Transcript
Hey everyone, I’ve got some news to share with you today, and honestly, it’s something I’ve been working on for a while now. If you’ve been here since the beginning, you know this channel has been through some changes. We started out covering cybersecurity news, breaking down threats, and trying to make the complex world of digital security accessible to everyone.
Whether you’re an analyst deep in the trenches or just someone who’s curious about how this stuff works, the channel is coming back—but it’s coming back under a new banner: Forgebound Research.
You may be asking, why the rebrand? Let me explain.
The name Forgebound comes from the idea of being bound to the forge—committed to the craft. In blacksmithing, you don’t just heat metal once and call it done. You hammer it, refine it, temper it, and repeat the process until you’ve created something strong and functional. That’s how I think about cybersecurity education and research. It’s not a one-and-done thing. You have to keep learning, keep refining your knowledge, and keep tempering your skills.
And “research” is in the name because I want to do more of that. Not just reporting the news—although I’ll still be doing some of that—but diving deeper into the how and the why behind these threats.
Now, the show you know and love—Exploit Brokers—isn’t going away. Well, not completely. It’s now officially Exploit Brokers by Forgebound Research. Same mission, same host. This is still your host, Cipherceval, just with a refreshed style and some exciting new content coming down the pipeline for the overall channel.
So what’s staying the same?
Let me be clear about what’s not changing. The core of Exploit Brokers remains intact. The podcast is still focused on breaking down the latest cybersecurity news and explaining the technical details in a way that actually makes sense. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or someone who just wants to understand why that software update notification matters, the philosophy stays the same: context first.
We’re not just going to throw headlines at you. We’re going to explain the why behind the threats—the motives, the techniques—and we’ll keep using real-world analogies that help the concepts stick. And yes, I’m still going to remind you to update your stuff. That’s never going away. A patch does you no good if it isn’t installed.
Now, here’s where things are going to be a little different.
I’m not trying to compete with CNN or Bleeping Computer. CNN has a full, dedicated newsroom, and I’m one person doing this on the side while working as a software engineer. Racing to be first on a story isn’t a game I can win—and honestly, it’s not one I want to play.
So Exploit Brokers is shifting to what I’m calling a hybrid model. Going forward, there will generally be two types of episodes.
The first is news commentary. Sometimes a story drops and I just want to give you my take on it, or summarize a couple of related stories. What happened, why it matters, and what you should do about it. These will be straightforward episodes—me breaking down the news, adding technical insight where it makes sense. Not every episode needs to be a deep dive. Sometimes you just want to know what’s going on without sitting through a 30- or 45-minute documentary.
The second type is lab-driven deep dives. When a major incident happens—say a supply chain attack hits a popular npm package—instead of racing to report it, I’ll wait a few days, pull the malicious code into a sandbox, and actually show you how it works. The news becomes the hook, but the lab is where the value is. You’re not getting a news ticker—you’re getting hands-on analysis and real insight.
The positioning is simple. Exploit Brokers doesn’t chase headlines. I’m not a newsroom, and I’m not going to compete with people who already do news extremely well. I like Bleeping Computer, for example. So we’ll either give you a solid summary with context, or we’ll go into the lab and show you how things actually work. Either way, you’re getting more than just a headline.
Now there’s another piece of this that I want to be very clear about.
I’m a software engineer by trade. I’ve been writing code and shipping products for years. When it comes to hands-on security research—reverse engineering, malware, hardware hacking, bug bounties—I’m still building those skills. And I’ve decided to do that learning in public, with all of you watching.
This isn’t false modesty. I think there’s real value in documenting the journey from a developer who’s interested in security to someone who actually finds real issues in real products. Not a polished retrospective after you’ve “made it,” but the real-time process of getting there.
You’ll see me work through concepts. You’ll see me make mistakes. You’ll see where I get stuck and have to figure things out. And along the way, we’re both going to learn something.
Beyond the podcast, I’m also launching the Forgebound Lab, which will live on the same YouTube channel for now. This will be more than just security content.
I’m not only interested in cybersecurity—though it’s a big part of who I am. I’m a maker. I’m a tinkerer. I’ve got a 3D printer, a soldering iron, and a dangerous habit of buying e-waste from thrift stores just to see what’s inside. All of that belongs here.
Here’s what you can expect.
From a security research angle: hardware teardowns from a security perspective, malware analysis walkthroughs, and developer-to-hacker content that bridges software engineering and security research. This is where my day-job skills meet my security interests.
There will also be creative engineering. Sometimes I just want to build something because it’s cool. Over-engineered solutions to simple problems, prop replicas that actually work, mechanisms and gadgets—the “I wonder if I could make this” kind of projects. Not everything needs a practical purpose. Sometimes the build itself is the point.
I also want to do labs and teardowns that aren’t always security-focused. Taking apart consumer electronics, salvaging components, and understanding how things are built. Sometimes it’s just, “What’s inside this weird gadget from 2003?” Learning electronics by actually touching electronics.
And there’s another aspect I haven’t talked about much—I have kids. A lot of what I build is for them, and I want to share some of those projects too. Teaching concepts through custom learning tools, educational gadgets, and hands-on builds. How do you explain binary to a seven-year-old? You build something they can touch.
I don’t want to put my kids on camera, but I do want to share what’s working, what isn’t, and honest progress reports. If I’m learning in public, that means being honest about the messy parts too—not just the polished results.
Here’s what ties it all together.
I’m not going to pretend everything works the first time. If you’re a software engineer, you know nothing ever compiles on the first try. And if it does, you should be suspicious. When something breaks, when an approach fails, when I hit a dead end—that becomes content. That’s where the real learning happens. The chaos is part of the process.
So here’s where I need your help.
If you’re watching on YouTube, make sure you’re subscribed and that you’ve hit the bell icon. Rebrands can confuse the algorithm, and I don’t want you to miss anything. If you’re on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, make sure you’re following the show, and if you’ve got a moment, leave a rating or review—it genuinely helps new people find the content.
Most importantly, tell me what you want to see. Drop a comment on YouTube, reach out on Twitter/X, or connect on social media. Let me know what topics you’re interested in, what questions you have, and what would be most valuable to you. This content is for you, and I want to build something that actually helps.
Remember: nothing is hack-proof. But together, we can make ourselves as hard a target as possible. A lot of this is just me sharing and building—and I’d love to share that journey with you.
I’m genuinely excited about this next chapter. Cybersecurity is evolving faster than ever. AI is changing everything, threat actors are getting more sophisticated, and the need for solid, accessible security education has never been greater.
Beyond that, I’m excited to finally have a place where all of my interests can live together—security, making, electronics, engineering projects. It all feeds the same curiosity, and the Forgebound Lab is where that curiosity gets to run free.
So welcome to Forgebound Research.
Welcome back to Exploit Brokers.
Let’s learn together.
Let’s stay vigilant.
And let’s know a little more than we did yesterday.
Thank you all for tuning in. I genuinely appreciate every one of you—whether you’ve been here from the start, you’re coming back, or you’re joining for the first time. I do my best to read comments, respond when I can, and stay engaged with the community.
This is something I do alongside my day job, something I do for fun, and something I truly believe matters.
This has been your host, Cipherceval, and I'll catch you in the next one.