Earlier this week, I had the privilege of attending a "Tech & Meet" session featuring Niels Desloover and Sandro Manzo from the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB). In the realm of cybersecurity, information is everywhere, but the true skill lies in filtering out the noise to find what matters. This session was a prime example of that craft. The core of the discussion centered on uncovering infrastructure through advanced reconnaissance techniques. We took a deep dive into Censys lookups, hash pivoting, and certificate analysis. It is fascinating to see how a single digital breadcrumb – such as a specific SSL certificate or a unique file hash – can lead to a comprehensive overview of a hidden attack infrastructure. What I found particularly valuable was the nuance provided: it wasn’t just about what you can find, but also about the practical limits of exploration. Knowing when further research yields actionable insights versus when it becomes a distraction is key for any analyst. The session gained even more depth during our follow-up lecture. This is where we bridged the gap between abstract theory and hands-on application. By practicing pivoting methods ourselves, the connection between raw data and actionable intelligence became crystal clear. It is one thing to know these tools exist, but quite another to deploy them strategically during an investigation. Overall, it was a highly insightful experience that seamlessly combined research, intelligence, and real-world application. A big thank you to the speakers for sharing their time and expertise!
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