One of the Final 10 Participants of the Information Security Leader Training Program 

(Best of the Best Program (hereinafter referred to as “BOB”) held by the Korea Information Technology Research Institute) 

I want to become a white hacker who works for information security!

Son Young-lak, Computer Science and Information Engineering Class of ‘16

Q. What is the BOB Program, and why did you decide to participate?

I think a lot of people aren’t familiar with the BOB Program. BOB, which stands for Best of the Best, is a program conducted by the Korea Information Technology Research Institute to foster Information Security Leaders. The fact that people who actually work in the information security industry act as mentors and provide training felt very attractive to me.

I decided to join this program because one of the seniors of Cat-Security recommended it to me. I’ve always been interested in hacking, even after entering university. In school lectures, I learned about the general theories about security, encryption, and C language. In the club ‘Cat-Security,’ I learned about the practical learnings about information security. Through the lectures and club activities, I was able to grasp a deeper understanding of information security. I even joined the military as an information security soldier. After being discharged from the army, I joined BOB without hesitation, as it was recommended by one of my seniors. 

Q. What are your secrets behind overcoming difficulties and achieving great results in the program?

To be honest, I’d be lying if I said there were no difficulties (Laughs)

I didn’t realize how fierce the competition was at the time I decided to join, but apparently, the competition was 1600 : 200. Since this was a very hard-earned opportunity, I wanted to get a lot out of this program.

The first two months of the program were focused on training, and the following four months were focused on team projects. Only 30 of the participants were going to be selected, so I did my best on the project.

Fortunately, I ended up being one of the 30 participants, and I worked hard for another two months. As a result, I was one of the top 14 among the 30 chosen participants, and I was given the opportunity to participate in the RSA Conference, which is a global information security conference. RSA Conference was held in San Francisco, the US for one week. I think it was one of the most valuable experiences of my life.

After the conference, I came back to Korea to write a report and give a presentation about past activities in front of BOB board members. In the end, I was selected as one of the 10 final participants. I also received a certificate from the Minister of Science and ICT and a prize of KRW 10 million.

Now that I look back, I’ve been really busy. Participating in the BOB activities wasn’t easy, but looking back now, I think it was a valuable once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am deeply grateful for ‘Cat-Security’ for helping me experience such diverse activities, and I plan to continue to take part in information security activities.

Q. Have you always been interested in hacking?

I’ve liked computers ever since I was little. I played a lot of computer games too. 

I wasn’t just interested in playing games. I was also interested in manipulating them. Back then, I didn’t realize that was hacking. I just followed the instructions I found on the internet, but it turns out that it was a type of hacking.

I set my goal when I went to the United States as an exchange student.

I decided to study natural sciences and major in computer engineering since I like working with computers. 

In my second year of high school, I came back to Korea and began to study natural sciences. I worked really hard to get into the School of Computer Science and Information Engineering.

I was finally accepted to CUK’s School of Computer Science and Information Engineering.

Q. What are your future plans or dreams?

A lot of people have a bad impression of the word hacking. 

Many people think of it in a negative way, but that’s not always the case. There are two types of hackers: black and white. The negative image of hackers is related to black hackers. But white hackers are people who are constantly striving for information security. I’m still a junior, so I’m still thinking about my future. But one thing is certain: I will become a person who works hard for information security.

Interview · Image

‘CUK Friends,’ the University Development Council Club