Northbound Data: Data, AI & Cybersecurity Meetup

This session is the first part of a multi-part series introducing bug bounties and ethical security research for beginners.
In this event, we’ll cover what bug bounties actually are, how ethical hacking works in the real world, and how people legally earn money by finding and I'm responsibly reporting security issues. The focus is on process, mindset, and tools, not shortcuts or illegal activity.

We’ll also introduce how AI can be used responsibly to assist research, including a beginner-friendly overview of local LLMs using Ollama and MCP-style tooling, with examples such as HexStrike AI–style workflows.

🧠 What We’ll Cover (Agenda)
What bug bounties are and how they work

Legal vs illegal hacking (important rules)

How bug bounty platforms operate

Common beginner mistakes and myths

Intro to local AI tools (Ollama overview)

How AI can assist research, learning, and reporting

How the multi-part series will progress

👥 Who Should Attend
Beginners curious about bug bounties

Developers, analysts, IT professionals

Career switchers interested in cybersecurity

Anyone who wants a realistic, ethical introduction

No experience required.

This Is Part 1 of a Series

Part 1: Foundations, legality, tools, mindset

Part 2: Recon concepts, reading targets, understanding scope

Part 3: Workflow building, automation, reporting strategy

This session is designed for beginners. No prior hacking experience is required.
This part 1 event does NOT cover live exploitation or attacking real systems. All discussion will focus on legal platforms, safe environments, and responsible disclosure.