Seth Hyslop

Worked with a 19-person Michigan team (via WolvSec) to design and implement a secure Hardware Security Module system for a hypothetical chip foundry, placing 6th out of the whole competition. I focused on the encryption schemes and the PIN/pepper authentication system. Notable design wins I helped work on:

• Helped design the encryption scheme used to keep files authenticated and confidential as they moved between devices
• Built the PIN and pepper system used to authenticate operators and protect device secrets
• Implemented lockout defenses to prevent brute-force PIN guessing, even across reboots and power loss

Built a home network infrastructure using a Raspberry Pi running Pi-hole for network-wide ad blocking and custom DNS/DHCP services. Configured WireGuard VPN for secure remote access, enabling encrypted connections to my home network and cross-platform access between devices for security research and development. I run a Windows workstation with VMware to manage multiple virtual machines for lab environments and testing.

I worked with a team to build a Flask + SQLAlchemy REST API backend for a Czech startup’s language-learning platform, connected to a hosted PostgreSQL database. The app helps students practice and improve language skills through AI-powered conversation. I implemented core features for managing learning content and user enrollment workflows. The system also tracks student progress and activity to support reporting and insights. To improve reliability, I added system logging and database health-check endpoints. I also was the main communicator with the client, gathering requirements and providing updates on our progress.