Cyber Threat Unit: Francisco Pahati

‍Meet Francisco Pahati: The Ethical Hacker Who Solves Security Flaws—and Rubik’s Cubes—in Seconds

Offensive Security Engineer | Ethical Hacker | Speed Cuber

When most people start their morning with coffee, Francisco Pahati starts with a hack—or at least a write-up of one. With nearly a decade of experience uncovering vulnerabilities before attackers can, Francisco leads VikingCloud’s offensive security team in identifying weaknesses across web apps and networks, helping clients around the world stay one step ahead of cyber threats.

Credentials That Back the Skill

Francisco’s technical credentials and education include:

• OSWA (Offensive Security Web Application)
• OSWP (Offensive Security Wireless Professional)
• Specialized training in offensive security methodologies
• Advanced web application security testing
• Network exploitation techniques
• Bachelor of Science, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Bulacan State University

A Write-Up a Day Keeps the Hackers Away

Every day, Francisco documents a new vulnerability, exploit, or testing technique—a habit he calls his “morning cybersecurity newspaper.” This daily discipline sharpens his skills, keeps him ahead of emerging attack vectors, and ensures every client engagement benefits from the latest real-world insights.

When he’s not breaking systems to make them stronger, he’s breaking personal records—solving a Rubik’s Cube in just eight seconds—or skating full-speed through a park on inline skates. Both hobbies demand precision, focus, and balance—the same traits that make him a top-tier penetration tester.

Q&A with Francisco Pahati

Q: What’s the most common cause of breaches that you see?

“Information disclosure. It’s often accidental—misconfigured services, forgotten assets, or exposed credentials in public code repositories. I’ve found valid API keys and database passwords sitting in public GitHub repos. Small leaks like that can open the door to much larger compromises.”

Q: What’s your top piece of advice for clients?  

“Complacency is a vulnerability. That’s why I recommend penetration testing, which isn’t just about checking boxes—it’s about simulating what a real attacker would do before the actual threat shows up. It's not meant to criticize a team’s work, but to validate and strengthen it. Thinking you don’t need pen testing is like driving without a seatbelt just because you haven’t crashed yet.”

Why Francisco Matters

Francisco doesn’t just find vulnerabilities—he translates them into strategies that strengthen defenses. His methodical, engineering-based approach, combined with continuous learning and a hacker’s instinct, helps VikingCloud clients reduce risk and build resilience.

Because in cybersecurity, it’s not about waiting for the threat—it’s about predicting and preventing it. And that’s exactly what Francisco does best.

🔗 Connect with Francisco on LinkedIn