#offensivesecurity #pentesting #cybersecurity #securecode #bugbounty #ctf… | Max Renke

Day 0: A New Chapter Begins A little over a week ago, I was on vacation, enjoying a peaceful lunch with my wife and my soon-to-be 2-year-old daughter, Millie, on Myrtle Beach. Life felt steady—until I checked my email. "Business Critical Update: Please Prioritize" Four hours later, I was unemployed. Microsoft was my endgame. The sheer talent, impact, and brilliance of the people I worked alongside shaped who I am today. For that, I’m incredibly grateful. But today, I begin something new. For nearly a decade, I’ve admired the offensive security industry from the sidelines, hoping that one day, I’d earn my place. I dreamed of presenting at Black Hat, of making meaningful contributions, of proving to myself that I was worthy. But I realize now that waiting for change wasn’t the answer—I had to make the change. The world has forced my hand. And I’m ready. I may not have a portfolio of CVEs. I haven’t won any CTFs. I haven’t earned a single bug bounty. But what I do have is nearly a decade of experience securing Windows and Azure, and a deep understanding of what it takes to build secure software. Starting today, I’m committing to documenting my journey—every day. I’ll be sharing insights from my time at Microsoft, my progress toward becoming an offensive security researcher, and hopefully starting conversations about what it really takes to break into this field. If you’re on a similar path, or have wisdom to share, let’s connect. This isn’t just my journey—it’s all of ours. #OffensiveSecurity #PenTesting #CyberSecurity #SecureCode #BugBounty #CTF #ExMicrosoft #Layoffs #LookingForWork #CareerChange #CyberSecCommunity #SecurityResearch #Infosec #WindowsSecurity #AzureSecurity #MicrosoftAlumni #NextChapter #CyberSecurityJobs #HackingTheFuture

Day 5 - Advent of Code 2022

Day 4 - Advent of Code 2022

Day 3 - Advent of Code 2022

Day 2 - Advent of Code 2022

Day 1 - Advent of Code 2022