Dell EMC's IT security architect and CISO following the company's acquisition by Dell Technologies.
In 2019, Kollander co-founded and bootstrapped a firm called Gytpol, which later changed its name to Remedio and raised $65 million in external funding. As the CEO and CISO of Remedio, Kollander aims to teach companies how hackers operate and help them fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Understanding Hackers and Fixing Vulnerabilities
Kollander understands hackers because she was once one herself. She knows how they think and operate, and she uses this knowledge to help companies protect themselves. Remedio's goal is not just to identify problems but to fix them, filling the gap between knowing about a vulnerability and addressing it.
Kollander's journey from a black hat hacker to a cybersecurity defender is a testament to the power of transformation and the importance of using one's skills for good. Her story serves as a reminder that people can change and that curiosity and passion can drive us to make a positive impact in the world.
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Source: SecurityWeek