Wade’s Unconventional Path to Becoming a Cybersecurity Expert
Wade grew up in rural New South Wales, Australia, where his father built a hydroelectric generator to provide electricity for their home. Wade’s fascination with technology began at a young age, and he quickly learned to code on his Commodore 64 computer. He became obsessed with robotics, artificial intelligence, and software, and was hooked on the internet when his family got dial-up connection.
As a teenager, Wade got into trouble by creating a computer virus that accidentally shut down his high school’s internet connection. He dropped out of school and traveled the world, eventually moving to Texas and marrying a woman he met while traveling. While waiting for his Green Card application to process, Wade spent his free time tinkering with computers in his garage, creating bots and hacking projects.
Wade’s garage soon became filled with gadgets and hacking projects, including a supercomputer he built by reprogramming dozens of MSN TVs. However, his hobby soon turned into a business when someone asked him to sell his bots for sending spam emails. Wade agreed, but was later caught by the US Secret Service, who were cracking down on email spam.
Wade was arrested and taken to a Secret Service lab in Dallas, where he was forced to explain how his hacking projects worked. However, instead of being punished, Wade impressed the agents with his technical expertise and was asked to work with them as a technical consultant. Wade eventually pleaded guilty to all counts, but was given a lenient sentence in exchange for his help.
Wade’s experience with the Secret Service and FBI led him to become a cybersecurity expert, and he has since worked with various government agencies and private companies to help them combat cybercrime. Despite his unconventional path, Wade’s unique blend of technical expertise and entrepreneurial spirit has made him a valuable asset in the field of cybersecurity.