Bandana Kaur is a recent high school graduate and cybersecurity researcher passionate about securing technology at every layer - from networks and APIs to AI systems and the humans behind them. Currently working as a Security Research Engineer at APISec, she investigates real-world vulnerabilities and explores the offensive side of cybersecurity, with a growing focus on AI red teaming.

Bandana has been discussing the impact of AI on the cybersecurity workforce since she was 15 and now serves as a board member at the UN Dynamic Teen Coalition, where she brings a youth perspective to global digital safety policy and leads their cybersecurity discussions. Her work bridges technical research and public impact, whether through hands-on testing, policy engagement, or speaking at international conferences and podcasts on topics ranging from OSINT and Social Engineering to attacks against LLM APIs.

An influential speaker, she's delivered talks on international forums while blending deep technical insight with clarity and simplicity. Through her online persona HackWithHer, Bandana is building a reputation as part of a new generation of researchers who see security not just as a profession, but as a responsibility.

Some of her previous talks include:
'Talk to Hack: Why the future of API abuse is conversational' at APISec | Con 2025
'OSINT and Social Engineering for CISOs' (2x) at the CISO Deep-Dive training programme, MeitY, NeGD & IIPA, 2024
'The Hackers Among Us: The Gen-Z guide to Cybersecurity' at NICE Cybersecurity Career Week 2024
STEAM Speaker Series Inaugural Speaker representing Technology at AWIS Washington DC, 2024
Also a guest speaker on various podcasts...

Her guiding motto as HackWitHer is “making the cyberspace liveable for all” - a vision that drives her to build safer, more inclusive systems. Blending curiosity with responsibility, she represents a new generation of security thinkers shaping the future of ethical hacking, AI safety, and internet freedom.