About Me
I'm Trae — years old, based in Melbourne, Australia.
I'm passionate about technology and cybersecurity, and I've spent the better part of the last decade growing up within the I.T. field — learning how systems work by breaking them and putting them back together. My knowledge isn't built from textbooks alone; it comes from hands-on experience since I first touched a computer at around three or four years old, years of curiosity, and a drive to understand everything from the ground up.
Today, my primary focus sits at the intersection of backend software engineering and cybersecurity — my two biggest passions in technology. I write secure, meaningful software with the goal of contributing to the cybersecurity landscape, and I'm always looking for new and better ways to improve, especially as the world moves toward an era where cyber warfare and critical infrastructure protection become increasingly important.
How It Started
My programming journey began in 2016 with Java, building Minecraft plugins and learning object-oriented programming from the ground up. Through that process, I gained a deep understanding of databases like MySQL and MongoDB, in-memory data stores like Redis, and how domains, DNS, and services like Cloudflare work — including reverse proxy configurations and tunneling with the CloudflareD daemon. At the same time, I was developing a strong foundation in cybersecurity across the full stack: protecting user accounts and systems through information security, application security, network security, and data security.
Over the years, I expanded into Python, C, C++, C#, JavaScript, and Bash scripting, building a versatile skill set across multiple languages and environments. I also developed a deep understanding of Linux system administration, managing servers and infrastructure from the command line.
Cryptography & the Password Manager
In 2019, I created a store-less password manager — a program that derives credentials deterministically without ever storing anything. Over time, I scaled it into a fully deployed website for better accessibility, now running on Cloudflare Pages with zero outbound internet communication. Everything is generated entirely on the device using client-side cryptography via WebAssembly.
My understanding of cryptography goes well beyond a single algorithm. I have a solid grasp of the underlying concepts — how hashing works at a fundamental level, the principles behind end-to-end encryption, and the critical role that peppering and salting play in making sensitive data like passwords computationally infeasible to brute-force or crack. I work with primitives like Ed25519, HKDF key derivation, and Argon2id in real production systems.
Spring Boot & Framework Design
In 2025, I began diving into web development with Java 21+ and the Spring Framework, learning extensively about the full ecosystem — JWT security, the dependency injection container, and everything the framework has to offer. That deep dive inspired me to build my own open-source libraries: a Dependency Injector framework and a JWT Security library, both published to Maven Central. These exist so I can wire up any current or future project with tooling I fully understand and control.
I'm also planning to build a full-stack cybersecurity platform — including software designed to assist law enforcement, forensics, and investigations when the time is right.
Stocks & the Market
In late 2020, I developed an interest in the stock market, which has been a long and fascinating journey. I became particularly captivated by the short squeeze phenomenon — watching Roaring Kitty, GameStop, and AMC squeeze to significant levels and seeing retail investors profit from the movement. The mechanics behind it — short interest, gamma exposure, options flow, and the game theory between institutional and retail players — drew me in deeply.
That interest led me to build projects around stocks and cryptocurrency, including algorithms that determine buy and sell signals and deliver them to Discord text channels via embed messages. I also wrote custom PineScript indicators for TradingView charts to better understand how a stock or crypto asset is performing the moment I open a chart.
Education & What's Next
Alongside everything I've built independently, I completed a Certificate IV in Cybersecurity (2022–2024) and a Diploma in Cybersecurity (2024–2026). While I don't base my knowledge on certifications alone — my foundation is years of being self-taught — they serve as a solid foot in the door and formal recognition of what I already practice daily.
I recently discovered that SaaS companies like Linktree were also built in Melbourne, which has inspired me to pursue building multiple SaaS projects and turning them into software businesses. The combination of backend engineering and cybersecurity practices is something I genuinely enjoy, and the idea of building companies around that is where I'm heading next.