When Niels Aerts was just 16, his curiosity led him into a world most teenagers never see. He started creating game cheats and macros not for fame or profit, but to understand how things worked beneath the surface. That same curiosity pulled him into underground hacker communities, where he learned how real attackers think, plan, and exploit systems.
It wasn’t about breaking rules; it was about understanding them deeply enough to build stronger ones. Those early experiments shaped the mindset that drives his work today. The lessons he learned as a teenage hacker became the foundation of his cybersecurity career.
Turning a Hacker Mindset Into a Force for Good
While most people see hackers as threats, Aerts saw potential. He realized that the same thinking used to break systems could be used to protect them. Cybersecurity, to him, was the perfect blend of curiosity, creativity, and strategy. It rewarded people who think differently, those who challenge systems to make them stronger.
“I’ve always been obsessed with breaking things to understand them,” he says. “Now, I get to use that mindset to protect businesses at scale.”
That approach made him stand out early. Instead of simply following security checklists, Aerts dove deep into the mindset of attackers, predicting how they would move, and preparing defenses that stopped them cold.
Securing the World’s Biggest Names
Aerts’ skillset soon attracted attention from top organizations that operate on the global stage. His work has helped secure critical infrastructure for clients such as Starbucks, NATO, and Euroclear, companies and institutions where even a minor breach could lead to massive financial loss or global disruption.
Through these projects, Aerts has protected over €680 million worth of assets, an impressive achievement for someone who once learned coding through video games. But for him, the real reward isn’t the number; it’s the trust.
“When organizations like these trust you with their most valuable data, you realize your mindset isn’t just a skill; it’s a responsibility,” he explains. “In those environments, failure simply isn’t an option.”
That trust is what separates a good security expert from a great one. And for Aerts, it’s the validation that his approach, rooted in curiosity and precision, truly works.
Building the Future: The XPOSE Security Vision
After years of consulting for major clients, Aerts knew he wanted to make an even bigger impact. Instead of protecting one company at a time, he envisioned building something that could protect many automatically, intelligently, and globally.
That vision gave birth to his new project, a cybersecurity SaaS platform under his company XPOSE Security. The platform focuses on automating deep security assessments and providing real-time threat intelligence, tools that help businesses detect, assess, and respond to risks faster than ever before.
By turning his consulting expertise into a scalable product, Aerts is taking cybersecurity beyond manual testing and into automation. It’s a bold step that aligns with his long-term goal to build a remote-first, global security company that sets new industry standards and makes hacker-level defense accessible to everyone.
“This industry doesn’t need more buzzwords,” Aerts says. “It needs real execution, real solutions, and people who can think like attackers to build stronger defenses.”
Lessons from the Frontlines
Over the years, Aerts has learned that deep technical skill, while important, is only one part of the equation. What truly separates top professionals is execution, trust, and accountability.
He believes that in cybersecurity and in business, how you deliver matters just as much as what you deliver. That’s why he emphasizes clear communication, reliable delivery, and long-term relationships with clients.
“Technical skill alone isn’t enough,” he explains. “You can be the smartest in the room, but if you can’t communicate clearly, execute fast, and build trust, you’ll never create real impact.”
This balance between technical mastery and human connection has become a signature of Aerts’ approach. It’s what allows him to work confidently with both engineers and executives, bridging the gap between complexity and clarity.
Advice to the Next Generation
If Aerts could speak to his younger self, he says his message would be simple: raw skill is your entry ticket, not your ceiling.
He warns against spending years chasing small wins or trying to prove intelligence in every room. Instead, he encourages young professionals to focus on building leverage, systems, assets, relationships, and personal brands that create lasting value.
“Learn to sell, lead, and delegate just as aggressively as you hack,” he says. “The people who make lasting impact aren’t just great operators; they build machines that keep running without them.”
That mindset, he believes, is what turns talented individuals into long-term leaders.
Life Beyond the Screen
Outside of work, Aerts uses his platforms to share glimpses of his journey, the late nights, the struggles, and the milestones that define his path. Through his social channels, he aims to inspire others who might be walking the same road, blending lifestyle with lessons in perseverance and personal growth.
He doesn’t shy away from showing the human side of cybersecurity, the mental strain, the constant learning, and the satisfaction that comes from solving complex challenges. His story reminds others that behind every digital defense lies passion, persistence, and purpose.
The Legacy He Aims to Leave
Niels Aerts doesn’t just want to be another cybersecurity founder. He wants to be remembered as the person who brought real hacker-level depth back into cybersecurity, someone who cuts through the corporate noise and delivers results through execution, not buzzwords.
His mission is clear: to make high-level security accessible, scalable, and brutally effective for businesses everywhere. He believes that curiosity, when guided by purpose, can change not just a career but entire industries.
And for a teenager who once built game cheats in his bedroom, that transformation is nothing short of remarkable.
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