Student wins accolades from Nasa through ethical hacking

Siddiqe Ahmad al-Hasani, an 18-year-old student from Qatar, has been recognized by NASA for his skills in ethical hacking. Al-Hasani, who was recently a high school graduate, has always been fascinated by cybersecurity and began experimenting with technology at a young age. He defined ethical hacking as testing a system’s security with permission to identify and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

During his pursuit of ethical hacking, al-Hasani came across a vulnerability on a NASA subdomain, which he reported responsibly through NASA’s official Vulnerability Disclosure Program on Bugcrowd. NASA acknowledged his report within a couple of days, and he was subsequently included in their Security Researcher Hall of Fame. Receiving this recognition was particularly meaningful for al-Hasani as he was a teenager working independently from Qatar at the time.

In his reflections, al-Hasani emphasized the importance of responsible actions following the discovery of a vulnerability. He stressed that ethical hacking revolves around trust, patience, and responsibility. He explained that ethical hackers possess the power to cause harm if they misuse their skills, but they have a responsibility to report vulnerabilities properly and provide organizations with an opportunity to rectify them before they are exploited.

Al-Hasani is now preparing for university studies in cybersecurity and computer science and continues to develop his skills. He has been selected for EC-Council’s Hackers4Humanity 2026 initiative, which brings together cybersecurity professionals for a practical challenge. Al-Hasani also hopes to start his own business in the cybersecurity domain.

He advised young people in Qatar interested in cybersecurity to begin with curiosity, learn the basics, practice responsibly, and not rush their learning process. His story highlights the potential of young individuals in Qatar to make a significant impact in the cybersecurity field, particularly in light of the increasing demand for cybersecurity professionals and the growing threat of AI-based cyberattacks.