Shahmeer Amir speaking at Blackhat MEA
Shahmeer Amir’s passion for Computer Sciences started with a curiosity to test the limits of technology. His passion was ignited with the Pentium III processing unit in 1999 which led to his mastery of topics in code writing, electronics engineering, and computer science. Today, he is recognized as the 3rd most accomplished bug hunter in the world after resolving critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities for more than 400 major companies including Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Twitter. This form of ethical bounty hacking is called “white hat” where cybersecurity experts aim to legally identify and report system vulnerabilities in a company’s security system thereby preventing exploitation by malicious hackers.
As a young boy from Multan, Pakistan, Shahmeer went to Karachi with the aim to do good for himself and for his family. The story began when he started facing rejections. He was rejected by 17 universities and finally got into one. He achieved his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Usman Institute of Technology while earning certifications in information security. Then, in 2018, he graduated with a Master’s in Cybersecurity from the prestigious EC-Council University. Even in his college days, he was curious to reverse engineer complex visuals. It was his passion for reverse engineering that led him to find solutions to complicated problems.
While working for Afiniti, the world-leading $1.6 billion AI-based call center software company, he went on to earn an MA in Digital Currency from the University of Nicosia and a Postgraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
With his academic and technological achievements, there was nothing holding Shahmeer Amir back. He decided to dig deep into the world of cybersecurity as the demand for ethical hackers skyrocketed with the world’s ever-increasing reliance on the cyber sphere. Shahmeer has been a speaker at over 70 national and international events in information security and blockchain including keynote roles for major conferences with thousands of attendees such as TED Talks, Blackhat and Hackfest in countries like the UAE, Malaysia, and Canada.
Shahmeer Amir Session at UAE CIO Majlis
In response to the market for more “whitehats”, Shahmeer founded Veiliux, one of the top cyber security consulting companies in Pakistan that helps other companies secure their assets from cyber-attacks. His curiosity to make things better and better kept him going. He also founded Authiun in 2018 which is developing the next generation of multi-factor authentication solutions with the integration of mobile device technology across web and mobile platforms. Authiun is all about its MFA Brain Algorithm that helps users to enter the “password-free era”.
Most recently, Shahmeer founded Younite where he is developing cutting-edge Audio/Video software that will improve the performance of video conferences for programs like Zoom or Skype. Younite is closest to his heart, and he would love to see it touching the limits whatever they are. Thanks to Shahmeer’s outstanding tech leadership, Younite has already raised 1 million USD in funding and employs over 80 people.
At the same time, Shahmeer has worked with the Government of Pakistan as a Cyber Security Advisor in the Ministry of Finance where he planned and implemented policies in the country’s critical institutes such as FBR & PSX.
He also holds a number of cyber-security certifications from renowned organizations such as EC-Council, Mile2, eLearnSecurity and has gotten his Masters in Cyber Security from EC-Council University. He is currently studying Digital Currency and Blockchain Security.
A Man That (Almost) Never Sleeps has a mission to complete and he is ready to test his own limits. Shahmeer also has multiple publications to his name. A couple of his stand-out books include Bug Bounty for Dummies and Bug Bounty Essentials.
According to Shahmeer, “whatever you are doing, if there’s no challenge, there’s no success. If I am facing a challenge, I know it’s a gateway to a new realm of opportunities. It’s all about controlling and molding the frustrated mind into doing something positive and finding a solution.”
“In the world of cyber security, if someone can solve a challenge, it can help hundreds of organizations, businesses and individuals.”
Curiosity alone isn’t enough to keep you going. It’s the purpose that makes a difference and helps you counter all challenges. For Shahmeer, it is about making every minute count and understanding the need of the hour in the field of Information Technology.
