Bill Demirkapi: Secrets and Shadows — Finding Vulnerabilities with Big Data

A DEF CON 32 talk where security researcher Bill Demirkapi presents an alternative approach to vulnerability discovery. Instead of starting with a target and looking for flaws, he proposes the reverse: first identifying vulnerabilities in large datasets, then linking them to specific companies and systems.

The talk explores the use of unconventional data sources to uncover forgotten cloud assets, leaked secrets, and widespread misconfigurations.

It shows how this approach can scale security research and lead to the discovery of thousands of critical issues across even the largest organizations.