Number One Ethical Hacker Shares 'Super Disturbing Incident' That Led Him to Fight Against Criminal Activity Online

Brits have grown accustomed to hearing about hackers in the news, as cybercriminals continue to wreak havoc on high street giants, bringing their operations to a standstill. However, not everyone in the digital realm uses their skills for nefarious purposes. In fact, there are countless tech wizards who are fighting the good fight online, making the internet a safer place – one of them being Ryan Montgomery.

Montgomery, known by his hacker handle 0day, is a well-known ethical hacker who spends his days finding lapses in security for big firms, protecting people's data, and taking down child exploitation websites. Describing himself as a 'serial entrepreneur' and 'child safety warrior', Montgomery is always sharing nuggets of knowledge about the dangers of technology and tips on how we can help protect ourselves.

But how did a young bloke from Florida end up becoming one of the most well-known ethical hackers in the world? The answer lies in his early beginnings. Montgomery first ventured into the industry when he was just 11-years-old, and it all started with an 'adrenaline rush' – finding vulnerabilities to exploit online.

Five years later, he had begun informing website owners of these weaknesses without expecting a financial reward. While it wasn't exactly legal, Montgomery was one of the good guys at least, and he eventually launched his cybersecurity technology platform, Pentester, in 2021.

Reflecting on how he ended up with this obscure career, Montgomery previously told Caplin News: "I don’t fully remember why I decided to pursue cybersecurity, but the simple answer is the adrenaline rush that it gives me when I find an exploit or bypass a restriction is unmatched by anything else I’ve done in life. Most kids were playing games and outside, and I spent most of my time on the computer trying to learn."

Getting into fighting cyber crime was a whole different kettle of fish, though. Montgomery explained that his venture into this area of hacking came in April 2020, after a 'super disturbing incident' compelled him to use his knowledge for good.

"My friend’s wife sent me the messages because she is a mother herself, and the existence of this website deeply angered her," Montgomery said. "She knew that I was involved in the cybersecurity space and figured I would be the person to 'take the site down'. I didn’t realise they were as vile as they were. They engage in these horrific activities without shame or restraint of any kind. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into; it made me sick to my stomach, and I wanted to do something with my knowledge of cybersecurity."

He also reflected on how this situation prompted him to take down online criminals while chatting to Blaze Media last year. Montgomery added: "I got into the fight against human trafficking and violence against children because of a super disturbing incident. The content was so appalling that it instilled a ridiculous level of anger in me, motivating me to take action on this specific website and dedicate myself to protecting others."

Today, Montgomery continues to keep up his end of the bargain, but emphasizes the importance of parents having a pivotal role in keeping kids safe online. He recommends open communication with your children, monitoring their internet use, using parental controls, and enforcing online restrictions to ensure youngsters surf the web safely.

Olivia's Note

I’m Olivia, a journalist at LADbible Group with over five years of experience and have worked for top publishers, including News UK. In my free time, I enjoy writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). I'm also a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.