Kyle Hankins, CTO and Cofounder, Bytewhisper Security

Kyle Hankins, CTO and Cofounder, Bytewhisper Security

GitHub: dashnine
Denver, CO


Veteran security professional and leader with two decades of experience in software security, software engineering, and software security program development and implementation.


Prior Experience

Coalfire (formerly Denim Group), Denver, CO

Director, Application Security
2014 - 2024

  • Led a team of 60 application security consultants and senior managers, guiding a top-tier security consulting team to successes across myriad industries including big tech, financial services, insurance, IoT, and more.
  • Worked with company leadership and sales to expand business both through offering management and by dialog and collaboration with prospective clients.
  • Developed and documented new application security offerings and provided technical leadership, assisting other consultants in the completion of application security assessments.
  • Conducted threat modeling and application security assessments on numerous internal and publicly accessible applications, resulting in the discovery, review, and remediation of vulnerabilities.
  • Conducted successful double-blind penetration tests, assessing and attacking a client’s perimeter without the awareness or cooperation of the company’s IT/cyber response team and without prior information about the company.
  • Rolled out multiple application security programs for Fortune 50 companies, serving both in leadership/SSG roles and Application Security Champion functions.
  • Wrote and presented training and blog posts for internal company use on security-related topics and tools (x86/x64 Assembly, Buffer overflows, OllyDBG, GDB, etc.).

L-3 Communications, Colorado Springs, CO

Software Engineer - Team Lead
2010 - 2014

  • Led the Information Assurance Software Workgroup for the RCAS program, directing efforts to enhance software security.
  • Audited an array of C# and VB.NET applications using HP Fortify, and assisted in the triage and remediation of defects found.
  • Architected, designed, and developed multiple Strategic Growth Initiatives (SGIs) within L-3 STRATIS, leading teams of up to 12 experienced software and test engineers to develop these security-focused products.
  • Crafted and implemented Agile processes designed to support local SGI development work.
  • Developed production-grade security applications used by thousands, and developed applications for multiple Department of Defense customers.

The Boeing Company, Colorado Springs, CO

System Design and Integration Specialist (Software Engineer)
2008 - 2010

  • Agile Development [C++ with Qt, C#, Flex].
  • Performed live demos of in-development code.
  • Designed and prototyped security-related software for Internal Research and Development (IR&D) projects.
  • Developed production software interfaces and plugins to hardware devices such as surveillance cameras.

AT&T Labs, Inc., Birmingham, AL

Mgr New Prod Dev Engr (Analyst/Programmer)
2006 - 2008

  • Conducted security audits, penetration testing, and digital forensics as part of the DATA team.
  • Wrote applications and tools which saved the company millions in lost revenue and mitigated the risk of fraud and cyber attack.
  • Developed code for largest-scale data sources, utilizing symmetric processing.

University of Alabama College of A&S, Tuscaloosa, AL

Systems Administrator
2004 - 2006

  • Administrated 700+ computers in 6 labs, requiring extensive scripting/security work and daily use of networking tools.
  • Led a team of up to 4 admins to manage network architecture throughout the organization and provide software development support as needed.

Education

Masters of Science in Computer Science
2009 - 2010
Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs, CO

  • Focus: Computer Systems Security

B.A. Russian Language and Literature
2002 - 2006
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

  • Minor: Computer Science

Skills

  • Software Engineering: C/C++, Python, C#, etc.
  • Artificial Intelligence: Ollama, OpenAI, etc.
  • Architecture and Design
  • Networking Protocols
  • Reverse Engineering: GDB, OllyDBG, Radare2
  • Threat Modeling
  • Static Analysis
  • Security Assessments
  • Penetration Testing: Metasploit, Nmap, Burp Suite Pro
  • Password Cracking
  • Android/iOS Development
  • Tools: Wireshark, GDB, OllyDBG, Radare2, Metasploit, Nmap, Burp Suite Pro