He’s just 11 years old, but he is one of America’s best known hackers already. He has future plans that involve using his skill to help the world.
Most people are not aware of how easy it may be to steal the information you have stored in your smartphone and computer. We do not naturally think about cyber security when we are surfing the net and downloading information. If you make one mistake, a hacker can acquire important information and disrupt your life.
A Central Texas computer expert shared with a local news outlet that hacking doesn’t always have to be bad. In fact, he’s using it to learn how to keep information safe.
This expert just so happens to be 11 years old. Emmett Brewer is a native to
Austin, Texas. He is using techniques, like a SQL Injection vulnerability or a cross-site request forgery vulnerability, to hack different websites. Brewer said he only uses his skills against websites that allow him to test out his skills.
But at DEFCON, a hacking conference held in Las Vegas, Brewer took a hack at a mock-up of something much bigger.
“The one I did was the Florida secretary of state website,” said Brewer. “I sort of studied up on what it would be like but I had no idea until it actually started.”
The 11-year-old boy was able to give himself 239 billion votes in approximately five minutes. Brewer told reporters that hacking is fun to do, and while he does have other hobbies, this is one of his favorites. He said it is fun to find vulnerabilities.
“I’m just trying to help the world,” he said.
As Brewer heads into the sixth grade, he hopes to keep hacking and maybe one day get into cyber security.
What are you thoughts about this “talented” young man?