Welcome to Side Channel!

Welcome to Side Channel — a space for caffeine-driven experiments, reverse engineering notes, CTF writeups, and everything in between. While this section will feature plenty of new posts, it’s not meant to replace the deep technical dives you’ll find on my main blog.

Think of Side Channel as my corner of the internet to explore, document, and learn new technical concepts without the pressure of perfection. These posts will be quick, technical reads, perfect for enjoying over a cup of coffee.

Why Side Channel

I created Side Channel to stay accountable while advancing my skills in security — specifically in reverse engineering, vulnerability research, and exploit development.

Over the past few years, I found myself stepping away from security-related work. Burnout and a series of life events left me drained, and my motivation to continue learning after work faded. What once felt exciting and challenging began to feel mundane, and my interest in security started to wane. It was difficult to stay engaged when the energy to push forward just wasn’t there anymore.

After a much needed break and some lifestyle changes, the spark that once ignited my passion for security is slowly being rekindled. The pull towards security research is returning, and I’m excited to get back into it — not just in theory, but in practice.

I’ve also realized that I’ve lost touch with some of the foundational skills I once had. So, this collection is my way of rebuilding. Think of it as a deliberate effort to make progress visible, measurable, and repeatable. Having a space for quick notes and shorter writeups (instead of forcing myself to publish polished technical posts every time) removes a lot of friction. It makes it easier to share ideas while they’re fresh, publish consistently, and hold myself accountable to keep learning.

Many of these posts will give a transparent look at the “behind the scenes” work involved in security research, especially vulnerability research. Instead of just showcasing the finished product, I’ll be documenting the detailed learning, experimentation, and challenges I encounter along the way.

By sharing this journey, I hope to offer others a better understanding of the foundational knowledge and problem solving mindset that security research demands. Progress here isn’t about instant breakthroughs — it’s about consistent learning, experimentation, and refinement over time.

Expect Side Channel to feature short, focused entries — the kind of notes I’d otherwise stash in a private folder and forget about. Some of the content will include:

• CTF Writeups — concise solutions and lessons learned (not necessarily polished).
• Reverse Engineering Notes — disassembly quirks, API scripting for Binja/IDA, workflow experiments, etc.
• Ad-hoc Research — interesting bugs, unexpected behaviors, or small technical discoveries I explore while learning and experimenting.
• Vulnerability Research — practice with 1-day exploits, patch-diffing, and progressively more complex exploit development topics.

When I publish full vulnerability analyses or detailed technical breakdowns (e.g., red team tactics, browser exploitation, or advanced reverse engineering topics) then those will remain on my main blog.

Overall, Side Channel is both a strategy to reduce the friction of publishing and a personal tool to stay motivated. If you’re feeling burnt out, stalled, or hesitant about tackling large systems, this is for you too. Remember - small, regular wins add up!

Side Channel is my commitment to keep learning even when progress feels slow. It’s a place where I can publish without the pressure to be “perfect.” And if it helps others learn along the way, that’s a huge bonus.

So, grab a cup of coffee and join me on this journey!