From Self-Taught Hacker to AI Security Leader: A Career Built on Curiosity

Nico Waisman's career in cybersecurity didn't follow a traditional path. With no formal training or structured career plan, he built his expertise from the ground up within Argentina's early hacking scene, learning through hands-on curiosity rather than classroom instruction. That grassroots foundation eventually led him to a leadership role at XBOW, a company using artificial intelligence to power offensive security testing.

Waisman's journey highlights a broader truth in the cybersecurity industry: many of today's top security professionals, including CISOs, came from unconventional backgrounds rather than formal degree programs. His move into AI-driven offensive security also reflects a wider industry shift, where automated tools are increasingly used to identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.

For small and medium businesses, this story is a reminder that the cybersecurity field is evolving quickly, with AI now playing a growing role in both attack and defence strategies. Understanding that offensive security testing—simulating attacks to find weaknesses—is becoming more automated and accessible can help SMBs think differently about how they assess their own security posture.