Meet the Ona - Yvan Genuer
Our ‘Meet the Ona’ series for Cybersecurity Awareness Month rolls on! We’ve already introduced you to Ema and Paul, and now we’re shining a light on another brilliant mind from the renowned Onapsis Research Labs: Senior Offensive Security Researcher, Yvan Genuer. Dive into our Q&A to learn about his unique journey and the crucial work he does to secure the world’s most critical applications.
Please introduce yourself to the rest of the Tribe and share a little about your background – could be family, where you live, current role etc.
Hi. I’m Yvan Genuer, a Senior Offensive Security Researcher at Onapsis. I am based in the French Alps, a fair distance from Paris (!). I live with my wife and our three monsters. My work mostly involves securing SAP landscapes by finding vulnerabilities one by one…laborious work I recognize.
Please share your journey / story. What brought you to Onapsis?
It is a long story…I kicked off my career in 2001 as an SAP Basis Administrator, working with big companies and learning a ton about the massive SAP ecosystem.
Cybersecurity was always a personal interest of mine, something I tinkered with in my free time. The real turning point came when I saw Mariano’s (Onapsis CEO) famous talk, “Attacking the Giants: Exploiting SAP Internals.” That really got me thinking about combining my SAP and security knowledge. Over several years, I built up this unique skill set, which eventually led to my first vulnerability reports.
Then, in 2018, Onapsis reached out to me about a full-time SAP researcher role. It was pretty cool, bringing my journey full circle, as I joined the very company that first opened my eyes to the world of SAP security years before.
In your spare time, what motivates you / drives you?
With a full-time job and three children, “spare time” is really something special. On one hand, I enjoy spending time in the mountains, far from computers and technology, planning safe solo journeys that allow me to recharge mentally before returning home. On the other hand, I’ve discovered the reward in helping others achieve their goals. This feeling has been a part of both my personal and professional life. My children might call it “being old,” but I prefer the term “mentorship.”
How do you bring your personal values to work with you?
I’m lucky to be on an amazing team that really lets me be myself. This makes it easy to bring my personal values, like integrity, autonomy, and a willingness to share, into our everyday work.
Is there an Ona value that resonates with you most?
INTEGRITY
I always try to be honest, and I’m not afraid of my mistakes. It’s just part of our job after all.
Also, I think this “integrity” helps us keep it responsible with the hacking community.
Why is Onapsis the place where you share your talents?
Eight years ago, Onapsis gave me the opportunity to pursue my true passions. They quickly placed their trust in me, providing all keys to achieve our shared goals. This trust continues to motivate me daily, even after all our accomplishments.
What advice do you have for Onas wanting to pursue a dream or challenge personally or professionally?
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Yes it is a classic. However it really shows that even if you start behind, if you keep at it and stay focused, you’ll fail, then learn and improve. Eventually, step after step you will reach your goal.
What is next for you?
I’m quite a simple person and don’t tend to overthink things. I know there’s still a lot for me to learn, but also a lot I can share. My focus is to do my part to secure our digital world.
In your opinion, how does Cybersecurity Awareness Month positively impact our industry and consumers as a whole?
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a great time to think about how SAP Security has changed. Twenty years ago, SAP cybersecurity wasn’t even a thing. Ten years later, only a few experts really understood it. Now, cybercriminals are definitely focusing more on SAP cybersecurity. What’s next? A ”SAPocalypse”? We’re working hard to make sure that doesn’t happen!
