Black Hat Kathy is an author, hacker, and security expert who writes about hacking and security topics. She is the author of several books, including: Introduction to Lockpicking (2021), The Social Hacking Dictionary (2022), The 10 Most Famous Hacks in History (2023), and Red Team, Blue Team: A White Hacking Reference (2024). She is also a co-founder and board member of the Liberty Hackers Collective, a non-profit organization that promotes ethical hacking and cyber security education.Black Hat Kathy was born in Paris, France, in 1996. She goes by the pseudonym Black Hat Kathy and does not reveal her real name or identity. She developed an interest in hacking and lockpicking at an early age and taught herself various skills and techniques through online forums and books. She also became involved in various hacking challenges and competitions, where she gained recognition and respect from other hackers.She pursued her passion for hacking and security at university, where she majored in Computer Science and Mathematics. She graduated with honors in 2018 and received an award for her outstanding academic achievement. She then enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Security at the same university, where she conducted research on the history and culture of hacking, as well as the latest trends and threats in cyber security. She received her PhD in 2022 and published her dissertation as her first book, Introduction to Lockpicking.Black Hat Kathy is currently a freelance security consultant and writer, who helps various organizations and individuals to protect their systems and data from malicious hackers. She is also a frequent speaker and guest lecturer at various academic and industry events. She is working on a new book which will explore the future of hacking and cyber warfare. She currently lives in San Diego.