Kid meets tech.

So, to make this post a bit, personaaaal.. 😶 We were requested as a class, for our first blog to describe certain traits and facts about one's purpose to be in this field...

I challenged that task further by reflecting on why I deserve to be alive today.

I would bore you with facts about my growing up that you would definitely find cringe-worthy. So, at least, I could share with you where I am trying to take myself in this ever-changing world of IT.

Growing up, my uncle always had the best phones, and it was a crazy time of trends between phones that would slide, flip, fold, rotate, and so on. Seeing the battles between big names like Motorola, Sony, Samsung, and LG was exciting. Unfortunately, Nokia stood out for me.

One of my uncle's whacky phones (Reddit, 2024)

In 2010, I remember obsessing over Dad's new Nokia N900 (look it up; seriously, a device ahead of its time), released in late 2009. My guy always had the latest tech, as he loved soft life. (That's my inheritance). And it was so impressive. The kind of access that device had as a portable 2009 is to the point that no recently made device has a built-in Terminal; it ran Linux, Wireshark, infrared radio, and so on. The biggest con was the lack of WhatsApp, but I now comprehend the power of that phone as a grown-up. Unlike 14 years ago, when I was a kid, I admired it because it ideally looked like an "Executive" type of phone. And yes, many business people had this phone, and little did they know about the potential tools the phone could be used for. It just looks like luxury (lol, ignore the one in the picture), but clearly, it's doing the job using hardware underneath, but the feel of the phone was too good.

Nokia N900 spoofing WiFi networks, unfortuunately this was a Russian version in picture (Reddit, 2024)

"With great power comes great responsibilities" - Stan Lee

This is the point where the story gets dark...

One afternoon, when my dad picked me up from school (he never really had to), it felt like a surprise visit once in a while; I remember him sharing the good news of possibly winning a jackpot. And, of course, the "once in a while" pick-ups felt a lot more different than the usual ones; he had received the text from a +44 phone number. And that seemed legitimate (since you would never expect such a number to contact Africa as we are at the bottom of the barrel compared to the West). Dad honestly did not know the power and vulnerabilities of using this phone. Hence, using such a device was so easy to leak information on the internet. (till today many developers use that phone)

From reading the above paragraph, I am sure that that was a scam. (I have a lot of scam experiences to share, but... If you actually deepened the situation in the moment, of course, it would be euphoria having such an escape from financial burdens. We celebrated in the moment. (probably the best car ride I have ever had).

Later that evening, consciously enough, I reflected on the situation AS A 10-YEAR-OLD...

I realized that this type of life is too good to be true. At least he did not follow through with the scam despite not being warned.

Cyber threats have only worsened over the years, especially regarding the cost of living and several points of unfairness in political views (that I will never speak on). I only hope to preserve future forms of security in this chaotic future we seek. Hence, my reason to exist.

Protect people by informing you of how you are vulnerable on the internet.. Would you like that?