August 4, 2026
How I Went from a 12-Year-Old Hacker to Securing India’s Critical Infrastructure
I first started exploring the world of hacking when I was just 12 years old. Like many in the offensive security space, early curiosity…
By Krishna Sharma
1 min read
I first started exploring the world of hacking when I was just 12 years old. Like many in the offensive security space, early curiosity led me down some unconventional paths. Everything changed when I was 15. While scrolling through the scam report section on Truecaller, I read endless stories of people who had been compromised, scammed, and left vulnerable. It hit me hard. Right then, I decided to pivot and use my skills purely for defense and ethical hacking. I began focusing on protecting Critical Information Infrastructure (CII). Over the last couple of years, I've focused on responsibly identifying and reporting vulnerabilities to NCIIPC and CERT-In, helping secure systems for major entities like CBSE, UIDAI, etc. Hard work pays off in unexpected ways. At 17, I was incredibly honored to receive the national CyberPeace Volunteer Award (supported by Google.org). Standing on stage at the CyberPeace Summit at Bharat Mandapam and receiving recognition from a Major General of the Indian Army after a rigorous vetting process is a milestone I'll never forget.
Along the way, I've kept pushing my technical limits:
TryHackMe: Ranked in the Top 1% with a 97 capability score, tackling 6 "Insane" rooms completely on my own by age 17.
Certifications: Proudly earned my Certified LLM Security Professional (CLLMSP), AV/EDR Evasion Practical Techniques, Introduction to Red Team Operation Management, etc, credentials via Red Team Leaders.
Community: Tested the community trend of letting an LLM analyze my history to map it to a movie character and it pinned me as "Elliot" (a legendary badge of honor in that trend).
People often ask me what specific courses or blueprints I followed. Honestly? I figured most of it out myself because I wanted to approach security from a completely unique angle. As Elliot says: "I am very different." There are plenty of other achievements and Red Team engagements I've wrapped up along the way, but due to their nature, they have to stay classified. 🤫 Huge thanks to my mentors, peers, and friends who keep pushing me to grow.