Hacker Spotlight: Ads Dawson

Ads Dawson, a self-proclaimed "networking nerd at heart," has been both a full-time security professional and a hacker for about six years. He started his career with an apprenticeship in MSP and progressed to network pen testing, application security, and eventually AI security. Ads is meticulous and driven by curiosity, constantly seeking to improve his skills and adapt to new concepts. As a hacker, he applies a well-rounded full-stack approach and is heavily involved in AI red teaming. Ads advises hackers to consider every angle when engaging with security teams, prioritize themselves, and step outside their comfort zones to increase visibility and recognition. He also emphasizes the importance of fostering better relationships between hackers and security teams, spending time on updating programs with new features, and putting oneself in a hacker's shoes to catch potential areas of improvement. Ads' unique perspective as both a hacker and a Bugcrowd customer highlights the value of collaboration and cooperation between these groups.