Whoami

Hey, hello there! 👋 I am Luca Santini. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been passionate about computers, and that enthusiasm has only grown over the years. My journey started with video games, I spent hours playing and eventually tinkering with cheats and mods. Self-taught at first, I then got serious about computer science at university, diving into the theoretical foundations. Fast forward to today, and technology has become my career. I’m now a Penetration Tester and Red Teamer at Spike Reply.

I was born and raised in Senigallia, a seaside town in Italy, in the Marche region. Growing up, math and science were my passions, so after high school, I moved to Milan to study Computer Science and Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano. After earning both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, I entered the world of cybersecurity, joining a consulting company where I got hands-on experience as a penetration tester for a variety of clients. Along the way, I also earned several certifications, including OSCP, eCPTx, and OSEP, all of which helped guide me through the vast field of cybersecurity.

In my career, I’ve explored many areas of cybersecurity: from testing web and mobile applications to trying to pwn entire infrastructures, Wi-Fi networks, and IoT devices. Along the way, I discovered my love for red teaming, a field that combines various skills, knowledge, creativity, and, let’s be honest, a bit of madness. It’s this mix of everything that keeps me excited about the work I do.

Certifications 🏅🎯

OffSec Wireless Professional (OSWP)
Maldev Academy
OffSec Experienced Penetration Tester (OSEP)
eLearn Certified Penetration Tester Extreme (eCPTXv2)
OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP)

Academic Education and Publications 🎓📚

Evasion Attacks against Banking Fraud Detection Systems USENIX
Master’s Degree Computer Science and Engineering @ Politecnico di Milano
Bachelor’s Degree Ingegneria Informatica @ Politecnico di Milano

Interests 🌟🌈

Red Teaming and Penetration Testing: Breaking into systems (ethically, of course!) to make them stronger and safer. 🔐💻
Capture the Flag: Channeling my inner hacker to solve challenges and claim victory, one flag at a time. 🏁
Baking Pizza and Bread: Kneading flour and water is something magical; a series of chemical reactions come together, leading to the creation of always different products. Whether it’s bread, pizza, or focaccia, it doesn’t matter to me. 🍕🍞
Workout and Calisthenics: Keeping your body in shape is very important and helps relieve stress. Moreover, I always think that the body is connected to the mind; after all, the Romans used to say, “Mens sana in corpore sano.” 💪🔥
Music: I’ve never studied music or learned to play instruments, but I’ve been listening to it a lot since I was a child. It helps lift my spirits and energizes me whenever I need it, like medicine. 🎶🎧
Videogames: Although I no longer have the time to dedicate to them today, video games meant a lot to me in the past. I can almost associate every period of my life with a video game I was playing at that time. 🎮👾
Traveling: Exploring new places, soaking in cultures, and making memories one passport stamp at a time. ✈️🌍