Rachel Tobac

Okay, my origin story. So... My first time that I ever thought about being any sort of hacker was when I realized that being a spy is a job that people do. And it's a job that girls could do. And I learned this through the movie Harriet the Spy. She goes around sneaking into people's houses, spying. She takes her notebook everywhere.

Okay, my origin story. So... My first time that I ever thought about being any sort of hacker was when I realized that being a spy is a job that people do. And it's a job that girls could do. And I learned this through the movie Harriet the Spy. She goes around sneaking into people's houses, spying. She takes her notebook everywhere.

She sneaks through the dumbwaiter in this rich woman's house and gets caught. And I just thought, oh my, I had no idea that a girl could be a spy. So that basically became my personality for my childhood.

She sneaks through the dumbwaiter in this rich woman's house and gets caught. And I just thought, oh my, I had no idea that a girl could be a spy. So that basically became my personality for my childhood.

I did not get into computers. I wanted to get into computers. I went to my guidance counselor in, I think, sixth grade. And I said, hey, I want to take these coding classes. And my guidance counselor, she said, Rachel, you don't want to take those coding classes. Those coding classes are 40 boys. You'd be the only girl there. Just take home ec instead. Wow.

I did not get into computers. I wanted to get into computers. I went to my guidance counselor in, I think, sixth grade. And I said, hey, I want to take these coding classes. And my guidance counselor, she said, Rachel, you don't want to take those coding classes. Those coding classes are 40 boys. You'd be the only girl there. Just take home ec instead. Wow.

I know. And me being a child, I was like, oh, good call. I mean, yeah, I don't want to like blame her for like me never learning to code. I mean, I could have tried later in life, right? People try later in life all the time. But no, I've actually never written a single line of code. I ended up getting my degree in neuroscience and behavioral psychology. I was a teacher's assistant for statistics.

I know. And me being a child, I was like, oh, good call. I mean, yeah, I don't want to like blame her for like me never learning to code. I mean, I could have tried later in life, right? People try later in life all the time. But no, I've actually never written a single line of code. I ended up getting my degree in neuroscience and behavioral psychology. I was a teacher's assistant for statistics.

I never got into code.

I never got into code.

Yeah. So my path to InfoSec and hacking, to the untrained eye, it doesn't make any sense. It's almost completely nonlinear. To me, looking back, it makes a lot of sense. So I got my degree in neuroscience and behavioral psychology. I was doing improv on the weekends. I was a teacher. I then was like, hey, I want to try and get into tech. I moved to San Francisco.

Yeah. So my path to InfoSec and hacking, to the untrained eye, it doesn't make any sense. It's almost completely nonlinear. To me, looking back, it makes a lot of sense. So I got my degree in neuroscience and behavioral psychology. I was doing improv on the weekends. I was a teacher. I then was like, hey, I want to try and get into tech. I moved to San Francisco.

I was a community manager at a tech company. I actually ended up leading a UX research team. And then while I was at that tech company, my husband was in security the entire time. I actually met my husband in high school. I met him when I was 15 years old. So my husband was like, hey, I heard about this thing called DEF CON. I think you would get a kick out of it. And I was like, uh, pass.

I was a community manager at a tech company. I actually ended up leading a UX research team. And then while I was at that tech company, my husband was in security the entire time. I actually met my husband in high school. I met him when I was 15 years old. So my husband was like, hey, I heard about this thing called DEF CON. I think you would get a kick out of it. And I was like, uh, pass.

I think I'm not going to do that.

I think I'm not going to do that.

They do this thing where... They put you in a glass booth. It's soundproof in front of an audience of 500 people. You call companies and you try and solicit information out of them over the phone. It's the exact same skill that you use every month to get the bill lowered. When you call these companies, you build rapport, you get a deep discount on things like the cable bill. You'll love it.

They do this thing where... They put you in a glass booth. It's soundproof in front of an audience of 500 people. You call companies and you try and solicit information out of them over the phone. It's the exact same skill that you use every month to get the bill lowered. When you call these companies, you build rapport, you get a deep discount on things like the cable bill. You'll love it.

He called me back and he's like, I just saw more of these calls, these social engineering calls. You have to come. Like, I promise you, if you don't like it, we'll just go gambling. As an aside, I love gambling. So I was like, okay, fine. I pack my bags. I get the first flight out Saturday morning.

He called me back and he's like, I just saw more of these calls, these social engineering calls. You have to come. Like, I promise you, if you don't like it, we'll just go gambling. As an aside, I love gambling. So I was like, okay, fine. I pack my bags. I get the first flight out Saturday morning.