Tom Cappetta · Security research & engineering
I build Nessus detections, AI systems, and full-stack software—combining prompt engineering, reverse engineering, and rigorous testing to deliver working capabilities.
Research & experiments
Published research · October 2026
Multi-day agent-led research, live debugging, PHP 7.4 RCE reproduction, and review that caught an AI-generated attribution error.
My contribution & publication →Local reference implementation · October 2026
A security-data workbench connecting ingestion, deterministic merging, provenance, and reviewed changes—with replay and rollback built into the workflow.
Explore Connector Forge →Local implementation · 2026
A local SQLite system for source-linked session history, artifact versions, integrity checks, and context recovery across retained AI work.
Explore AI Logging →Local implementation · 2026
Custom course importing, enrollment and commerce integration, agent-driven content workflows, and requirements-to-test traceability.
Explore the educational platform →Research. Implementation. Delivery.
I connect research to implementation: reproduce the attack path, engineer the detection, validate its behavior, and automate the work around it. The objective is security capability that stands up to real enterprise conditions.
I’ve created and published Nessus direct checks across years of vulnerability research. I investigate exploit conditions and engineer detections around the behavior and prerequisites that distinguish an exposure from an actionable finding. The work spans web applications, routers, databases, identity systems, and network protocols—with detection accuracy and false-positive analysis built into the investigation.
Detection & exposure engineering →I engineer prompts, direct agents, and build full-stack software. I use AI to reverse engineer systems, create code, deploy research environments, debug running processes, and produce actionable findings. I challenge generated conclusions, reproduce results, and retain the evidence behind the next decision.
AI research & prompt engineering →I build the APIs, integrations, automation, and audit trails needed to make a technical capability usable. I develop and debug locally, test failure and recovery paths, commit and push, launch the system, and inspect the running result.
Connector Forge engineering →I take ownership of difficult technical work, set direction, and contribute to the implementation. Mentoring, code review, courseware, and practical labs help other engineers understand the decisions, extend the work, and carry it forward.
Teaching & public presentations →The person behind ACS
Jack of all trades, master of many.
I stay close to the work and take responsibility for moving it forward. My range comes from building, investigating, teaching, and working through unfamiliar problems. I contribute code and technical direction, question assumptions, and value clear explanations and collaboration with people whose expertise complements mine.
I established Automated Cyber Solutions in . That approach extends beyond technology to real-estate investment, renovation, and personal contributions to the local community. ACS brings those professional capabilities and practical commitments into one business, including blockchain and cryptocurrency research, automation, and practical investment analysis.
Presentations & teaching
Hands-on teaching, public presentations, and open-source work make the methods easier for others to examine and use.
Through HackerU’s K-State cybersecurity program, I taught hands-on coursework and developed labs covering cloud infrastructure, containers, virtualization, identity and access, and privilege escalation.
Teaching continues to influence how I document projects, explain technical decisions, and help other engineers work through unfamiliar systems.
Presented the project’s approach to an automated AWS security lab, including its infrastructure, tooling, and research workflows.
A walkthrough of the lab’s components, design, and uses for security research and experimentation.
Get in touch
Start a conversation about engineering, research, or a problem that needs a closer look.