You've probably seen his face on a YouTube thumbnail, likely sandwiched between neon green code and a dramatic headline about a massive data breach. Maybe you’re here because you’re trying to figure out if he's the real deal or just another "influencer" playing a character for clicks. Honestly, in a world full of posers, John Hammond cybersecurity content is some of the most authentic stuff you’ll find on the internet today.
He doesn't just talk. He does.
Most people know him as the guy with over two million subscribers who can make a deep dive into malware feel like a casual chat over coffee. But John's background isn't just "content creator." It’s built on a foundation of actual, high-stakes government work and intense threat research. He's a Principal Security Researcher at Huntress, a company that spends its time hunting down the threats that slip past traditional antivirus software. Before that? He was an instructor at the Department of Defense Cyber Training Academy. He taught the military how to think like hackers.
The Secret Sauce of John Hammond Cybersecurity
Why do people care so much? It’s not just the technical skills, though those are pretty ridiculous. John has this weirdly effective way of bridging the gap between "I have no idea what a terminal is" and "I write custom exploit scripts for fun."
He makes the complex feel approachable.
If you’ve ever tried to learn about the ScreenConnect exploitation or the AnyDesk certificate leak, you know how quickly things can get boring. Most tech write-ups are dry. They’re clinical. John handles these topics like a storyteller. He walks you through the "why" and the "how" while literally showing the code on his screen. It’s transparent. If he makes a mistake during a live demo, he keeps it in. That's a huge deal in a field where everyone tries to look like they have all the answers.
From the Coast Guard to Global Influence
John’s journey started at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. That’s where he got hooked on Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions. If you aren't familiar, CTFs are basically "Hacker Olympics." You're given a target and you have to find "flags"—strings of text hidden behind vulnerabilities.
He didn't just play; he obsessed.
This obsession led him to earn a stack of certifications that would make most LinkedIn profiles look empty. We’re talking:
- OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional)
- OSCE (the classic and the newer version 3)
- OSWE, OSEP, OSED
- CompTIA Security+ (the humble beginning)
But here’s the thing: John is the first to tell you that certifications aren't everything. He focuses on the "adversarial mindset." It’s about understanding the person on the other side of the keyboard. Why did they choose this specific obfuscation technique? Why this specific time to strike?
What He Actually Does at Huntress
At Huntress, John isn't just making videos. He’s on the front lines of threat operations. When a major zero-day hits—like the CVE-2025-59287 Windows Server Update Services RCE—his team is often the first to deconstruct the malware.
They look for the "living-off-the-land" techniques.
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This is a fancy way of saying hackers are using your own computer's legitimate tools (like PowerShell or WMI) against you. It's stealthy. It's hard to catch. John’s work involves digging through these obfuscated scripts to find the "smoking gun." Recently, he’s been vocal about the "businessification" of cybercrime. Ransomware isn't just some kid in a basement anymore; it's a multi-billion dollar industry with HR departments and customer support for victims. Kinda terrifying, right?
The Just Hacking Training Initiative
One of the biggest moves John made recently was launching Just Hacking Training.
The goal? Affordable education.
Cybersecurity training is notoriously expensive. Some SANS courses cost as much as a used car. John’s platform is basically his way of "raising the cyber security poverty line." He wants to give people who don’t have a corporate budget the tools to actually enter the field. He archives old CTF challenges and builds labs that actually mirror what he sees in his day job at Huntress. It’s practical, hands-on, and—most importantly—it isn’t locked behind a $5,000 paywall.
Real Talk on AI in Cyber
Everyone is screaming about AI right now. John’s take is a bit more grounded. He’s explored how AI can be used to write malware faster, but he also focuses on how defenders can use it to sift through the noise of millions of log entries. In his 2024 and 2025 talks, he’s emphasized that while AI is a force multiplier, it doesn't replace the human element. You still need someone who understands why a certain string of code looks suspicious.
He’s also been a big advocate for "Purple Teaming."
Instead of Red (offensive) and Blue (defensive) teams working in silos and hating each other, they should talk. The Red team shows how they broke in, and the Blue team learns how to close that specific door. It sounds simple, but in the corporate world, it’s surprisingly rare.
How to Learn Like John Hammond
If you want to follow in his footsteps, don't just watch the videos. You have to get your hands dirty. John constantly pushes his audience to:
- Build a Lab: Use VirtualBox or VMware. Set up a Linux machine and try to break into a deliberate-vulnerable Windows VM.
- Play CTFs: Sites like TryHackMe or Hack The Box are the modern gateways. John literally got his start here.
- Learn Scripting: Don't just run tools. Understand Python and PowerShell. If you can't read the script, you don't really know what's happening.
- Stay Curious: The moment you think you know everything in this field is the moment you become obsolete.
John’s success comes from a genuine love for the puzzle. He treats every piece of malware like a riddle that needs solving. Whether he’s deobfuscating a MetaStealer payload or explaining a ConnectWise ScreenConnect bypass, the energy is the same. He’s a guy who clearly loves what he does, and that’s why the community trusts him.
The John Hammond cybersecurity brand isn't about being the "unbeatable hacker." It's about being the guy who's willing to show you how he failed ten times before he finally succeeded once. In an industry built on smoke and mirrors, that kind of honesty is exactly why he’s at the top of the game.
To actually level up your own skills, stop browsing and start doing. Pick a single CVE he’s covered recently—like the Gladinet CentreStack vulnerability—and try to find the technical write-up on the Huntress blog. Read it. Try to understand the logic. Then, open a terminal and see if you can replicate the environment. That’s the "Hammond Way."
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your own assets: Use a password manager and enable MFA on everything today. No excuses.
- Join the community: Follow John on X (@_JohnHammond) and join the Discord servers for CTF teams to start learning by osmosis.
- Hands-on practice: Head over to a free platform like PicoCTF and solve your first "Web Exploitation" challenge to see if the "adversarial mindset" clicks for you.