From early on, I knew I wanted a career that allowed my creative thinking to flourish. After completing my Applied Computer Science studies at Karel de Grote Hogeschool, I earned my OSCP certification and soon after began my career at the Security Factory. The variety of projects that I have been able to work on made sure that my days didn’t feel repetitive and opened the doors for many experiences and learning opportunities.
Life as a Pentester and Competence Lead at tSF
What I do as a Competence Lead Software security
I’m one of the Competence Leads and my main goal is to help our team grow and thrive by focusing on internal support and knowledge development.
What does that mean in practice? Well, I’m involved in everything from conducting technical interviews during recruitment to making sure our new colleagues and interns get the best possible start. I also sometimes organise our Knowledge Evenings, great opportunities for everyone to share insights and learn from each other. Supporting our starters during review meetings is another important part of my role. I help them reflect, grow, and feel confident in their work. Plus, I’m a big fan of documenting our knowledge through our wiki and other platforms so that what we learn never gets lost.
In short, I’m here to make sure our team has the support and resources needed to keep improving every day.
Tim Truyens
Competence lead software security & penetration tester
What I do as a Pentester
As a pentester, my job is to think like a hacker, but with full permission and a very different goal: making systems more secure. Since I joined tSF, I’ve had the chance to work on a wide variety of security projects across different industries. Each one brings new challenges and forces me to think outside the box, sharpening my skills as an ethical hacker.
What does a pentester actually do? In simple terms, I dig into systems, networks, and applications to identify vulnerabilities before attackers can. I simulate real-world attacks, analyze defenses, and provide clear, actionable recommendations to improve security. One of the most satisfying moments in this job? That feeling when you finally uncover a hidden vulnerability after hours of testing and probing. It’s a rush, especially when you know that finding it now means preventing a real-world security breach later.
But being a pentester at tSF is about more than just technical skills. It’s also about collaboration. I work closely with development and IT teams to explain security risks in a practical, approachable way. Together, we build stronger systems and better software. Coupling this together with the many awesome colleagues that I have, working at tSF has been a fulfilling experience. It brings a smile to my face thinking about all the moments we were able to laugh together and share experiences with each other. Being able to collaborate together with like-minded colleagues really brings the best out of yourself. I am looking forward to strengthening the security of many more applications and systems together with my team!
