ABU DHABI // Before becoming Europe’s No 1 ethical hacker, Jamie Woodruff took advantage of his autism to become a computer boffin and started hacking when he was nine.
In discussing with young people how challenges can be turned to opportunities, Mr Woodruff, 23, showed how he overcame autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
“I did not have access to education sectors that you would see. When I went to school it was socially awkward,” he said.
He lasted three months in college before he gave up to help people with special needs.
Then, one day, he was asked if he wanted to enter a hackathon, where the top hacker won an expenses-paid university degree.
He won the challenge and enrolled in the School of Computer Science at Bangor University.
“So I went back to uni, and started teaching (ethical hacking) while I was still a student.”
Today, he is paid by companies such as Bloomberg and Barclays to test their systems and tell them what is wrong with their security.
He demonstrated to the audience of the Global Summit for Women Speakers of Parliament how he could break into a company’s CCTV camera.
“We can actually control it, not only see it [but also] move it left, right, up and zoom.”
In fact, this could be his way to hack into a system, he said.
“So I would go to a CCTV camera in your company and find out when people are walking in and out, and when there is a conference I walk in.”
He also showed a device he built in a weekend’s time which he calls “the secret”. With that device he could monitor keywords and find out how many people were trying to hack Donald Trump for instance.
Hacking today has become as simple as downloading an app on an Android phone: “My advice is just look at what you’ve got to protect and how it could be protected.
“You should keep phones and everything up to date with the latest version. But anyway, if someone wants to hack you, they will.”
He demonstrated another device, which could unlock any modern car that does not require a key, and make it move.
He believes end-users are the weakest security links.
“Just by making a simple call I can reset someone’s password in five minutes. Hackers are taking advantage of this.”
An example is when he was invited to speak at a conference in Norway, and the organiser insisted that he perform a hacking trick.
“So [with his permission] I broke into his hotel room, stole his laptop ...”
The next day, with 800 people watching, Mr Woodruff asked the organiser to walk outside: “I said stop and look to your right, there was his car right in front of him, I turned it on with my laptop.”
“Him being an end user, he uses the same password for everything so I could recover everything,” Mr Woodruff said.
His most famous tricks include when he posed as a Domino’s delivery man – a job for which he applied and was accepted “very easily”, in order to break into the server room of a large financial institution. After monitoring the action at the institution he noticed that staff ordered from Domino’s every Friday, and once he had the uniform, that was his way in.
“So, every Friday, this guy from Domino’s would appear to deliver pizza and pass by security and I was in.”
He would observe everyone’s behaviour, until he made his move.
“I could have stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars, but I’m ethical, I don’t do that.
“Another thing about improvisation, I flew all the way to Australia to speak at a conference, and I hadn’t planned what to say.”
When he entered the hotel, he started searching for orange juice. “I had a thing to try orange juice everywhere I go.”
“I could’t find any, so I said I will go to the kitchen and help myself.”
He found the chef’s uniform there, changed into it and went to the conference and started serving biscuits. As he did that, he collected everyone’s pin, and then demonstrated his findings on stage.
hdajani@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $49,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.05pm Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner El Patriota, Vagner Leal, Antonio Cintra
7.40pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,000m
Winner Ya Hayati, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Althiqa, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Soft Whisper, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Bedouin’s Story, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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Brief scores:
Everton 2
Walcott 21', Sigurdsson 51'
Tottenham 6
Son 27', 61', Alli 35', Kane 42', 74', Eriksen 48'
Man of the Match: Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Vikram%20Vedha
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Gayatri%2C%20Pushkar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hrithik%20Roshan%2C%20Saif%20Ali%20Khan%2C%20Radhika%20Apte%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Jawan
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How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
Lewis Hamilton in 2018
Australia 2nd; Bahrain 3rd; China 4th; Azerbaijan 1st; Spain 1st; Monaco 3rd; Canada 5th; France 1st; Austria DNF; Britain 2nd; Germany 1st; Hungary 1st; Belgium 2nd; Italy 1st; Singapore 1st; Russia 1st; Japan 1st; United States 3rd; Mexico 4th
World Cup warm-up fixtures
Friday, May 24:
- Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
- Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)
Saturday, May 25
- England v Australia (Southampton)
- India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)
Sunday, May 26
- South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
- Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)
Monday, May 27
- Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
- England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)
Tuesday, May 28
- West Indies v New Zealand (Bristol)
- Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
Spec%20sheet
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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