The security ecosystem is packed with tools—frameworks, scanners, helpers, and one-off scripts for almost every imaginable task. And yet, many of the most effective solutions still start the same way:

“I guess I’ll just build it myself.”

In this workshop, Senior Security Analyst Tom Hudson explores the practical realities of building your own security tooling focusing on decision-making first, code second.

This isn’t about building tools for the sake of it. It’s about knowing when it’s worth the effort, when existing tools are the better choice, and how to build something useful without overengineering or burning time.

Prefer Discord? You can register and join the conversation:  
https://discord.com/invite/ANytASyDFr?event=1468334799235186833

What You’ll Learn (and See in Action):

• How to decide when building a custom tool makes sense—and when it doesn’t
• How experienced practitioners think about scope, tradeoffs, and simplicity
• Practical approaches to designing and building command-line tools
• Real-world examples (mostly in Go) that illustrate common tooling patterns
• How these ideas translate across languages, even if Go isn’t your daily driver

Examples will focus on small, focused tools designed to solve real problems—prioritizing speed, clarity, and usability over polish or perfection.

This workshop is built for:

• Security practitioners, pentesters, and Red Teamers
• Engineers who regularly write scripts or internal tools
• Anyone who’s ever debated whether to “just script it”
• Learners who want to build better instincts around tooling decisions

You’ll leave with clearer judgment about when to build, and a stronger mental framework for how to approach it when you do.