Irfan Shakeel

Cyber security researcher @InfosecEdu @Alienvault #Tech writer @HuffPost @developerWorks Author of 7-Weeks OSINT Program. VP @opswat

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

The Complete Open Source Intelligence (#OSINT) Training Course.

2+ hours training program is live on Youtube.

https://t.co/gXwpvwWuJl

#hacking #infosec #cybersecurity

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

PS. ChatGPT helped me write this post. 😄

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

🚨 I stopped using ChatGPT… and tested Gemini 3. Here’s the truth.

Not switching teams — just testing like any cybersecurity guy would.
And honestly… Gemini 3 caught me off guard.

🔥 What stood out:

1️⃣ Context retention is wild.
I threw complex OT/ICS scenarios at it — network diagrams, Modbus flows, lab setups — and it connected everything without losing the plot.

2️⃣ Multimodal reasoning feels next-gen.
Screenshots + logs + text → it analyzed them together and highlighted actual threat paths.
This is very relevant for ICS work.

3️⃣ It plans like an engineer.
Instead of giving answers, it maps steps, dependencies, edge cases.
Feels like a senior reviewer saying, “Have you considered this?”

4️⃣ Coding with architecture in mind.
Not just scripts — full frameworks with justification.

But here’s the nuance:
This isn’t “better than ChatGPT.”
It’s different — and in certain technical workflows, it performs exceptionally well.
**The future isn’t one AI model.

It’s knowing which model to use for the right job.**

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

When “Louvre” becomes the password protecting €88 million worth of art…

You can’t make this up.

Investigators discovered that the Louvre Museum’s video surveillance password was literally “Louvre”

Meanwhile, the system built by a defense contractor? Its password was “THALES.”

So, in what’s now dubbed the heist of the century, thieves walked away with €88 million in treasures — including a necklace once owned by Napoleon’s wife — in just 8 minutes.

Let that sink in.

A world-famous museum… protected by a password that looks like a souvenir shop code.

This isn’t just a funny story — it’s a cybersecurity leadership failure.

We spend millions on firewalls, AI, and encryption, yet a single weak password can bring it all crashing down.

💬 I’ve personally seen:

12345
password@123
companyname2024

still running in production systems.

If your password policy isn’t enforced and educated, you’re not securing — you’re just hoping.

🔐 Lesson:

Cybersecurity isn’t only about technology; it’s about behavior.

And human behavior is the weakest link until culture makes it the strongest.

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

The 1% Rule That Quietly Changed Everything.

I used to chase massive wins.
Big projects. Big milestones. Big results.

The problem?
Big goals feel good on paper — but they’re terrible for momentum.

Then I read Atomic Habits.

One line hit me hard:
“If you get 1% better every day for a year, you’ll end up 37 times better by the end of it.”

So I stopped chasing intensity — and started chasing consistency.

1% better presentations.
1% cleaner workflows.
1% more patience with my team.
1% more time with my family.

And the funny thing?
Those tiny wins quietly compounded into real transformation.

Big change isn’t built in a day.
It’s built daily — 1% at a time.

What’s your current 1% habit that’s shaping your future?

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

🔥 OpenAI just punched Chrome and Apple at the same time — and nobody’s talking about it.

Atlas isn’t “just another browser.”
It’s a $4 trillion ecosystem play disguised as one.
Here’s the wild part 👇

🚀 Launched Oct 21 — macOS-only for now. Built on Chromium. Free for everyone, “Agent Mode” for paid users.

It reads your web pages, remembers your browsing history, fills your forms, books your flights — and talks to apps like Spotify, Booking .com, Zillow, and Figma.

Cool? Sure.
But the features aren’t the story. The power shift is.

🔁 Google’s empire runs on this chain:
Chrome → Google Search → Ad data → $237B/year.
Atlas breaks every single link.
💳 Stripe checkout.
🧠 ChatGPT memory.
⚙️ Agent marketplace coming next.
📈 Ad infrastructure already hiring.

They’re not building a browser.
They’re building the operating system of the internet.
Apple controls hardware.
Google controls search.

OpenAI wants to control how you interact with everything online.
Even a 10% market share (≈300M users) = $500B+ platform value.

The AI browser wars just started — and this time, the underdog already has 700 million users.

[John Scott-Railton @jsrailton]

🚨NEW REPORT: exposing a new hacking tactic.

🇷🇺Russian state-backed hackers used an App-Specific Password attack against prominent Russia expert @KeirGiles & others.

It's like they know what we all expect from them...and then did the opposite 1/

By us @citizenlab & @google's GTIG

[OPSWAT Academy @OPSWATAcademy]

🔐 Are traditional firewalls enough to secure critical infrastructure? Join Colin Dunn, VP of Products at OPSWAT, in a live webinar as he shares real-world insights on diode vs. firewall architecture in OT. 📷 Hosted by @irfaanshakeel | Live Q&A - Register now: https://t.co/66VsNJYyHi
#CIP #Cybersecurity #OTsecurity

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

@matarturo @OPSWATAcademy Waooo,, such a wonderful news, super proud of you :) and thanks for the appreciation!

[JØKΣR 🃏 @matarturo]

@OPSWATAcademy @irfaanshakeel Hey Irfan!
Quick thanks for your huge impact on my cybersecurity journey. Just received an honorary PhD in Cybersecurity Philosophy, and your OPSWAT mentorship was foundational. So grateful for your dedication to ethical hacking!

All the best,

Arturo Mata, PhD

[OPSWAT Academy @OPSWATAcademy]

Join us for an exclusive live session with Michael Arcamone, hosted by @irfaanshakeel , where you’ll hear real stories, leadership lessons, and cybersecurity insights from one of the world’s most targeted environments.
📅 May 21, 2025 | 9:30 AM ET
🔷 Register here: https://t.co/niXuReaLCe

[OPSWAT Academy @OPSWATAcademy]

From the Pentagon to OPSWAT, Michael Arcamone shares how real-world experience from PENTCIRT to InQuest shaped federal cybersecurity strategy at OPSWAT.
Hosted by Irfan Shakeel. 📅 May 21, 9:30 AM ET | Register now! https://t.co/HFC4OzZFcy
#CIP #cybersecurity #webinar

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

@kenkibathi Hi please DM me your email address; alternatively reach out to [email protected] for immediate help

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

Many Windows users faced the infamous Blue Screen of Death due to a new CrowdStrike update. This led to significant outages, affecting several airlines, including SpiceJet, IndiGo, and Akasa Air.

👉 Takeaway: Conduct rigorous testing of security updates before deployment.

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

@sogunle4 @OPSWAT Please send an email to [email protected]

[OPSWAT @OPSWAT]

Explore #cyberattack vectors from some of the most prominent ICS/IOT #cyber incidents and get insights from VP of Training & Certifications @irfaanshakeel to better protect your critical environments from similar vulnerabilities. https://t.co/Zw85ZfZNFf

[OPSWAT @OPSWAT]

#Firewalls have come a long way, but evolving threats demand more. @irfaanshakeel explains how integrating advanced solutions like unidirectional gateways with firewalls can fortify #networksecurity against sophisticated #cyberattacks. 🌐🔒 https://t.co/evMEo9A1Ia

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

Is the Cybersecurity Skills Shortage a Myth? 🤔

The heatmap shows 469,930 cybersecurity job openings in the U.S. for this year alone. The real challenge isn't just the number of people—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀.

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

Stay tuned to @OPSWATAcademy , where I'll be uploading a step-by-step tutorial on this setup. 💻

I'm considering adding FactoryIO to simulate physical processes. Any thoughts or suggestions? 🤔

[Irfan Shakeel @irfaanshakeel]

Sunday was a thrilling day for me! 🎉 I successfully built a virtual OT lab designed to test various attack vectors and their defenses. Here's a sneak peek at the lab network diagram:

✅ Set up VLANs
✅ Configured OS
✅ Installed SCADA, PLC, and HMI

#cybersecurity