I am a distinguished principal software engineer focused on innovative Product Research and Development in the fields of Cybersecurity, HPC, Networking, AI/ML/DL, IDS/IPS/AV/EDR, EASM and more (contact me for more info).

With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, and more in software development, and systems engineering, I’ve built a career on solving complex challenges and delivering high-impact solutions. My journey has equipped me with a deep technical toolkit and a strategic mindset, ready to be applied in new and dynamic ways as I transition into contracting/freelance. I have a rich background in software development, specializing in Rust, Golang, C and some C++ (as well as other programming languages), on Linux and macOS platforms mostly, but also worked on Windows and many others.

I’m passionate about leveraging my expertise to help organizations navigate the ever-evolving technological landscape. Whether it’s enhancing cybersecurity solutions, streamlining software development processes, or engineering robust systems, I’m prepared to provide top-tier services tailored to meet unique business needs.

Are you passionate about the technical side? Check out my GitHub profile here where you’ll find plenty of Open Source projects I developed and maintain or check my Projects page here to see some on the projects where the sources are not available publicly.

Note for Recruiters: Please read the above summary before contacting me to avoid inappropriate referrals. Thank you 🙂

My career from the beginnings

My foray into the world of computing began in the 1980s, an era marked by the rise of 8-bit microcomputers. Like many of my contemporaries, I started with computers like the Acorn BBC Master Compact and Thomson MO5/MO6, both rebranded in Italy by Olivetti.

I immediately had a connection with computers and enjoyed playing with them and learning how to code. During this time, in order to learn more and play with more systems than my pockets could afford, I started to work in local computer shops, which allowed me to explore and learn from a variety of systems. My time in these shops enabled me to delve into the intricacies of machines such as the ZX Spectrum, Commodore C64, Amiga, and Atari STx. Additionally, my early exposure to PCs and larger systems at my father’s company further deepened my interest in computer technology. This experience expanded my technical skills, fueled my fascination with coding and sparked a life long exploration of hacking and cybersecurity.

During my university years, I was drawn to the Linux project, and my interest in open-source systems has remained a significant aspect of my professional life. Although I have a substantial amount of code written for Windows and macOS, my preference for Linux and BSD continues to be a core part of my career.

After the dot-com bubble burst at the end of the 90s, I shifted my focus to System and Network Administration. This period was instrumental in shaping my understanding of software integration – combining existing software with new ideas. However, my innate drive to create and innovate eventually led me back to Software Development. Today, I strive to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in both these domains, enjoying and embracing the challenges they bring.

Throughout my career, I have embraced roles such as Distinguished Software Engineer, Team Lead, owner of a software development and consulting company, System Engineer, SysAdmin, and Network Administrator. My coding experience is extensive, covering platforms like modern MS Windows, Apple macOS, AIX and, obviously, Linux and BSD as well as old systems like MS-DOS, RISC OS, AmigaOS, Atari TOS, IBM OS/2, Windows 2/3/95/98/Me, Windows NT/2000/XP and quite a few of more “exotic” ones.

Note: If you’re passionate about retro-systems:

• Here is a page with all my setup for retro coding
• Here there is a full category of articles about old systems programming and fun stuff

I have worked with a variety of CPU architectures (both in Assembly and C), from the ARM chips originally unveiled with the Acorn Archimedes to the Intel x86, AMD64, 6809, 6502, 68K and PPC. This broad experience has given me a comprehensive understanding of both historical and contemporary computing systems and helped me to develop a passion for RISC architectures as well.

What do I do now

I now work mostly on Cyber Security solutions design and development as well as working (part time) on embedded Linux Distros (customisation and development in C and Rust). In recent years I also have worked on a series of Artificial Intelligence (AI) products (in Rust) all specialized for Cyber Security applications. I have also worked on some HPC Software solutions and platform’s design. In very recent years I also got into Research and Development.

If you would like to connect with me on linkedin, here is a link to my profile.

You can find some of my Open Source projects on GitHub here.

About this blog

In 2013 I started this blog about technologies I like, develop or work-with during my working hours or my spare time. I enjoy writing and publishing technical articles that may be of interest to other engineers, developers and technicians (so yeah, this blog is probably not suitable for casual readers!).

Since 2013 this blog audience has grown a lot and now wordpress.com says it has more than 4000 views per month, for which I’d like to thank everyone, you included since you are on here reading this now 🙂

The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the postings, strategies or opinions of my employer.

Please note: All information and technical articles here are provided to you for free. You can use them any time you want, so please consider supporting my work by visiting my merchandise shop. You’ll find tons of really cool t-shirts, greeting cards, posters, mugs, smart phone covers, laptop covers and more all dedicated to software engineering, hacking, coding and everything around it! Shipments available world-wide, support 24h/7 and, if you register, you can see prices in your currency. Thank you in advance for your help and time!

Hope you’ll enjoy the reading and a huge thank you to all the awesome people who are supporting this blog by buying merchandise, making donations and sharing my links, you guys are absolutely awesome!! 🙂