Untold Story of Mr-IoT

Sep 7, 2024

No more confusion about me, this is my professional journey. People often see me as a legend, expert, and guru in the IoT Security field. But, to set the record straight, my career didn’t start with IoT or hardware.

Disclaimer: My English might not be the best, so if anything isn’t clear, feel free to comment for clarification.

Early Life and Education

I didn’t study in English medium schools, didn’t have rich friends, and “proud to always say I’m a farmer’s son”. I’m also not a graduate, as I discontinued my college degree. My life was filled with drama with backstabbing friends, misuse of the college management, losing money, and disappointing my parents.

Turning Point: 30K Rupees That Changed My Life

My father gave me money twice, 30,000 rupees each time, and it changed my life.

First 30K: He gave me money to buy a bike for commuting to college. But instead, I bought a laptop model of Acer e1531 (Intel Dual Core, 4GB RAM, 3rd Gen), which I still use today.
Second 30K: This was for CEH training and travel to Bangalore, where I began shaping my career.

Key Influences: Professor Raghuchandra Garimella

In college, one of my greatest influences was Professor Raghuchandra. He taught me how to search on Google, understand malware, and use tools. He gave me personal classes for 4 hours, without judgment, even though I wasn’t performing well academically.

First Taste of Hacking

From that point, everything changed. I started Googling terms like “hacking” and stumbled upon tutorials. My first practical success was a DOS attack using LOIC and XOIC, even though I barely understood what I was doing at the time.

CEH Training: The Big Leap

Choosing the right career path was tough, especially with college students often compromising on their dreams. But I had only one thing on my mind: hacking. I researched institutes and chose to travel to Bangalore for training.

On December 2, 2014, I stayed at a PG called “Ramachandra Reddy PG” (Room No. 14, ₹3500/month). On December 9, I started my CEH training at Hackerschool.

Tough Days in Bangalore

My time in Bangalore was challenging—bed bugs at the PG, no proper food, and low funds. After CEH, I didn’t know what to do next. I got advice from a friend, Vasu, who was leaving his coordinator job. I stepped in and worked at the institute as a coordinator, learning while working.

First Salary: 8000 Rupees Felt Like 8 Crore!

My first salary was ₹8000, which felt like ₹8 crore at the time! During my CEH training, I became fascinated by hardware hacking—why not hack the hardware that supports all these layers? This curiosity led me to work on RFID cloning with Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

Dark Days: Losing Hope

After leaving the institute, things became difficult. My roommates, Subbarao Anna and Satya, helped with small amounts of money and food, while my sister supported me through interviews. Late Ramachandra Reddy Sir even allowed me to stay in the PG without paying rent for 2-3 months. Despite their help, I faced extreme hardship, going without proper food for days and battling suicidal thoughts.

Null Community: A Turning Point

Finally, I attended my first null meetup in Bangalore with my friend Kiran. The monthly meetup completely changed my perspective. The session on smart plug hacking by Anto Joseph inspired me. That was the beginning of my work on IoT devices.

Through the null community, I began participating in CTF challenges, and I was the Runner-Up in the Nullcon Magic of Seven Contest—a small but significant breakthrough for me.

A Life-Changing Experience: Nullcon Goa 2016

Nullcon Goa 2016 was India’s biggest cybersecurity conference, where I volunteered and became known as the “High Five Guy”. An IoT security company interviewed me before the conference, and I almost became their first IoT hire but things didn’t work out, and I lost hope again.

Building My Career: From Small Firms to Big Breaks

I joined a small firm as an Information Security Analyst but soon found myself repairing printers for a hospital, which was both shocking and funny! But it was during this time that I got an opportunity from Isecurion, a respected firm where my professional career really took off.

Isecurion supported me in my IoT research, allowing me to publish my first blog post on iotpentest.com. I also met Nagasai, who helped with hardware I couldn’t afford on my own.

From a Struggling Student to a Professional

Despite lacking a degree, my skills landed me jobs in big industries and MNCs. Today, I want to share my journey to show that choosing the right career is critical. I’ve seen people abandon great opportunities, but I’ve learned:

If you choose money, you may lose passion.
If you choose passion, the opportunities will eventually come.

Giving Back: Leading the Null Bangalore Chapter

Today, I’m the Null Bangalore Chapter Lead, giving back to the same community that gave me hope when I needed it most. I also participate in international remote conferences and handle IoT Villages, all while staying true to my passion.

Fun Times and Respect Moment

Contribution and passion go hand in hand, and the community is where the real knowledge sharing happens. You don’t need to attend big conferences to make an impact—your knowledge can be your reference.

Conclusion

Despite the struggles, setbacks, and financial difficulties (I still have debts!), I never let go of my passion. The journey wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.

Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way.

Final Thoughts

Don’t think I’m rich far from it! I still have over 50K in dues and a loan for three years. But I wouldn’t trade my journey for anything because passion has been my driving force all along.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story!

If I can do it, you can do it too..! Believe in yourself and start doing things..!