Blog

Technical Writing

Deep dives into the projects I build, the problems I solve, and the lessons I learn along the way.

BuilderGraph: A Hardware-Aware Local AI Coding Agent

Jul 12, 20265 min read

BuilderGraph profiles your machine, recommends the best local coding model for your GPU, then runs a sandboxed interactive coding agent. Zero dependencies, fully offline, 40 tokens per second on a laptop GPU.

AILocalAIPythonCodingAgentOpenSourceGPUDeveloperTools

Most People Do Not Know What They Are Doing (And That Is Why They Miss Everything)

Jun 20, 20267 min read

The biggest shifts in technology, business, and society do not announce themselves. They happen gradually, in plain sight, while most people are too busy following instructions they never questioned.

opiniontechnologysocietycritical-thinkingtrends

Firewalls: Types, Generations, and Network Architectures

Jun 20, 20267 min read

A deep dive into firewall technology, from basic packet filters to ML-powered next-gen firewalls. Covers the four generations, key architectures like DMZ and screened subnets, and why CBAC got replaced by ZPF.

networkingsecurityfirewallsinfrastructure

Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: The Exploits Nobody Sees Coming

Jun 17, 202611 min read

A breakdown of what zero-day vulnerabilities actually are, why they are so dangerous, how they get discovered and sold, and real-world examples that changed the cybersecurity landscape forever.

CybersecurityZero-DayExploitsThreat IntelligenceSecurity Research

Cursor's $60B Exit: When Your Product Becomes a Feature

Jun 17, 20264 min read

SpaceX just acquired Cursor for $60 billion in stock. The deal validates a thesis many saw coming: standalone AI coding tools face compression when the models underneath them get good enough to cut out the middleman.

AIDeveloper ToolsCursorSpaceXClaude CodeIndustry Analysis

Python Will Disappear. Everything Will Be TypeScript.

Jun 17, 20265 min read

TypeScript surpassed Python on GitHub. npm has 2M+ packages. JS runs on servers, browsers, edge, and embedded systems. Python's fragmented tooling is playing catch-up to what npm solved a decade ago. The writing is on the wall.

TypeScriptPythonnpmDeveloper ToolsOpinionJavaScript

Zone-Based Policy Firewall: Cisco's Modern Approach to Traffic Control

Jun 16, 20268 min read

A hands-on guide to Cisco's Zone-Based Policy Firewall covering why it replaced CBAC, zone membership rules, the self zone, inspect vs pass vs drop actions, the five-step configuration process, and real-world design patterns.

Network SecurityCiscoZPFFirewallsIOS ConfigurationInfrastructure

The Real Foundation of AI Is Not What You Think

Jun 16, 20265 min read

Everyone talks about AI models and their capabilities. But the real story is the data pipeline underneath: collection, sorting, labeling, and the invisible workforce that makes it all possible.

AIDataMachine LearningData LabelingOpinionTech Industry

How I Mapped the Hidden Attack Surface of a Major Food Delivery Platform

Jun 10, 202610 min read

A walkthrough of a real security assessment where I discovered unprotected origin servers, plaintext email services, and exposed cloud infrastructure behind a well-protected food delivery platform, all using passive reconnaissance techniques.

Security ResearchPenetration TestingReconnaissanceNetwork SecurityBug BountyInfrastructure

Firewalls: From Packet Filters to Next-Generation Defense

Jun 7, 20268 min read

A complete walkthrough of firewall technology covering the four generations of firewalls, architectural patterns like the screened subnet and DMZ, CBAC vs ZPF, and what firewalls actually cannot protect against.

Network SecurityFirewallsCiscoNGFWDMZInfrastructure

Access Control Lists (ACLs): The Gatekeepers of Network Traffic

Jun 6, 20268 min read

A deep dive into how ACLs filter network traffic on Cisco routers, covering standard vs extended ACLs, wildcard masks, placement rules, IPv6 ACLs, and real-world configuration examples.

Network SecurityACLsCiscoPacket FilteringInfrastructure

AAA Framework: Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting

Jun 5, 20264 min read

A practical guide to the AAA security framework covering authentication, authorization, accounting, RADIUS vs TACACS+, privilege levels, parser views, and server configuration.

cybersecuritynetworkingaaaradiustacacscisco

Secure Administrative Access: Locking Down Your Network Devices

Jun 4, 20267 min read

A practical guide to securing administrative access on network devices covering password types, SSH configuration, brute-force protection, line security, and password recovery.

cybersecuritynetworkingsshciscopassword-security

Network Security Fundamentals: The CIA Triad and Beyond

Jun 3, 20266 min read

A comprehensive guide to network security fundamentals covering the CIA Triad, authentication, accountability, non-repudiation, and core security concepts every engineer should know.

cybersecuritynetworkingcloud-securityfundamentals

How I Reverse-Engineered 1,100 Neptun API Endpoints

Jun 1, 20262 min read

A deep dive into building the most complete Python wrapper for Hungary's Neptun university system, covering 75+ controllers and 1,100+ endpoints.

pythonreverse-engineeringapiuniversity

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Idrissa Maiga