Varun Biniwale wasn't trying to access over half a million students' data. But one afternoon, a curious exploration led him to uncover a major vulnerability in software used not only by his school but by hundreds around the world. In this eye-opening talk, Varun shares his journey from accidental hacker to ethical reporter. Along the way, he redefines what it means to be a hacker, transforming the term from a negative label to a positive one. Varun is a student of the International Baccalaureate programme in Zürich. At the age of 7 he discovered his interest in technology, and from the age of 13 he began discovering security vulnerabilities in software built by companies, including Google, Meta and MIT's Scratch Foundation.
Now, at 17, his TED talk is an educational reflection of the time he accidentally discovered a major vulnerability affecting hundreds of schools around the world and the consequences that followed. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx