From Curiosity to Zero Days: Milton Valencia (wetw0rk) on Exploit Development, Research, and Giving Back

In this episode of The Phillip Wylie Show, Phillip Wylie sits down with offensive security researcher Milton Valencia, better known in the cybersecurity community as wetw0rk. Known for his exploit development research, educational content, and commitment to mentoring others, Milton shares the remarkable journey that took him from a curious student fascinated by hacking to discovering zero-day vulnerabilities and working on elite offensive security teams.Milton discusses overcoming adversity, breaking into the industry without a traditional path, earning certifications like the OSCP, finding his first security roles, and ultimately building a career centered around vulnerability research and exploit development. Along the way, he emphasizes the importance of curiosity, persistence, and helping others succeed.The conversation also explores the future of offensive security, the growing role of AI in reverse engineering, why exploit development remains a valuable specialty, and how aspiring researchers can get started today.If you enjoyed this episode, check out Milton on Season 3 Episode 19 of Simply Offensive @Suzulabs.========================= Planning to attend Black Hat USA 2026? Use my code PHILLIPWYLIE to receive $200 off a Briefings Pass or $100 off a Business Pass.Register here: https://blackhat.com/us-26/registration.html?_mc=sm_social_phillipwylieBlack Hat invited me to attend this year's event and sponsored my conference pass.========================= Connect with Milton Valencia:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milton-wetw0rk/Blog: https://wetw0rk.github.io/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wetw0rk7========================= Connect with your host, Phillip Wylie: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/phillipwylieX: https://x.com/PhillipWylieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillipwylie========================= Sponsored by Suzu Labs=========================All the ways to connect with @Suzulabshttps://suzulabs.comhttps://x.com/suzulabshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/suzu-labs/