Cracking the System

Ruikai Peng on curiosity, hacking, and how young people shape the digital world.

Ruikai Peng: Black Hat USA's Youngest Speaker

Introduction

Ruikai Peng is a 16 year old cybersecurity researcher from China who has already been profiled by Bloomberg for his work in hacking and artificial intelligence. At just 15, he became the youngest speaker ever at Black Hat, one of the most well known cybersecurity conferences in the world.

His journey began at age 12, when he hacked his middle school’s website out of pure curiosity. What started as a simple experiment quickly turned into a deeper exploration of how digital systems work and how they fail.

Today, Ruikai researches vulnerabilities in the software and platforms people rely on every day. His story shows how curiosity, persistence, and self learning can give young people real influence in highly technical fields.

At Youth4Truth, we believe impact does not always come from titles or institutions. It comes from asking questions, testing limits, and learning how systems really work. Ruikai’s path is a reminder that the digital world is being shaped by youth, whether adults notice or not.

The Interview

Q: Forget about conferences and awards for a second. What was the first moment that made you realize you could actually influence systems?

Ruikai: When I was 12, I hacked my middle school’s website. It wasn’t very advanced. The school had left usernames and passwords in a public file. But for me, it was huge. I realized that systems are not perfect, and even a kid could understand and change them. I wrote about it online, people noticed, and that encouragement pushed me to keep learning.

Q: For someone who does not speak hacker, how would you explain what you actually do?

Ruikai: Hacking is basically finding ways a system behaves that the designers did not expect. Sometimes that means looking deep into how programs run internally, and other times it is finding flaws in websites or apps. It sounds complicated, but it is really like spotting loopholes in a game.

“Hacking is just cheating but in computer terms.”

Q: Do you think hacking changes how you see technology in everyday life?

Ruikai: Absolutely. Once you understand how systems work, you stop seeing technology as something magical or untouchable. You realize it is built by people, and people make mistakes. That mindset makes you more thoughtful and more critical of the tools you use every day.

Q: Most people in cybersecurity are much older and backed by big organizations. What is it like being young in that space?

Ruikai: It is a mix. Sometimes people underestimate you, but curiosity is a huge advantage. Young hackers often explore things just for fun and learning, not because it is their job. That freedom lets us notice things others might overlook.

“Most teen hackers are not in it for money. We do it for curiosity.”

Q: A lot of attention is on AI right now. What do you think people misunderstand about it?

Ruikai: Many people treat AI like something mysterious or all knowing, but it is really just a system that predicts patterns based on data. If the system behind it has weaknesses, everything built on top of it can be affected. Understanding that helps people use AI more responsibly instead of blindly trusting it.

“Don’t worship AI. It is just a prediction machine.”

Q: What advice would you give to students who want to make an impact but do not know where to start?

Ruikai: Start with curiosity. Do not wait for permission. Write, build, experiment, and share what you learn. You do not need a famous school or a big company behind you. Most of the tools and knowledge are already online. If you keep learning and pushing yourself, opportunities will follow.

Closing

Ruikai’s story shows that influence in the digital world does not come from age or authority. It comes from curiosity and effort. By exploring systems instead of accepting them at face value, he has built skills that allow him to contribute meaningfully to technology at a young age.

For Youth4Truth, his journey is a reminder that young people do not have to wait to shape the future. Whether through code, research, or creativity, our generation already has the tools to understand the systems around us and the confidence to improve them.