📅 Date: 17 December 2024
📍 Location: Howest, Kortrijk
🎮 Type: Passive Event – Guest Talk
On December 17, 2024, we welcomed Robbe Verwilghen—Howest alumnus and current pentester at Toreon—for a Tech & Meet session that hit close to home. Known for winning Hack the Government 2024, Robbe was officially crowned Belgium’s Best Ethical Hacker this year.
🧩 From Student to Pentester
Robbe shared how his journey started right here at Howest, with a strong foundation in cybersecurity and a background in web dev from his internship at AG Insurance. He emphasized how that dev experience gave him an edge in breaking applications later on.
After graduating, he sharpened his skills in bug bounty platforms like Intigriti and HackerOne, eventually becoming a vulnerability triager. His message was clear: titles and certs are great (he’s Burp Suite certified), but failing the CEH exam didn’t stop him—it shaped him.
🕵️ Hack the Government 2024
He broke down the CCB-organized competition: two weeks remote, one day onsite. Speed, impact, and volume were the pillars of success. His tips? Start wide, probe smart (', ">a, {{7*7}}), and always watch for logic flaws.
⚠️ Real Vulnerabilities
Robbe shared war stories—from XSS in social feeds to CSRF in gift systems, and even misused read receipts in chat apps. A standout moment: using contacts to track identities on messaging apps. Clever and a little unsettling.
🧠 Key Takeaway
Robbe’s talk reminded us that hacking isn’t about elite skills—it’s about persistence, creativity, and curiosity. Whether you’re into bug bounty, red teaming, or just getting started, there’s room to grow.
A great session that left many of us inspired—and maybe even a little more motivated to open Burp Suite tonight.
